Healthy Fast Food?

abbefaria4 · January 2018

Hello All,

Does anyone know of go to fast food options that are consistent with their diet? Sometimes, when I'm with my friend, they want to go to a fast food place after a movie etc, and I would like to have some options ahead of time.

Thanks,
Andrew

wizzybeth · January 2018

Panera.

murp4069 · January 2018

Pretty much all fast food places have nutrition information online now. You could check out the menu and information for some of your go to places to pick a few things that fit within your goals. For me, Wendy’s baked potato with a side Caesar salad easily fits in my goals. The fresco style tacos at Taco Bell can also easily fit. In South Florida, we have Pollo Tropical, which is a grilled chicken place with plenty of options. Salad at Chipotle without that calorie bomb dressing.

raspuller · January 2018

I follow a plant-based diet so my go to is Chipotle or Qdoba. I can choose a bowl or salad, dictate how much stuff they put on (lots and lots of veggies, no cheese, tiny bit of guacamole).

peaceout_aly · January 2018

Chipotle and Chick-Fil-A are the easiest. Panera is pretty good, they at least have macros listed online which is a bonus.

apullum · January 2018

raspuller wrote: »

I follow a plant-based diet so my go to is Chipotle or Qdoba. I can choose a bowl or salad, dictate how much stuff they put on (lots and lots of veggies, no cheese, tiny bit of guacamole).

Taco Bell, surprisingly enough, also is good for meatless options. The beans and rice are both vegan, as are the tortillas and various other things that really should not have "surprise" animal products. The nutrition info on their website clearly lists which ingredients are vegan or vegetarian, and most things on the menu can be made vegetarian or vegan.

Is it low calorie? That all depends on your calorie goals. Do I enjoy myself a vegetarian Crunchwrap Supreme every now and then? Heck yes.

abbefaria4 · January 2018

Thanks everyone for your comments.

Tried30UserNames · January 2018

All (or almost all) fast food places have their nutrition online. You can pre-plan some options at your or your friends' favorite places. Usually a double decker burger, large fries, and a shake are a higher calorie option. A small burger with side salad (limit the dressing) is going to be lower calorie. Chick Fil A has grilled chicken nuggets that should be lower cal. Chipotle has salads that you can either add a ton of calories to or a more reasonable number of calories. At Taco Bell, a Fresco soft taco is about 150 calories and the beef taco salad is 760 so salads aren't always your best choice. Children's meals are often a good option for lower calories because they have smaller portions and they do let adults order them.

raspuller · January 2018

apullum wrote: »

raspuller wrote: »

I follow a plant-based diet so my go to is Chipotle or Qdoba. I can choose a bowl or salad, dictate how much stuff they put on (lots and lots of veggies, no cheese, tiny bit of guacamole).

Taco Bell, surprisingly enough, also is good for meatless options. The beans and rice are both vegan, as are the tortillas and various other things that really should not have "surprise" animal products. The nutrition info on their website clearly lists which ingredients are vegan or vegetarian, and most things on the menu can be made vegetarian or vegan.

Is it low calorie? That all depends on your calorie goals. Do I enjoy myself a vegetarian Crunchwrap Supreme every now and then? Heck yes.

I ate a LOT of Taco Bell 20+ years ago when I was pregnant with my son until I got sick from it. These days, if I drive by one I get queasy. My daughter, who is younger, still blames her brother on the fact that we never get to eat Taco Bell.

MelissaPhippsFeagins · January 2018

peaceout_aly wrote: »

Chipotle and Chick-Fil-A are the easiest. Panera is pretty good, they at least have macros listed online which is a bonus.

I concur. At Chick-fil-A, any grilled chicken salad option or grilled nuggets and a bowl of fruit are good choices
I eat at Barberito's instead of Chipotle, and the burrito bowl with chicken or turkey is my go to.
I have to be careful about Panera due to food allergies, but usually eat grilled chicken salad or French onion soup (no croutons).

Jthanmyfitnesspal · January 2018

The good thing about fast food is that you can get pretty accurate calorie estimates for everything on the menu. The bad thing is that making cheap food requires using cheap ingredients. Then they cover it all up by adding sugar and salt. An eye opener for me was finding out that a tablespoon of ketchup, although only 19 calories, has 154mg of sodium. I can't count the times I've put 5 or more tablespoons of ketchup on salted fries. I'm amazed I'm still alive!

Chipotle, while being overall relatively healthy (when they can keep the bacteria out of the food), is also very heavy on the salt.

Panerra can be a good choice, particularly for a quick salad. Many of their sandwiches are pretty high in calories and they definitely pack on the salt. Also, there is that tempting desert case right next to the cash register.

There is a crop of new fast food restaurants that really focus on healthy food. One is Sweetgreen, which I like a lot.

jesspen91 · January 2018

jesspen91 · January 2018

And Mcdonalds - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-R8ylYfWEsbvB9ER5umi09Kxffbem1_KUCQz9vrUhYU/edit#gid=120373731

jennybearlv · January 2018

Grilled chicken sandwiches or salads are usually reasonable. Value menu and kid's meal portions are smaller and fewer calories as well.

abbefaria4 · January 2018

Thanks everyone.

DeviatedNorm · January 2018

Noodles & Company has a chicken kids meal that can be combined with a cup of soup for a satisfying, low calorie meal.

GrumpyHeadmistress · January 2018

If you’re in the UK, a cheeky Nando’s can be low in calories if you choose wisely.

Styggian · January 2018

jesspen91 wrote: »

I don't know where the OP is from but because I am a nerd I have made spreadsheets for a number of UK fast food places that are near my office. I've given them a ranking based on calories/protein. I can then chose what I wanted based on how many calories I want to allow for lunch/dinner that day.

Wagamama - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1eZ2XVyfC2abU4YV5xuM36tN926JEdvCDZl1UFGtOmVw/edit#gid=0

Pret a Manger - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1x8Q2iBbwGFDmjJQ9z165qMC1rKjdoU9f3aZGWekOTMM/edit#gid=0

Burger King - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yAssDoXepyw-YFB0ftZ_gQFiW3ni30R6sPGuXIj__KA/edit#gid=0

Bagel Factory - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1i9WE36UXk-vhUMMmiMAjMXN9wPxfo-r4YWG51yuWJ04/edit#gid=0

Pure - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1O99NBOKnGyin_BW-ZXk038O_rc2UsqJHwj1akq5FkxY/edit#gid=1531268386

Wasabi - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BUJEOp4AeHvHL818sGX3w3_d_P34jdbfWDvJtvl3xvg/edit#gid=1891644670

Starbucks - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gQnRPeciWeTSTlRvYq03Zk1KLL6RbPnVs56zWZZ-dd4/edit#gid=0

Itsu - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KcdvOtflyzshxipBsxl6DKo0ilrbE4I65aSoMttlIzI/edit#gid=1531268386

Costa - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HooE1ObFi9Vx_ipz6mwrfA7f7NBna9DafKSF_mS_Khg/edit#gid=0

Your dedication is impressive, great job

laurenebargar · January 2018

For around 650-700 calories at burger king you can get a veggie burger and value size onion ring if I ever get fast food this is my go to

CourtneyUT · January 2018

Chick-fil-a has their calorie counts right on their menu boards - So easy, you don't even have to Google anything. If you go at breakfast time, try their grilled egg white sandwich. It's really good and only 300 cal.

laur357 · January 2018

You can find something at most places - I recommend having go-to items at your favorite place. Memorize their calories so you know how they work into your day if it's an unplanned trip. Find things you enjoy, and pair higher calorie items with lower calorie items. Happy meals are often lower calorie as well, and offer small portions with fruit cups, yogurt, and apples instead of fries.

Chick-fil - a sandwich is 440 calories. They also have reasonable salads, grilled nuggets, and other lower calorie options. You could get a regular chicken sandwich, grilled nuggets instead of fries, dipping sauce, and a diet soda for a high-protein, under 650 calorie meal.
Qdoba - I get a steak burrito bowl for 750 calories and make it my largest meal of the day. Lots of fiber and protein.
Wendy's - 6 nuggets and a baked potato. Chili. Grilled chicken sandwich.

Many of the smaller burgers are reasonable in calories too - singles or juniors. A Wendy's Junior Cheeseburger is around 300 calories, I think?

inertiastrength · January 2018

I'm in Canada and my go-to's are Wendy's, Subway, Panera, Swiss Chalet (kinda fastish food) but I can usually make anything work. By far Wendy's is my fave; they have amazing options. Chili, chicken grill, their salads are 11/10

debtay123 · January 2018

Wendy's have salads in the half portion or full portion range so you can choose how many calories- plus several of their sandwiches are <400 calories- I also love Burger king's veggie burger- delightful- and 300 calorie or less IF you ask for No mayo

AnvilHead · January 2018

Panda Express.

My favorite - Flame Broiler

extra_medium · January 2018

Read the nutrition info. "Healthy" is a completely relative term.. it depends on how whatever food it is fits into your diet calorie/macro wise. If you can make a bacon cheeseburger fit, there's no reason to avoid it. If a grilled chicken from Chick-fil-a puts you over because of everything else you ate that day, it's best to drive past.

fuzzylop72 · January 2018

I like subway, they have a lot of choices that are lower in calories.

quiksylver296 · January 2018

AnvilHead wrote: »

Panda Express.

My favorite - Flame Broiler

I love Panda Express. Tons of veggies and an entree for 500 calories or less.

Healthy Fast Food?

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