salad at mcdonald's, other mcd's foods?... :)

I don;t get mcd's often but when I do I get the snack wrap with grilled chicken and the fruit parfait.. the parfait has 150 calories and the snack wrap about 230 to 270 depending on what kind.

I do have a taco bell. Are the fresco tacos yummy? Do they have cheese?

That's without salsa, right?

I really like them. They don't have cheese, just chicken, pico de galo, and shredded lettuce. That's not counting the salsa but you don't really need it plus from what I've seen online their salsa has almost no calories?

Wow, thank you, everybody!!!

Yes, I should carry a cooler with me. That's what I'm realizing. Losing weight is more about what you do before you leave the house (or the night before), than what you do that day. Meaning: if you pack yourself some yummy healthy sandwiches, fruit, raw vegetables, and put in a cooler for the car, you're setting yourself up for success.

But when I don't have a cooler, and am starving, in a panic, if I go thru the drivethru, I at least have some options.

I totally get you However, I just started packing stuff. I know my schedule for the day way in advance - I use Google calendar for my entire life so it's not like I don't know if I am going to have a nonstop day without time to come home and cook. I used to make excuses like, "I don't have time so I have to hit a drive through" But now I'm realizing that that was a choice I made. I know for a fact that I can spare ten extra minutes to pack myself a healthy lunch to take in the car with me. I even log it into MFP ahead of time for the mental kick in the *kitten* that, "THIS is what you are eating and don't even try to *kitten* around with McDonalds!"

It took a few weeks to get used to, but now it's SUPER easy. Give it a try!

I agree. It's easy to find excuses why you HAVE TO go to a drive thru but I don't think anyone reaaly has to. I'm not a fan of the whole gobbling down fast . now if you have some unforeseen emergency situation and you need to get something, then I would go with a grilled chicken wrap or sandwich

The smoothies are amazing! A snack size only has 130 calories

Honestly? Do some research and stick with the salads. I used to work at McDonalds and can never eat there anymore. The grilled chicken is NOT healthy. When you cook it on the grill, you dump melted butter (an ungodly amount) over the chicken. Try keeping some snacks in your car. Lara bars are so yummy and crazy filling. One will hold me over for several hours.

For a quick snack, I'll usually get a Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken Snack Wrap. If I want a meal, I get a salad or one of their newer grilled chicken McWraps.

I have to agree with those who would say it is best to just avoid fast food places entirely. I would only go to a place like that if, for example, I was with a group of friends going out to eat and it was the agreed-upon option; then I would look at their nutrition facts online and get something as healthy and low-cal as possible. It does look like their lighter grilled chicken salads would be okay if eaten in moderation.

My trick to avoid fast food places on the go even when I'm not prepared in advance is to simply stop at a grocery store! Grocery stores are just as common as fast food joints so if you can find one, just go in, bee-line it to their fruit and veggie section and pick up a salad or some fruit or something, maybe with some nuts. They usually have a deli too but those options tend to be just as bad as fast food joints. It is only slightly longer of a time investment than a drive-through and so much better for you.

I've only once gotten a salad at McD's - they actually can be worse for you than just getting a wrap. I like to get the sweet chili mcwrap - I believe it's about 330 cals and it's huge! It fills me up very easily. They also have two others to choose from, but the sweet chili is the best IMO. Also, the snacks wraps are good, the grilled one, but they can be just as much as the McWraps depending. Small fry is 230 cals, a little on the high side, but I can fit it into my day just fine

I'm not sure anyone has pointed this out. But did you look at the sodium on that salad? 960mg with the salad and the low fat Italian dressing. THAT IS INSANE, 40% of the salad is salt. It sounds like this is a one in awhile situation but I would just say be careful and be aware of how much salt you are putting in. That can cause water retention, health problems and more recently sodium/salt intake has been linked to increased autoimmune disorders; http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=salt-linked-to-autoimmune-diseases

Salad with Dressing Nutritional Information:
240
Calories

960mg
Sodium
(40%)

A better alternative would be the Fruit & Yogurt Parfait with a side salad (I picked southwestern dressing since it was lowest in sodium and calories than the low-fat stuff.)

The breakdown of that meal is:
Calories 270
Sodium 420mg (18%) (Thats a reduction of nearly 50% in sodium)

Much better all around, I believe the second one has some more sugar but I would imagine that's from the fruit. The Meal Builder McD's has is kinda handy. I myself have not eaten there in roughly 10 years....crazy right? Good Luck!

a mc double siuprisingly enough, AND a yogurt parfait. Lots of protein and both about 460 calories. The parfait with fruit is 160 and The burger is about 300. You also get some fiber and nutrients, hard to do when at a fast food place. 450 is probably less than a salad with dressing. Oh and the burger is 2 dollars.

Absolutely not trying to be mean, but the McDouble is not 300 calories. A single patty cheeseburger is 300 calories. (like the one you get in a normal happy meal) The McDouble is 390. The Double Cheeseburger is 440. I would want to know if my calories were off so that I could adjust accordingly.