Healthy Fast Food?

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SkylarMidkiff
SkylarMidkiff Posts: 2 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hey guys, I'm a college student, intern, part-time retail worker, rape victim advocate-in-training, and the family member of someone with a disability. I'm rarely in one place for any length of time, so packing lunches isn't really an option. Any ideas on healthy, relatively affordable fast food to fit a very busy lifestyle?

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  • debtay123
    debtay123 Posts: 1,327 Member
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    I like Wedny' small chili- very filling lotsof beans and meat etc. Also Wendy' salad are oggd- but watch the dressings- use light or ONLY half the packet- THAT is where a LOT of calories are in the dressings and add on
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited June 2016
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    Most fast food joints are going to have nutritional listings on-line.

    http://www.nutritionsheet.com/facts/restaurants/fast-food/mcdonalds

    http://www.subway.com/en-us/menunutrition/nutrition

    I batch cook on the weekend so I can still manage to bring lunch most days. Even frozen dinners once in awhile aren't terrible (to me). I always add extra veggies & a piece of fruit.

    But, Friday is a bit of a splurge day. "I eat out." I'm not sure what your version of healthy is, but I look for decent protein numbers. I skip fried anything and look for fiber. Generally a sandwich (I bring tons of salads during the week).....and a side of veggies. Steam Fresh bags are great for this. As long as I can fit it in my macros.....I'm good with it.
  • saranne1015
    saranne1015 Posts: 180 Member
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    Subway can make any of their sandwiches into a salad or a flatbread. The can put the dressing on the side so you can put as much or as little as you want on there. Also, convenience stores often have salads and boiled eggs available. My life was extremely, extremely busy a short while ago, so I understand the need for fast and healthy. Good luck!
  • TieFightHer
    TieFightHer Posts: 30 Member
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    Pita Pit and Smoothie King are my champions. If I have to get something on the go I choose those places, easy to find healthier choices there.
  • KimiAR
    KimiAR Posts: 117 Member
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    I love chickfila salads skip the dressing, Wendy's has good salads too. Also, most grocery stores have some premise salads and stuff in the deli area- some even have salad bars. You could definately do that. Or even pick up a banana and some yogurt in a pinch. That's probably more what I would do. Make a light grocery run at need.
  • dlkfox
    dlkfox Posts: 463 Member
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    I have found that the grocery store salad bar and premade choices are lower cal than the fast food places. However, I think every fast food place has something to choose from...kids meals for one.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    I will second Subway salads. By using a salad bowl instead of bread, you save a whole lot of calories. You can get salads as either a traditional salad (whatever meat option you choose plus cheese, veggies, dressing - all the options of a sub except the bread) or as a chopped salad (they chop and mix the ingredients).

    Monday, I had a meatball salad (basically a sub without a bun, so it is in a bowl instead - it sounds gross, but I love meatball subs, so of course I like the salad with the same ingredients), and today I had a chicken-bacon-ranch chopped salad. Subway salads used to be an almost daily meal, now it is 2-3 times per week. I'm also very busy and on the go constantly, but I find that if there isn't a Subway nearby, any fast food place will leave off the bun if you ask. I'm low carb, so it works for that purpose, but it also takes away calories for stuff that is basically used to just wrap/hold the parts I really want to eat anyway (meat, cheese, veggies).
  • tryett
    tryett Posts: 530 Member
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    Arby's has a nice Farmhouse Turkey Salad. Wendy's I either get one of their 1/2 salads or a small chili with sour cream. Panera has some nice 1/2 salads. The grilled chicken bacon ranch salad at McDonalds isn't bad. Bojangles grilled chicken salads are good and so is Chik fil a. Another option at some if these places if you have the calories is the kids meals.
  • Michael190lbs
    Michael190lbs Posts: 1,510 Member
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    I work 12 hour days just buy a good cooler and you can do it if you want too. Food prep is so important to my success.
  • kwtilbury
    kwtilbury Posts: 1,234 Member
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    Panda Express
    Half steamed rice/half steamed veggies
    Lower cal/higher protein entrees (2) - teryaki chicken, stir-fry beef, etc.

    A lot of food and good macros for $6-7.
  • JeepHair77
    JeepHair77 Posts: 1,291 Member
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    I am obsessed with the Wendy's apple pecan chicken salad! I eat it for lunch at least once a week. It's completely delicious.

    I also like the chick-fil-a grilled chicken nuggets, if you can find them. It appears that not all locations have them, but they're marinated and they're just really tasty. The large grilled chicken nuggets, dipped in BBQ sauce, and a fruit cup is somewhere around 350 calories, total. One of my work buddies loves chick-fil-a, so when I eat lunch with her, that's what I get.

  • SkylarMidkiff
    SkylarMidkiff Posts: 2 Member
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    Thanks everyone! Michael, I don't have a permanent residence in this state, so meal prepping is pretty difficult when I'm lugging groceries from house to house. Trust me, I tried.
  • ClubSilencio
    ClubSilencio Posts: 2,983 Member
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    El Pollo Loco is pretty healthy if you have access to one.

    Grilled chicken, rice, beans... can't go wrong.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    I guess it would depend on what you define as "healthy"...

    I usually have a Subway sandwich one per week...I think it's pretty healthy but a lot of people are afraid of bread for some irrational reason. I also like Wendy's asian cashew chicken salad...or sometimes I get a chili and a baked potato. We also have a good local joint here called the Bandito Hideout where I like to get half a roasted chicken with rice and beans.

    Those are really the only three fast food type places I go.
  • NaturalNancy
    NaturalNancy Posts: 1,093 Member
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    Egg white flat bread from Dunkin Donuts

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