Breaking the fast food/takeout habit?

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kpb5370
kpb5370 Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
What’s the best way to do this? One of my problems is I love getting takeout or eating out with others and I’m trying my best not to be tempted to order out. If you had this problem, what’s the best way to beat the cravings?
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Replies

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Have a better alternative. When you cook, what are you making?
  • shadowofender
    shadowofender Posts: 786 Member
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    My therapist had suggested a while back that if I want fast food I have to park and go inside. Man, I go shame buy fast food a lot less often. Seems silly but it worked for me.

    I still enjoy food out with friends, I just plan ahead and check the menu out before I get there so I know what to order.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
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    I've found ready-to-bake options from my local grocery store a good alternative. I don't really do the social thing, so for me, the benefits of take-out are the convenience. Ready-to-bake meals are almost as convenient but way easier to fit into my calorie needs.

    Yesterday I had chicken cordon blue... tonight it's beef wellington and herb crusted tilapia.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
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    Plan ahead. Know what you are eating for dinner before you leave for work in the morning. Take out something to thaw, or throw something in the crockpot. I can't bring myself to waste what I've already started by stopping for take out on the way home.
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,384 Member
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    How are your cooking skills? Do you enjoy cooking? Do you have any handy kitchen tools to make the process easier (slow-cookers, instant pot, etc.)? Have you tried meal-prepping before?

    When I eat lots of fast food, I crave it more and more. You just have to buckle down for a couple weeks and let those cravings pass and get your mind and body used to eating home-cooked meals again.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    It's a lot easier for me to stick to my planned meals when I'm excited about my lunches (that's the meal where it would be easiest for me to ditch my plan and go out). Try planning meals you really want to eat and plan those for the times when you want to avoid eating out.
  • kpb5370
    kpb5370 Posts: 5 Member
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    toxikon wrote: »
    How are your cooking skills? Do you enjoy cooking? Do you have any handy kitchen tools to make the process easier (slow-cookers, instant pot, etc.)? Have you tried meal-prepping before?

    When I eat lots of fast food, I crave it more and more. You just have to buckle down for a couple weeks and let those cravings pass and get your mind and body used to eating home-cooked meals again.

    My cooking skills are fine and actually I enjoy it a lot. I haven’t tried meal prepping but I think that’s definitely a decent alternative. About a month ago I was in a car accident and for the few weeks after I didn’t do much of anything so I just got a lot of takeout... bad decisions I know, so I guess it’ll pass after a while I’m just used to having it more these days.
  • Slasher09
    Slasher09 Posts: 316 Member
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    we cut it out for financial reasons...but also because our main takeout is chinese and we moved from a place with GREAT chinese takeout to....ehh....not so great. I also make my own faux chinese takeout dishes that we actually like eating way more than takeout. Same with tacos...we like taco bell...but we like homemade tacos better. The only one I don't really have a good alternative for is chik fil a...and that we just limit to once a month or so
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    Cold turkey and planning ahead.

    -I now keep snack mix in my car, so I have no excuse to stop for fast food when I am out running errands and didn't plan properly.
    -I have a few easy meals I keep on hand. Quesadillas (just tortilla and cheese, or veggies, tortilla and cheese) top the list as a warm, fast food in the winter. Salads work well in the summer. I have also taken to keeping cabbage on hand. I can have coleslaw in no time, or heat it with chicken, soy sauce and ginger for a quick meal.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    It sounds to me like you enjoy the social aspect. I suggest then that the replacement should have some socialization thrown in. How hard would it be to invite a friend or two for dinner once a week?
  • tmoneyag99
    tmoneyag99 Posts: 480 Member
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    Two Words:

    Meal Planning.
  • Nebrie
    Nebrie Posts: 56 Member
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    I make leftovers for the week. I found out people call that meal prepping. Okay then. On Sunday, I make two things and switch off eating those items everyday. The following Sunday, I make two completely different dishes than the week prior. I have a recipe rotation that lasts about 2 months.

    Also, on a personal note, I have found I like going out to eat as a means of getting out of the house rather than I'm absolutely craving the food I will have at the restaurant. So, that is where my plan falls apart; I go out to eat out of boredom and for entertainment. Working on that....
  • jesse_323
    jesse_323 Posts: 49 Member
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    I have cut out take out for the most part because it is so expensive, but I still do fast food pretty frequently. Now I am just more conscious of what I get. Today I had KFC for lunch, the whole meal was under 400 calories and I had a chicken breast, a salad, and a side of corn. I need to start meal planning though... that stuff gets expensive as well
  • jelleigh
    jelleigh Posts: 743 Member
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    I'm with toxicon and tmoneyag99. Meal planning helped me. But also meal prepping in bulk was a huge help. So on Sundays I would bring home a bunch of staple food and make three or four large meals. A pot of turkey chili , precook my chicken breasts for easy wraps and stir fry, precut veggies etc. That way for the week I would have two or three prefer healthy meals (that I already knew the calorie count on) and also a few things prepped so that cooking was a no brainer. Knowing I had something to eat already that took little to no effort made it really easy to leave the fast food.

    For the social aspect, I just picked out things I know I could have at each place (like a lower cal snack) and would have that when I go to hang out with people.
  • kristen8000
    kristen8000 Posts: 747 Member
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    I find that when I have a plan for a meal, I don't even think about fast food. But if I have no plan, my mind goes right there. So, I always have a plan. So that there is less tendancy to divert.

    I batch cook (weigh, portion, etc) breakfasts for work (weekends I'm more relaxed). Lunches too. Then dinners, I'm the main cook, so I plan something the night before, making sure I have the ingredients.

    For example, tonight. No plan. We've been doing leftovers from the Hoppin John I made Monday and we are kinda tired of it. So, we'll more than likely go out. But I have saved over 1000 calories for such an event...LOL
  • garber6th
    garber6th Posts: 1,894 Member
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    I am like many others here and do a LOT of meal planning. That said, sometimes I don't want to or don't have the time to cook, so I have figured out where in my neighborhood I can get healthier take-out options. For example - there's a Chinese place where I get egg flower soup, El Pollo Loco is super close, I get chicken breasts and steamed broccoli there, and there's a poke place down the block where I get bowls with salad instead of rice. Maybe your neighborhood has some healthy options as well?
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,384 Member
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    kpb5370 wrote: »
    toxikon wrote: »
    How are your cooking skills? Do you enjoy cooking? Do you have any handy kitchen tools to make the process easier (slow-cookers, instant pot, etc.)? Have you tried meal-prepping before?

    When I eat lots of fast food, I crave it more and more. You just have to buckle down for a couple weeks and let those cravings pass and get your mind and body used to eating home-cooked meals again.

    My cooking skills are fine and actually I enjoy it a lot. I haven’t tried meal prepping but I think that’s definitely a decent alternative. About a month ago I was in a car accident and for the few weeks after I didn’t do much of anything so I just got a lot of takeout... bad decisions I know, so I guess it’ll pass after a while I’m just used to having it more these days.

    Meal-prepping has been awesome for my fiance and I. We used to justify grabbing fast food on the way home from a long day at work because we didn't feel like cooking. Knowing that there were plenty of tasty, pre-portioned dinners waiting for us in the fridge and freezer took away our excuses. Now we're so used to eating home-cooked, we don't even think about fast food anymore (aside from perhaps a monthly special treat).

    I bought 150 reusable plastic containers on Amazon and I use them to portion everything out. I use the MFP Recipe Builder to record the ingredients as accurately as possible, then portion it out into Servings. I put enough servings in the fridge to last us a day or two, then the rest go into the freezer to keep fresh. Then we just restock the fridge as needed.

    My favourite things to prep are: quiches, chicken pot pies, casseroles, chili, stew, soup, curries. The other staples I keep in the house (for snacking or adding some freshness/variety to our meals) are yogurt, eggs, fresh fruit and veggies, cottage cheese, bagels, cheese.

    I usually make my list, get my groceries Sunday morning, then spend the afternoon making 3 big batches of food to portion out for the week. :)
  • SpanishFusion
    SpanishFusion Posts: 261 Member
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    kristen8000 wrote: »

    For example, tonight. No plan. We've been doing leftovers from the Hoppin John I made Monday and we are kinda tired of it. So, we'll more than likely go out. But I have saved over 1000 calories for such an event...LOL

    I made Hoppin John for the first time Monday. Not a big fan, but I have a bunch left over, and I hate to waste. What did you do with leftovers? Creative make-overs? I thought about putting some into a ham soup, but that's as creative as I've thought about so far.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,900 Member
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    Leeg5656 wrote: »
    kristen8000 wrote: »

    For example, tonight. No plan. We've been doing leftovers from the Hoppin John I made Monday and we are kinda tired of it. So, we'll more than likely go out. But I have saved over 1000 calories for such an event...LOL

    I made Hoppin John for the first time Monday. Not a big fan, but I have a bunch left over, and I hate to waste. What did you do with leftovers? Creative make-overs? I thought about putting some into a ham soup, but that's as creative as I've thought about so far.

    When a recipe for foods like Hoppin John makes a big quantity, after a few days I freeze leftovers in single serving containers and have them later in the month or year for lunch.
  • sssgilbe
    sssgilbe Posts: 89 Member
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    Most fast food and many sit-down restaurants have menus on-line with nutrition information. When you want to eat out as a social occasion, look at the menu before you go and have a list of options in mind.

    Some easy changes at fast food for me:
    • Get grilled chicken instead of breaded.
    • No mayonnaise.
    • Don't eat the top bun.
    • Split the fries or get a side salad instead.
    • Drink unsweetened ice tea or water.

    At a sit-down restaurant, I order my pre-determined choice then, when the food comes, say "My goodness, what a large serving.", immediately ask for a take-out box and put away half the meal.

    For take-out, I do the dividing trick as soon as I get home. Cut that sandwich in half and wrap it for lunch tomorrow, and toss half the fries.

    With all these tricks, I tell myself, "If I'm still hungry, I'll eat that top bun/other half of that dinner/rest of the sandwich." but by the time I've eaten my portion, I'm satisfied and don't want any more.

    Another hint: I used to eat everything I was served because I was raised hearing about poor starving children and don't waste money by wasting food. I had to get over those messages and learn that sometimes throwing away food is the best choice for your health.

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