Fast Food; are there any heathy choices?

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Replies

  • needlessofme12
    needlessofme12 Posts: 4
    http://www.ranker.com/list/the-healthiest-fast-food-choices-in-america/chef-jen heres a list
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Subway is the healthiest "fast food" joint.. every where else has chemically modified food.. NASTY

    Processed deli meats are not healthy.

    Run away...it's lean protein!

    If only that's all it was.
  • K_Serz
    K_Serz Posts: 1,299 Member
    To answer the original question - chipotle is always a decent go to. Salads or bol's,


    I found a Chipotle right next to the hospital so I think I will give them a shot tomorrow. Thanks for the ideas.

    QDoba. Naked Burritos for everyone!!
  • FrankiesSaysRelax
    FrankiesSaysRelax Posts: 403 Member
    For "fast" food I really like: Panera, Noodles and company, chipotle, qdoba, jimmy johns and 5 guys.
  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
    Sure, you can find more healthy choices. I'd still rather prepare my food at home. It just tastes better than anything "fast food." Subway is just disgusting.
  • pspenc90
    pspenc90 Posts: 15 Member
    Chipotle- Most of their food is organic
  • onedayatatime12
    onedayatatime12 Posts: 577 Member
    Before I go anywhere, I check their nutritional facts brochure online.

    McDonald's- Grilled Chicken Snack Wrap
    Taco Bell- Chicken Gordita
    Subway- Turkey Breast on Wheat, Veggies, No Cheese, No Sauces, Salt and Pepper (Veggie Delite is less calories for sure)
    Olive Garden- Lighter Fare Menu (On the menu when you go there)
    Hmmm.... otherwise I'm not too sure, I usually just order a salad to make sure. Sad, I know. But I don't like not knowing what the nutritional content of the food I'm eating is!
  • 13suzie
    13suzie Posts: 349 Member
    Starbucks has great on-the go options: e.g., Hearty Veggie and Brown Rice Salad Bowl (250 cals w/o dressing) - totally clean food.

    Jimmy Johns: it's a sub place but they'll make your sub w/o bread and wrapped in lettuce!

    MY FAVORITE --> Burgerfi --> They use grassfed hamburger meat and will prepare "greenstyle" (no bun - wrapped in lettuce). My favorite healthy burger.

    Jamba Juice: fruit smoothies - haven't had one in a while. To keep them lo-cal and quality, you have to request no sherbert (or no yogurt) replace with "extra fruit or ice" instead.

    Panera: great Greek salad. (I get dressing on side and add only half.)

    You called it McNasty's and swore off McD's but I find it to have the only decent oatmeal (besides starbucks) when I need carbs during a road trip or on the go. You have to order it very precisely to get it without sugar. Order it as "NO brown sugar and just add apples" (on screen it should read "No brown sugar / apples only")

    My challenge on the go is protein. I like organic meats and meats w/o preservatives so I often go w/o added meat when eating at fast food.
  • darkguardian419
    darkguardian419 Posts: 1,302 Member
    Kosher options, ect. We aren't food Nazi's.

    This made me giggle more than it probably should have.
  • K_Serz
    K_Serz Posts: 1,299 Member
    Subway is the healthiest "fast food" joint.. every where else has chemically modified food.. NASTY

    Processed deli meats are not healthy.

    I have to say your replies are quite priceless sometimes. :drinker: The curing process (keyword PROCESS) for meats has been around for centuries. Otherwise the meat sold from butchers would turn grey in appearance. MMMmmm who doesnt like a nice fresh grey ribeye right? It also helps preserve the meat against bacteria and disease as food by its nature begins to spoil the moment it is harvested. Without any processes for preserving our food humans would have had a lot tougher time surviving.

    Other methods of processing foods include: Freezing, Drying, Curing, Canning, Fermenting (cabbage/sourkraut)

    So uhhh, I guess you eat your meat Bear Grylls style? Just bite into its neck while its still alive and suck the juices out? No need to reply, its a rhetorical. :flowerforyou:
  • jesskreg
    jesskreg Posts: 75 Member
    Like many others have mentioned, most restaurants have nutrition information available either in the restaurant or online.
    As far as location, you can really tailor any menu item to your needs. Ask for no cheese or dressing. Always choose to have meat grilled or broiled if it's an option. Split your portion in half and share with someone. Choose whole wheat options or skip the bun/bread. There are always ways to make a meal fit your needs in order to reach your goals! Restaurants are beginning to have more healthy choices because they are trying to reach a wide variety of consumers.

    Here are a few of my favorite restaurants-
    - Subway
    - Zoup! (regional)
    - Qdoba
    - Panera Bread
  • AEMW8
    AEMW8 Posts: 94 Member
    I love Backyard Burger's Veggie Burger. I'm not sure exactly how 'healthy' it is, but it sure is delicious.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member

    That does sound good. I don't think I've been to Chipotle's before.
    It is quite good--warning (since you mentioned turkey bacon i am guessing you try to keep to some kosher rules while out and because some restaurants are better than others at labeling this). Pinto beans are cooked with pork, so if that's a no go, opt for the black beans. They are meat-free.




    Meh...I think it's a high dollar version of Taco Bell.


    And for me, Taco Bell is the best place to hit my macros, stay under my calories, and enjoy my meal without breaking my wallet.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    I'm lovin me some Boston Market lately. Easy to get a ton of protein and a mountain of tasty veggies. Costs a small fortune though.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Subway is the healthiest "fast food" joint.. every where else has chemically modified food.. NASTY

    Processed deli meats are not healthy.

    I have to say your replies are quite priceless sometimes. :drinker: The curing process (keyword PROCESS) for meats has been around for centuries. Otherwise the meat sold from butchers would turn grey in appearance. MMMmmm who doesnt like a nice fresh grey ribeye right? It also helps preserve the meat against bacteria and disease as food by its nature begins to spoil the moment it is harvested. Without any processes for preserving our food humans would have had a lot tougher time surviving.

    Other methods of processing foods include: Freezing, Drying, Curing, Canning, Fermenting (cabbage/sourkraut)

    So uhhh, I guess you eat your meat Bear Grylls style? Just bite into its neck while its still alive and suck the juices out? No need to reply, its a rhetorical. :flowerforyou:

    Being around for centuries doesn't make something healthy. Freezing, Canning, cooking, etc. =/= processed deli meats.
  • mycrazy8splus1
    mycrazy8splus1 Posts: 1,558 Member
    Processed deli meats are not healthy.

    I have to say your replies are quite priceless sometimes. :drinker: The curing process (keyword PROCESS) for meats has been around for centuries. Otherwise the meat sold from butchers would turn grey in appearance. MMMmmm who doesnt like a nice fresh grey ribeye right? It also helps preserve the meat against bacteria and disease as food by its nature begins to spoil the moment it is harvested. Without any processes for preserving our food humans would have had a lot tougher time surviving.

    Other methods of processing foods include: Freezing, Drying, Curing, Canning, Fermenting (cabbage/sourkraut)

    So uhhh, I guess you eat your meat Bear Grylls style? Just bite into its neck while its still alive and suck the juices out? No need to reply, its a rhetorical. :flowerforyou:

    Being around for centuries doesn't make something healthy. Freezing, Canning, cooking, etc. =/= processed deli meats.

    We live on a farm and hunt our own meat but we don't eat everything fresh. Some amount of 'processing' is part of most people's diet. We can only do the best we each can. If you are able to completely avoid processed foods that is great. I wish more people could. I wish I could.

    The Bear Gylls comment made me laugh by the way.
  • JskC1893
    JskC1893 Posts: 156 Member
    We only have one fast food joint in our town (Subway) but sometimes we go into a larger town/city and I was wondering if there are any healthy choices out there. We absolutely will not go to McNastys. We are not huge fans of BK or Wendy's but will go there if we have no other options. Would love to hear why you like/dislike a place when you answer this post. Thanks.

    Could you please explain what you mean by the term "healthy" ?

    I eat from all of those places occasionally. If it fits (into my cals/macros), I EATS.

    I would love to find a place that has real meat and not a bunch of fillers, the freshier the food the better, whole wheat options, Kosher options, ect. We aren't food Nazi's. We like to indulge in the occasional treat and all but if there are places out there that offer a better product I'd love to know. We eat Kosher at home but that is very hard to do on the road. I just heard about a place called Pita Pit that sounds good. Going to see if they have one in Denver.
    There are places that do that..............................they just aren't called FAST FOOD restaurants.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    :laugh:
  • bluelena
    bluelena Posts: 304 Member
    It's difficult to find anything remotely filling on the Panera menu that's not a ton of calories. And it all has a butt-ton of sodium if you care about that.

    I love Panera, don't get me wrong. But I don't go there unless I have a ton of calories to blow and don't care about sodium intake. I hit McDonald's, Subway, Wendy's, or Taco Bell when I don't have that many calories.

    Check out Panera's "Hidden Menu". Really good stuff there. I was surprised at how much those items fill me up. If I'm super hungry, I add a cup of soup along with them.

    Starbucks has been mentioned as well. They have a lot more options than you would think.

    My go-to Taco Bell meal is two beef crunchy fresco tacos with a side of pintos and cheese. MMMM.

    I don't do Chipotle because we have Freebirds down here, but same concept.
  • KpieS86
    KpieS86 Posts: 18
    No. No fast food places have anything that resembles whole natural foods. Start packing your own snacks, or TRY PALEO OR PRIMAL. I mean if you absolutely have to, some of those places will have salads, but the dressings themselves are loaded with preservatives and chemicals and sugar.

    Best to just avoid them altogether, even Subway. None of them are good for your health in any way, shape, or form.

    [edited to add: You could also stop at a regular grocery store!! They usually have salad bars or pre-made salads or rotisserie chickens that would be a much healthier and easy choice! My husband and I did that last weekend while in New Orleans... we couldn't find a decent place to get food in the area we were in, so we stopped at a Whole Foods and made up some meals from their food bar. Healthy, easy.]
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    TRY PALEO OR PRIMAL.

    No.
  • mycrazy8splus1
    mycrazy8splus1 Posts: 1,558 Member
    No. No fast food places have anything that resembles whole natural foods. Start packing your own snacks, or TRY PALEO OR PRIMAL. I mean if you absolutely have to, some of those places will have salads, but the dressings themselves are loaded with preservatives and chemicals and sugar.

    Best to just avoid them altogether, even Subway. None of them are good for your health in any way, shape, or form.

    [edited to add: You could also stop at a regular grocery store!! They usually have salad bars or pre-made salads or rotisserie chickens that would be a much healthier and easy choice! My husband and I did that last weekend while in New Orleans... we couldn't find a decent place to get food in the area we were in, so we stopped at a Whole Foods and made up some meals from their food bar. Healthy, easy.]

    I don't always have the time to prepare ahead of time. I do try to do that when I can but I am looking for options on those occassions when I'm just not as organized as I should be.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Processed deli meats are not healthy.

    I have to say your replies are quite priceless sometimes. :drinker: The curing process (keyword PROCESS) for meats has been around for centuries. Otherwise the meat sold from butchers would turn grey in appearance. MMMmmm who doesnt like a nice fresh grey ribeye right? It also helps preserve the meat against bacteria and disease as food by its nature begins to spoil the moment it is harvested. Without any processes for preserving our food humans would have had a lot tougher time surviving.

    Other methods of processing foods include: Freezing, Drying, Curing, Canning, Fermenting (cabbage/sourkraut)

    So uhhh, I guess you eat your meat Bear Grylls style? Just bite into its neck while its still alive and suck the juices out? No need to reply, its a rhetorical. :flowerforyou:

    Being around for centuries doesn't make something healthy. Freezing, Canning, cooking, etc. =/= processed deli meats.

    We live on a farm and hunt our own meat but we don't eat everything fresh. Some amount of 'processing' is part of most people's diet. We can only do the best we each can. If you are able to completely avoid processed foods that is great. I wish more people could. I wish I could.

    The Bear Gylls comment made me laugh by the way.

    I never suggested cutting out all food processing or processed food. (Bear Gylis is a wuss. He is no Survivorman).
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    No. No fast food places have anything that resembles whole natural foods. Start packing your own snacks, or TRY PALEO OR PRIMAL. I mean if you absolutely have to, some of those places will have salads, but the dressings themselves are loaded with preservatives and chemicals and sugar.

    Best to just avoid them altogether, even Subway. None of them are good for your health in any way, shape, or form.

    [edited to add: You could also stop at a regular grocery store!! They usually have salad bars or pre-made salads or rotisserie chickens that would be a much healthier and easy choice! My husband and I did that last weekend while in New Orleans... we couldn't find a decent place to get food in the area we were in, so we stopped at a Whole Foods and made up some meals from their food bar. Healthy, easy.]

    ZOMG! dressings loaded with chemicals? Can you give me some examples of the chemical free paleo or primal foods you eat?
  • jaxbeck
    jaxbeck Posts: 537 Member
    No. No fast food places have anything that resembles whole natural foods. Start packing your own snacks, or TRY PALEO OR PRIMAL. I mean if you absolutely have to, some of those places will have salads, but the dressings themselves are loaded with preservatives and chemicals and sugar.

    Best to just avoid them altogether, even Subway. None of them are good for your health in any way, shape, or form.

    [edited to add: You could also stop at a regular grocery store!! They usually have salad bars or pre-made salads or rotisserie chickens that would be a much healthier and easy choice! My husband and I did that last weekend while in New Orleans... we couldn't find a decent place to get food in the area we were in, so we stopped at a Whole Foods and made up some meals from their food bar. Healthy, easy.]

    OMG. Seriously, if you could not find a good place to eat in New Orleans, you really just shouldn't go anywhere. New Orleans has AMAZING food
  • jaxbeck
    jaxbeck Posts: 537 Member
    Subway is the healthiest "fast food" joint.. every where else has chemically modified food.. NASTY

    Processed deli meats are not healthy.

    I have to say your replies are quite priceless sometimes. :drinker: The curing process (keyword PROCESS) for meats has been around for centuries. Otherwise the meat sold from butchers would turn grey in appearance. MMMmmm who doesnt like a nice fresh grey ribeye right? It also helps preserve the meat against bacteria and disease as food by its nature begins to spoil the moment it is harvested. Without any processes for preserving our food humans would have had a lot tougher time surviving.

    Other methods of processing foods include: Freezing, Drying, Curing, Canning, Fermenting (cabbage/sourkraut)

    So uhhh, I guess you eat your meat Bear Grylls style? Just bite into its neck while its still alive and suck the juices out? No need to reply, its a rhetorical. :flowerforyou:

    *SLOW CLAP*
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    My husband and I did that last weekend while in New Orleans... we couldn't find a decent place to get food in the area we were in

    OMG. Seriously, if you could not find a good place to eat in New Orleans, you really just shouldn't go anywhere. New Orleans has AMAZING food

    Wut.

    This is the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

    You have to try really, really hard to get a bad meal in NOLA. The places that serve crappy food can't stay in business.

    Hell, when in doubt just go to Popeye's or Church's. Those are everywhere.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    Help-I-dont-know-what-to-eat-350x250.jpg
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Help-I-dont-know-what-to-eat-350x250.jpg

    This should help.

    http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Help-I-dont-know-what-to-eat-350x250.jpg

    This should help.

    http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/

    Stopped reading at "nutrition studies, whose sole purpose seems to be to confuse people on a daily basis."

    Gotta love when Harvard is publishing anti-intellectual fluff pieces.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Help-I-dont-know-what-to-eat-350x250.jpg

    This should help.

    http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/

    Stopped reading at "nutrition studies, whose sole purpose seems to be to confuse people on a daily basis."

    Gotta love when Harvard is publishing anti-intellectual fluff pieces.

    Great review, considering you stopped at the second sentence. :tongue:

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