Fast food

baasland · February 2014

I know it is possible to eat healthy when you eating out (MFP has been a huge help with making healthy fast food choices!), but I am starting to eat healthier nutritious homemade meals, instead of crappy processes foods that are canned or frozen. I just want some input, is it still frowned upon in the fitness world or "unhealthy" to get a salad or grilled chicken sandwich from a fast food restaurant when dieting and trying to be more nutritious? Or is it better just to stay away from fast food all together? I know some salads can be healthier than others but the nutritious information does not seem that bad, other than slightly high sodium.

My concern is that it is so much easier and cost efficient to go pick up a pre-made salad or sandwich from subway from a restaurant than it is to go buy all of the healthy ingredients you need.

Let me know what you guys think about eating fast food.

rwam · February 2014

baasland, You may get more or better responses with the same question on the "nutrition" board but here is my own take on fast foods. I have a hard time finding things that are not out of the calorie range that I am looking for and like you said most things are crazy high in sodium. I don't see anything wrong with a deli sandwich or salad as long as you are sure what you are getting for calories. I have the Arby's junior roast beef sometimes. The problem is really when you start looking at nutritional bang for your buck. I end up having to make sure I get enough protein when limiting calories and I can usually make something with a better protein to calorie ratio myself. Plus, is it just me or does it seem like some fast foods (McDonald's french fries come to mind) just make you crave more of them?
Have you found a favorite go to fast food for when you are out or don't have something home made?

knra_grl · February 2014

I don't think it's an issue as long as it fits into your daily cals - even before I started on MFP I was starting to opt out of fast food and go to Safeway and pick up a premade salad there instead of going through the drive through - the only thing I would watch is the amount of dressing you use as they give you quite a bit. The asian chicken salad at McDonalds is a pretty good option.

melaniecheeks · February 2014

Frowned upon? Are the healthy eating police going to be monitoring your diary and issuing warning notices?

It's totally up to you what you eat- if a mcdonalds salad fits into your daily goals, then do not feel guilty about it.

970Mikaela1 · February 2014

I like fast food from time to time. Not often but every once in a while. I also much more like making my sammich. My sodium is always over the goal. Only when I make my own sandwich meats can I get that number down. We have four kids so we cook meals every night.

FatFreeFrolicking · February 2014

A lot of the times salads from restaurants are actually worse nutrition wise than ordering a burger.

There are a good chunk of people on MFP who believe you don't need to cut out any foods to lose weight or be healthy. They believe you need to be able to incorporate "junk food" into your diet but in moderation. They believe that is the key to being successful with weight loss.

Then there's people like me who have no desire to eat fast food. I personally never crave fast food. Ever. When I used to eat fast food in HS, I would get sick to my stomach so for me, it's just not worth feel crappy over.

Achrya · February 2014

If it fits your cals and macros eat it. If it doesn't don't.

Simple.

randomtai · February 2014

If it fits your cals and macros eat it. If it doesn't don't.

Simple.

I still eat it, even if it doesn't fit. I do wut I want. :laugh:

SunofaBeach14 · February 2014

I prefer a Wendy's Triple and a Frosty. All other fast food is just junk.

Oh. Except McDonald's Sausage Egg McMuffins.

And Dairy Queen.

And Taco Bell Soft Taco Supremes at 3:00 a.m. and when the kiddos need to be fed and we don't feel like cooking.

But yea, most of my food is the rarified, special, magical, fairy dust laden whole bro foods.

Unless you count my grilled chicken wings and home fries.

There's a salad in there somewhere, I swear.

kgeyser · February 2014

Frowned upon? Are the healthy eating police going to be monitoring your diary and issuing warning notices?

It's totally up to you what you eat- if a mcdonalds salad fits into your daily goals, then do not feel guilty about it.

^This. Eat the foods you want to eat that fit into your daily goals and lifestyle, and don't worry about what anyone else thinks of your food choices. Some people can't seem to figure out the difference between "not excluding a food from your diet" and "eating that food every waking second of your life," and that's their problem.

lucasmoten · February 2014

I eat fast food most work days for lunch. Plenty of people have no problem losing weight on less than stellar food. It helps that I'm not plowing down on it, and that its in moderation balanced with better choices for other meals. I try to keep my lunches to about 600 calories, and have prepared a cheat sheet for all the popular chains of what works so I know what to order ahead of time. Here are some ideas..

Salad is usually the lowest calories, provided you forgo toppings. As a main entree, beware of the mega salads, avoid the ones topped with crispy fried chicken, or bacon, or croutons, etc. The easiest chains to get salad are Wendy's (go for either the half, or you can swap fries in a combo meal for a garden salad), McDonald's (side salad only), and Chic-fil-a. In all cases, avoid the dressing, or know what the calorie counts are before you add it on..

Sandwiches - Usually chicken and fish are your best choices. Grilled. Never fried/crispy. I like to do double sandwiches and skip on the fries. And I also prefer opting out of cheese and other toppings. The best chain for this is McDonald's. My favorite is 2 filet-o-fish sandwiches, plain (no cheese, no tartar sauce). That clocks at 270 calories a piece which makes them less than a big mac. This works out perfectly for the early part of the year or lent when they have specials to buy one get one for a penny. For the cheap (though not the best as its beef) calories, I'll get 2 plain McDoubles, take the patties from one, and put it on the other so I'm eating one sandwich with 4 patties. This is more filling and lower calories then a big mac as well.

Most importantly though, you have to know the calories up front and how much you want to eat before you order, and to think outside the defacto combo meals. If you plan to eat just until full, then just order one or two items at a time.

ndj1979 · February 2014

food is food..does not matter where you get it from ..you use it for energy ..so if you want a grilled chicken sandwich from McDonald's then go get one…

you really think your body knows if the grilled chicken came from your fridge or mcdonalds?????

edited to add - as long as you maintaining a daily deficit, you will lose weight…

terinay · February 2014

I'm with you on buying a fast food salad. Seems like when I buy all that stuff to make a salad I end up throwing most of it away because I have such a hectic life, as do so many people today, and I end up eating on the run or out and about. I guess I could pack a lunch and quit being lazy, but as you said, it's so much more convenient to stop and buy a quick salad. The bad thing I think, is that as you are looking at the menu and smelling all the food being cooked, it tempts you to get a burger or something that isn't healthy.

ndj1979 · February 2014

I prefer a Wendy's Triple and a Frosty. All other fast food is just junk.

Oh. Except McDonald's Sausage Egg McMuffins.

And Dairy Queen.

And Taco Bell Soft Taco Supremes at 3:00 a.m. and when the kiddos need to be fed and we don't feel like cooking.

But yea, most of my food is the rarified, special, magical, fairy dust laden whole bro foods.

Unless you count my grilled chicken wings and home fries.

There's a salad in there somewhere, I swear.

do unicorns bring you this food, or did you find at the end of a rainbow in your supermarket?

SunofaBeach14 · February 2014

I prefer a Wendy's Triple and a Frosty. All other fast food is just junk.

Oh. Except McDonald's Sausage Egg McMuffins.

And Dairy Queen.

And Taco Bell Soft Taco Supremes at 3:00 a.m. and when the kiddos need to be fed and we don't feel like cooking.

But yea, most of my food is the rarified, special, magical, fairy dust laden whole bro foods.

Unless you count my grilled chicken wings and home fries.

There's a salad in there somewhere, I swear.

do unicorns bring you this food, or did you find at the end of a rainbow in your supermarket?

I buy it from the magic unicorn on my street corner selling it out of little zip lock bags . . .

JesterMFP · February 2014

Whatever you eat is going to be "frowned upon" by somebody. I decided it takes a lot less energy to work out what's important to me as far as nutrition goes, than to worry about what other people are thinking. Not that I don't listen to other people's advice, but too many people worry about what's considered acceptable or unacceptable by other people regarding diet. Work out your priorities, and stick to them.

For example, my priorities are meeting my calorie goal, getting enough fibre, getting enough protein, enough fat, and a good amount of micronutrients. I shop according to certain personal ethical considerations. Apart from that, I eat the foods I enjoy and don't worry if other people are frowning upon the fact that I eat meat, or food out of packets, or sugar, or artificial sweeteners or whatever.

Athena53 · February 2014

DH and I gravitate to Subway on our road trips and when you're stuck in an airport, fast food is just about your only choice most of the time. It all boils down to choosing carefully and exercising portion control. I've been known to take one of those overstuffed panini sandwiches and scrape off the mayo (don't like mayo, anyway), and throw away the top bun and half the meat and cheese in the nearest trash can so it's not there to eat.

I don't eat fast food on a regular basis but when I need/want to I can fit it into my diet.

baasland · February 2014

Thanks guys I appreciate the input.

One of my go-to "healthy" is actually McDonalds because their salads are delicious and low in calories (grilled chicken of course.) Most fast food restaurants also have grilled chicken sandwiches which are usually very low in calories and chopped full of lean protein as long as you go without mayo. I also love hitting up Subway but you must be very careful at Subway - don't fall into the mindset that everything you get is healthy. It is so easy to end up with a ton of calories in just a footlong sandwich without realizing it; but still usually a lean choice full of healthy and delicious toppings.

I just didn't want to rely on fast-food too often because of the negative stereotypes associated with eating fast food. Drive-thrus and sandwich shops are just so convenient and delicious - I was hesitant to continue my food choice patterns but it seems like there is nothing wrong with it!

nikki_dw · February 2014

I had fried chicken and french fries from Zaxby's this weekend. You can't be good all of the time. Recognize it can't be the norm and move on. That said, my go-to for a road trip is Chick-fil-A. You can get a grilled chicken sandwich and a side of fruit for a reasonable amount of calories. I get the chicken nuggets and side of fruit and still manage to not ruin my day most of the time.

Fast food

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