suggestions on low calorie fast food or restaurants?

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mish24canada
mish24canada Posts: 152 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi Everyone Im new to my fitness pal and loving it. I was just wondering if anyone has any suggestions on a book or guide to low calorie foods when eating out at fast food places or restaurants. Everything I have found online is mostly American restaurants which isn't helpful when I live in Canada.
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Replies

  • AlexisJ330
    AlexisJ330 Posts: 97 Member
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    So I don't like in Canada but as a general suggestion stay away from anything fried and when ordering a sandwich order it without the mayo or "special" sauce as they are usually for fattening and higher in calories than the grilled chicken. Good Luck.
  • janimei
    janimei Posts: 105 Member
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    I order a salad with oil/vinegar dressing on the side. Then I add a chicken breast or salmon fillet to the order. When others at my table order dessert, I order a decaf coffee. If there is a fresh fruit cup, I sometimes add that for dessert.

    Another good option: a lean steak or omelet (hold the bread, hold the butter, hold the rice/potatoes), with a side salad (dressing on the side).

    Bringing your own to-go container helps; if the portions are large, you can offload half the food into your container before you have your first bite.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,136 Member
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    If they are chain places, you can check for a Canadian website (instead of dot com, look for dot ca) that has nutritional info. I have found info differences between U.S. and Canadian sites. If it's Cora's, they don't provide info at all, even if you ask them.
  • michellechawner
    michellechawner Posts: 892
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    I'm in America, but anything grilled chicken sandwich may be a good bet. Anything fried is out. Or, if you order a sandwich, eat it without the bread, that will cut the calories, I've done it before.

    Instead of soda, I get unsweetened tea or water with lemon.

    I know most places here will offer salads (even fast food places). I'm not even sure what is up there in Canada (never been there). I'm unsure of laws up there, but here in America they started putting calorie counts on everything on the menus. Which is nice because you can see ahead of time. Also try checking the business website. Sometimes they have nutritional information on the web.
  • Rynoman2k3
    Rynoman2k3 Posts: 152 Member
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    Fast Food = FAT FOOD without the S.
  • SKMC0214
    SKMC0214 Posts: 58 Member
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    check menus before you go, your will be totally surprise, how sometimes healthy is so not. :)
  • SKMC0214
    SKMC0214 Posts: 58 Member
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    Fast Food = FAT FOOD without the S.

    Love this :)
  • WDEvy
    WDEvy Posts: 814 Member
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    I'm in Canada too. A lot of chain restaurants have nutrional guides on their website. You can also request it in the restaurant.

    I find that if I need to eat on the go Timmies is the best option. Their wraps and even the turkey bacon club are pretty decent options when it comes to calories and sodium
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
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    HERES MINE-
    WENDYS-
    SMALL CHILI- 180 CALS....
    4 PEICE NUGGETS- 180
    LARGE CHILI- 270
    APPLE SLICES- 40
    6 PEICE NUGGETS- 270

    MCDONALDS- SIDE SALAD- 20
    LOW FAT BASALMIC VINEGERRETE DRESSING- 40 CAL I THINK
    FRUIT PARFAIT-150
    ICED TEA- PLAIN - 0
    HAMBURGER- 250
    VANILLA ICE CREAM CONE- 170
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    I'm from the UK, but...
    Subway!

    A good few 6" subs under 300 calories.
    Fill up on salad.
    To lower it even more, ask them to scoop some of the bread out - more space for salad too!
  • mmddwechanged
    mmddwechanged Posts: 1,687 Member
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    McDonald's hamburgers have about 250 calories I think.
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
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    A & W'S
    BABY BURGER- 90
    HOTDOG- 163
    AND MOR E WHAT EVER RESTURAUNT U WANT TO GO TO TYPE THE NAME OF RESTURANT AND THEN NUTRITION INFO AFTER IT IN BROWSER
  • phetsanie
    phetsanie Posts: 9
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    I'm in Canada too. Places like Subway and Tim Hortons have the nutrition info available in store. If you want to look them up online, just google Canadian nutrition information. I've found a lot of them that way
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
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    WHAT EVER RESTURAUNT U WANT TO GO TO TYPE THE NAME OF RESTURANT AND THEN NUTRITION INFO AFTER IT IN BROWSER


    EXAMPLE- mCDONALDS- CANADA - NUTRITION INFO
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    I'm in Canada. White Spot has a few "Lifestyle" options, and they have nutritional info in the mfp data base. But, often I just order the legendary burger without sauce and use mustard and ketchup instead, with a side salad instead of french fries and I order the dressing on the side and I choose the dressing from the lifestyle Asian chicken salad (which is also a good meal). That's all I can think of. A lot of restaurants will have some nutritional info online. IHOP has "simple and fit" options. And I agree about ordering burgers without mayo or special sauce (mustard and ketchup is fine).
  • cathleen73
    cathleen73 Posts: 11 Member
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    calorie king books have generic restaurant foods, like average dishes and individual ingredients to help you get basic info . not sure it has more than fitnesspal. what i've done bc i love independent restaurants, is call ahead to places and ask if they have nutritional info. sometimes they'll give you basic info on how they cook things or what substitutions you can make.
  • glennstoudt
    glennstoudt Posts: 403 Member
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    None of the fast food outlets in any country are a good option. If you must, you must.
    My suggestion is to try to find a better way to eat.
    Having years of experience in fast food and now not, my conclusion is that there is a better way to eat and try to find your own way to it.
  • SteveMcBean
    SteveMcBean Posts: 3 Member
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    Pita Pit. Tim Hortons food is gross and full of preservatives (chicken tastes like rubber).
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
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    There's a whole series of books called "Eat this, Not that" which often compare options between different fast food restaurants or within the same restaurant. I am pretty sure there's a website too. Google it, you will find information for sure!
  • MarisaDLS2
    MarisaDLS2 Posts: 108 Member
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    Denny's - Fit Slam - ask for side of veggies instead of english muffin.
    Total cal is under 250.

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