If you can’t have much sodium, just be careful with chipotle. A bowl with chicken, rice, black beans, pico, hot salsa, lettuce, and veggies has your DV of sodium
I remember when Cava Mezze was just a little restaurant in DC. Now they've expanded to their new fast casual format CAVA, and it's available all over, and I'm here for it.
Taco Bell can actually be made surprisingly healthy since they let you customize pretty much everything. You can also substitute black beans for meat if you prefer.
Yeah, I grew up in a vegetarian community. The taco bell the next town over was the go-to fast food. My order was to beam burritos and small drink. Which I believe came out to be around three dollars at the time.
Right? So long as you don't smother everything in cheeses and sugary sauces, it's just straight healthy food. You got a tortilla filled with fresh veggies and while I'm not 100% on their meat being super good for you, as you said with the black beans, you got options you don't really get anywhere else.
You can get a pretty decent healthy lunch at Panda Express, for a good price.
Steamed veggies and Teriyaki Chicken. It's like 400 calories, filling, and actually good for you. Maybe a little high in salt.
And white rice!!! I'd been going there for years and never really cared for the chow mein or fried rice but never thought anything of it till I saw someone come out with white rice from somewhere behind the counter. Never going back to the "standard" side options.
Taco Bell’s power menu bowl. I get mine vegetarian, but you can also get it with steak or grilled chicken. None really for the others unless you’re getting a salad, but even those can be high calorie/carb with all the stuff/dressing added.
It’s a few dollars less than chipotle, but my area didn’t have a chipotle until 2023. And I wasn’t driving an hour and 15 minutes to get a burrito bowl lol
Yep! My go-to is a burrito bowl from Chipotle with white rice, chicken, lettuce, cheese, and the regular tomato salsa. 530 calories, 42g protein. Sometimes if I need more protein for the day I get double chicken.
I used to get made fun of for getting a kebab for lunch. People assumed I would be dead of a heart attack any minute, but it was just grilled chicken and salad
Technically not fast food, but if you're close to a grocery that has fresh made sushi, you can usually walk in, pick up a roll that was very recently made, self checkout, and leave within about 8 minutes.
My friend use to do this to. He knew each store had half price sushi on pretty once a week. So he worked it out that he could get half price sushi almost every day with sparkling water.
Poke bowls are amazing! Probably a bit higher on sugar depending how they marinade the Japanese Rice but still have a mix of vegetables for nutrition and the rice can make it filling. Use low sodium soy sauce if you can.
Taco Bell has chicken options and you could always leave out the sour cream and cheese.
Also their ground beef has a some oatmeal incorporated into it which will give you a little fiber.
El Pollo Loco has some healthier options as well.
The chick fil a sauce is good but it’s like 200
Calories a packet. The cheat code is the honey roasted bbq tastes very similar but is like 1/3 the calories
I get the side salad, ranch, grilled nugs, and those crunchy peppers. Cut up some dill pickles, cut the nugs up, and make it a grilled chicken salad. It’s soooo good.
Sometimes I also just do the nuggs in the salad with the ranch and crunchy peppers. 10/10. When I'm out of work for work/hiking/etc and being calorie mindful, this or the nuggs on the side is almost always my go to. One of my old customers in a job is one of the main chicken farms that supplies the chicken for chik fil a, and they are super serious about consistency. I think this comes across in the consistency of the product, too - and it's nice with the sauce in packets to track vs something like a taco bell whatever where it's usually super inconsistent.
Their fried chicken isn't too awful either, because of the type of oil they use. Much lower in sat fat than other fast food fried chicken. A spicy chicken sandwich (with an unbuttered bun) and kale salad side is my go-to meal.
Their fried nuggets don’t cause big blood sugar spikes too, because the breading is so thin. Totally keto friendly (within reason) if you’re into that sort of thing
Supposedly it was announced that Wendy's has now decided to back off, from their stupid idea of testing surge pricing for their menu items. Good riddance, if they cancelled doing this.
I follow Atkins as well and Chick FIL A spicy southwest grilled chicken salad is low carb too. Just ask for no corn and black beans and with the spicy ranch it's only 3-
- 5 carbs
It's the fries and soda that make a lot of fast food bad for you it's hard for your body to digest frying oil, sugar, and it's all mainly carbs. If you just got the burger it's fine, or a chicken sandwich or whatever but the fries and soft drink are the main contributor to why fast food is bad for you besides almost everything being highly processed for preservation purposes.
The steamed potatoes at Wendy's are pretty good for something quick and simple. You can top it with a small cup of chili for a heartier meal or I like to get it with a 4 piece of nuggets as a light dinner when I really don't feel like eating but still need to eat something. Non-fat Greek yogurt makes a great substitute for sour cream and there's plenty of lower fat butter substitutes if you still want that richness. Also, chipotle salads are good but do not get the chipotle honey dressing, it can literally double the calories. The white queso sauce is actually lower fat and lower calories.
Veggie Burrito Bowl at Chipotle. For like $10 you can feed yourself for two meals. Rice and beans together contain all your essential amino acids (protein) and guacamole is complimentary with the veggie option. It’s my go-to road food.
If anyone has a Roti nearby…it’s like Chipotle but for Mediterranean food. It’s literally rice or salad with chicken + a ton of different veggie options. Pickled onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, chick peas, pickles, carrots, you name it. Of course they also have hummus, a “tzatziki” type sauce, and some spicy sauces but they hardly make a huge caloric difference.
The food tastes great and the only place where one may go over calories is the portion size itself because it’s pretty large. I struggle finishing them and I’m a 230lb man, so it takes self control but you can eat half at lunch, and finish the rest at dinner or something. Love Roti.
This sounds very much like SAAJ. I can never finish the “bowl” option with greens then other veggies, hummus and falafel. It can be spicy with a few additional toppings or not.
I live on the west coast, but I don’t think this is a very prevalent option. But everything is prepared, you simply go through the line telling them what you want. It might even be faster than most fast food places!
Same. Sometimes I’ll order scrambled eggs and a few pieces of bacon. The eggs are actually really high quality and it’s a few hundred calories for both and enough protien to keep me full for like 6 plus hours.
Try the egg McMuffin with an extra round egg on it. Makes it way better and more filling for only like a 100 extra cal, and since its egg you're getting nutrition too.
A grilled chicken sandwich with chili instead of fries was my go to healthy fast food meal for years. Then they discontinued the grilled chicken sandwich. Now I have no reason to ever go back.
They got rid of side salads too, which was one of the main reasons I went there. Grilled chicken sandwich, side salad & Diet Coke was my fast lunch stop since there’s one near my office.
Chili, even if it comes in a can, is a much healthier side than fries or anything that needs to be cooked in oil. Wendy's chili is actually pretty good. And it's probably one of the healthiest side you can get.
But if you ever eat chili from a can, be mindful of the salt and sugar content. Some have so many preservatives that it pretty much negates the health benefits.
Any Mediterranean place normally has a good blend of flavor and health. Options for almost any diet. Good choices for proteins. I like getting a lamb gyro when I can, not the most healthy option (compared to other Mediterranean dishes) but highly customizable.
Along this line middle eastern places also have nice and healthy dishes.
When I lost 40lbs (and didn’t have a cheba hut nearby) I learned that a mini there is like the perfect size lunch and since my favorite was turkey and provolone (and I HATE mayo, usually don’t get it mikes way either) it was about as low cal as it gets.
It helps I don’t seem to like most of the things outside bread and cheese that make a sandwich calorie dense
When I traveled, I used to get Starbucks egg white bites - the kale and portobello mushroom. (Sodium is kind of high though.)
I make my own at home these days in cupcake pans. I just do the full egg and whatever leftovers I have.
Chipotle salad (just skip their dressing) or a bowl with brown rice, beans, chicken, skip the cheese
Chick fil a grilled chicken sandwich or their Chick grilled nuggets + salad
Culver’s burger & broccoli with cheese sauce
Subway turkey six inch on whole wheat. Jimmy John’s isn’t bad either, just skip the cheese and ask for light mayo.
The grilled chicken sandwich from McDonald’s without mayonnaise is pretty healthy. So is their breakfast sandwich that has egg and ham; it’s pretty low calorie compared to the sausage, egg, and cheese sandwiches they offer.
Taco Bell tacos and their bean and cheese burrito are not only pretty healthy, but they are cheap. The bean and cheese burrito used to be $1.09 where I live, and kept me alive while in poverty and in need of a cheap dinner option.
The Burger King Wraps are pretty low calorie, too
Carl’s Jr. has a charbroiled Chicken Sandwich that is less calories and probably less fat than the rest of their menu options.
Wendy’s offers a vegetarian burger option, and some salads, but salads can be calorie and fat heavy if you order it with all the toppings and dressing. Their baked potato is pretty healthy, if you order it plain. They also have a grilled chicken sandwich that is fairly healthy, if you skip the heavy condiments, like mayonnaise.
Long story short, aim for grilled chicken, hold the mayo and heavy dressings, and beware of menu options with a lot of cheese.
we learned about this in nutrition class actually
you can drastically minimize the negative impact of occasionally consuming any fast food by including a variety of different nutrients in your order and making sure to exclude mayonnaise. So like if you get a bacon cheeseburger get it with all of the veggies too and no mayo. Mind you fast food veggies NEVER taste good in my opinion, but the most important thing is actually getting enough of a variety of nutrients for your body to do its job. Also shakes are big bad, at least according to the class.
Most fast food places have salads. Try to get grilled chicken instead of fried, get a vinaigrette instead of a cream based dressing (ranch, honey mustard, etc )
My go to is going to Wendy’s if we’re talking true fast food places.
Double burger, I ask for it plain, then just eat the two burger patties without the bun.
I usually get a baked potato to go with it, and I put a little bit of butter on there.
The only time I get this is when I traveling for work, and I usually go to a gas station and get some almonds to eat with it.
It has a decent macronutrient profile between protein, fat, and carbs and there aren’t any trans fats or other trash nutrients in it.
The starbucks oatmeal, panini, or kale and farro salad.
The healthiest drink option is \*always\* water and you don't need it in a plastic bottle, but if you're looking for a healthy drink too, try unsweetened green tea, black tea, or plain black coffee.
So many places have online or mobile ordering now that you can avoid fast food and get real meals. Asian restaurants are great choices, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, Indian. Most of these local places around me have fast online ordering. I order from my desk at work, and by the time I get in the car and drive there, it's usually ready to pick up.
Most sub restaurants are fine as long as you choose chicken, veggie, turkey or ham options with no mayo or fattening creamy sauces, skip the cheese and go hard on the veggie toppings.
Maybe visiting a local independent hamburger place instead of a huge franchise. In my case the ingredients tend to be fresher and better quality, not just frozen or full of preservatives.
The fact that no one mentions Jimmy John's Unwich option (any sandwich, wrapped in lettuce instead of bread) is a testament to the near-criminal negligence and oversight of their marketing team. Unwiches are fantastic for diabetics and people looking for healthy or keto options, and they're basically delicious salads in sandwich form. And their food is some of the fastest available anywhere. And delivery is one dollar.
Jimmy Johns: Hire me to do all of your marketing. Your team fucking sucks.
Not speaking to the nutrients, just calorie counts. I have these saved in my phone:
Panda Express: I love the super greens and get them in a panda bowl with the honey walnut shrimp (my fav item there lol). 460cals
McDonalds: Ham Egg McMuffin is just 300cals! Love it with an unsweetened tea and hashbrown (+150cals) for a quick "junky" breakfast.
Jollibee: 1pc Chickenjoy and spaghetti. This one is for cheat days at around 1000cals. I usually get this as dinner and am full from the day, so only eat about half and save the other half for tomorrow.
In n Out: A cheeseburger is 480cals. Tasty fast food dinner for me and approx the same cals (but different nutrients) as a peanutbutter jelly sandwich.
I'm a 5'2" woman for reference and these are quite filling for me.
I’ve been doing Taco bell as other have stated. I never eat the meat, and always do a power bowl. Just rice, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, cheese. Or, get that in a taco form. OR if you have a Del Taco near you, they mostly use plant based meat now.
1. Grilled Chicken Sandwich
2. Veggie Delight Sub
3. Salad with Grilled Protein
4. Burrito Bowl (sans tortilla)
5. Sushi Rolls with Lean Fish
6. Veggie Burger (watch toppings)
7. Wrap or Salad with Grilled Protein
i always think of taco bell. sodium is high, but so is all fast food imo...but comparing taco bell to other fast food places, taco bell will always win since it's more customizable.
A small portion. A small hamburger is about 250 calories and a small fries is about the same. Have a diet soda or just water and you’re not adding anything extra. A 500 calorie lunch is going to be okay.
McDonald’s classic egg McMuffins are not actually that bad for you. They have good proportions of carbs/fats/protein.
No saying that they’re a health food, as they’re highly processed, but they aren’t awful for you.
Chipotle bowls can be pretty healthy as long as you watch the ingredients!
Half rice and extra veggies is the way to go.
If you can’t have much sodium, just be careful with chipotle. A bowl with chicken, rice, black beans, pico, hot salsa, lettuce, and veggies has your DV of sodium
Cava is the same price as Chipotle and way better quality/variety/taste.
And has way fewer locations. All their California locations are in the south whereas I can think of 4 or 5 Chipotles just in Sacramento.
Yep, Mediterranean is the way to go for healthy food with good flavor.
This 1000%. Mediterranean food is the only food that makes me feel good as fuck after eating it.
I've somehow never heard of them, but their menu looks amazing, thanks for the suggestion!
I remember when Cava Mezze was just a little restaurant in DC. Now they've expanded to their new fast casual format CAVA, and it's available all over, and I'm here for it.
Have to go lettuce rather than rice. Or at least 50/50.
Rice isn't unhealthy, it's just more calories.
Taco Bell can actually be made surprisingly healthy since they let you customize pretty much everything. You can also substitute black beans for meat if you prefer.
Problem for me is I just end up customizing the number of Doritos Locos in my order.
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I’m a vegetarian. Chipotle and Taco Bell are my favorite fast food options. I love that you can make almost anything at Taco Bell vegetarian.
But I’ll never forgive them for getting rid of my fiesta veggie burrito.
Ppl sleep on Taco Bell when dieting. Almost nothing is deep fried and they actually use a much higher quality egg and chicken then almost anyone
Yeah, I grew up in a vegetarian community. The taco bell the next town over was the go-to fast food. My order was to beam burritos and small drink. Which I believe came out to be around three dollars at the time.
I had an onion tied to my belt.
His total actually came to $3 dickety six
It was the style at the time.
Dont forget to get your quarter split into 5 bees before you go!
Where'd you beam them burritos 2 ?
The power bowls are so good
Right? So long as you don't smother everything in cheeses and sugary sauces, it's just straight healthy food. You got a tortilla filled with fresh veggies and while I'm not 100% on their meat being super good for you, as you said with the black beans, you got options you don't really get anywhere else.
And lots of vegetarian options! I love the fact they will put black beans in place of anything.
I like the black bean chalupas. They're tasty and fill you enough that you don't get hungry all that fast.
The issue is the excess sodium I fear
I'm vegan and eat there but it's so salty, I'm not sure if it's actually healthy
If you're otherwise healthy and drink lots of water, eating salty food really isn't a big deal.
Any idea if this is true in Canada? It always seemed like Taco Bell is one of those ones that's wayyyyy better in the states.
The 7-layer burrito comprised like 2/3 of the vegetables in my diet during college.
Also, it's great to know that Taco Bell is halal.
You can get a pretty decent healthy lunch at Panda Express, for a good price. Steamed veggies and Teriyaki Chicken. It's like 400 calories, filling, and actually good for you. Maybe a little high in salt.
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God, Wendy's is the only fast food place around me that has a decent salad.
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Also a little high in sugar
And white rice!!! I'd been going there for years and never really cared for the chow mein or fried rice but never thought anything of it till I saw someone come out with white rice from somewhere behind the counter. Never going back to the "standard" side options.
Taco Bell’s power menu bowl. I get mine vegetarian, but you can also get it with steak or grilled chicken. None really for the others unless you’re getting a salad, but even those can be high calorie/carb with all the stuff/dressing added.
I was given a free one of these one time, the chicken one. It was surprisingly good
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It’s a few dollars less than chipotle, but my area didn’t have a chipotle until 2023. And I wasn’t driving an hour and 15 minutes to get a burrito bowl lol
Burrito Bowls are pretty healthy in my experience! Just don’t slather on too much sauce - that’s where most of the calories are.
100% burrito bowls are the way to go for affordable healthy fast food if there is such a thing
It's even an easy fast food at home option if you stock the ingredients.
Just go heavy of salsas. Which are basically all fruit and veggies.
Those looking to keep the calories down should skip the sour cream and guac as well.
make room in your caloric intake for the guac. good fats and without it, a bowl isn’t nearly as enjoyable
Also so much fiber! Which should be a priority
Guac is good. It's healthy fat so it will keep you feeling full longer.
I get Chipotle to go and add my own plain Greek yogurt as a healthier substitute for sour cream.
....no it's definitely in the rice and beans lol.
Yep! My go-to is a burrito bowl from Chipotle with white rice, chicken, lettuce, cheese, and the regular tomato salsa. 530 calories, 42g protein. Sometimes if I need more protein for the day I get double chicken.
Same here - word for word. Delicious and pretty healthy too!
Kebab. Chicken shish with salad
I used to get made fun of for getting a kebab for lunch. People assumed I would be dead of a heart attack any minute, but it was just grilled chicken and salad
Yes it is one of the most healthy foods. Chicken and salad.
Technically not fast food, but if you're close to a grocery that has fresh made sushi, you can usually walk in, pick up a roll that was very recently made, self checkout, and leave within about 8 minutes.
My friend use to do this to. He knew each store had half price sushi on pretty once a week. So he worked it out that he could get half price sushi almost every day with sparkling water.
“Half price sushi from a grocery store” just raises alarm bells inside my head
In the 3 years I saw him do it he never got sick
you serious?
I've certainly done this myself. It's fine.
This. Sushi or poke bowls for me. Looove them.
Poke bowls are amazing! Probably a bit higher on sugar depending how they marinade the Japanese Rice but still have a mix of vegetables for nutrition and the rice can make it filling. Use low sodium soy sauce if you can.
HEB is fantastic!
Yeah our Safeway has in house sushi makers and will actually make orders on the spot if they aren't already on the shelf
Publix does 5$ on Wednesdays where I live
Plenty of Asian restaurants have better sushi that you can order on mobile and pick up within like 15 minutes.
5 if you don’t stop to look around like I always o when going in for “one thing”
Freddys have a lettuce wrap burger and Taco Bell offers power bowls
Taco Bell has chicken options and you could always leave out the sour cream and cheese. Also their ground beef has a some oatmeal incorporated into it which will give you a little fiber. El Pollo Loco has some healthier options as well.
You can also substitute black beans for meat.
Yes, that too, I totally forgot to mention that. Excellent fiber right there.
“Al fresco” is the option leaves out cheese and sour cream for taco bell
The chicken protein power bowl is pretty much the only thing I get from taco bell anymore. It's pretty good.
Damn El polo loco... I'll be thinking about that for a while I miss that place
Los Pollos Hermanos!
Wow you just solved why I can’t eat their beef anymore without my stomach burning, mouth tingling, and heart burn! I’m allergic to oatmeal
El Pollo Loco!!
Sour cream and cheese are not unhealthy. It's the rice and tortillas that will get you.
There are lots of low calorie options, but most are super sodium heavy.
Chick-fil-A has grilled chicken and fruit.
Their kale salad is actually fantastic
The southwest salad too
Their grilled nuggets with a pack of honey roasted bbq goes hard
They don't even need sauce
Won’t argue that. But honey roasted bbq is so tasty. And not calorie dense
This is my go to with a side salad. Love that honey roasted bbq on the grilled nuggs.
The chick fil a sauce is good but it’s like 200 Calories a packet. The cheat code is the honey roasted bbq tastes very similar but is like 1/3 the calories
I get the side salad, ranch, grilled nugs, and those crunchy peppers. Cut up some dill pickles, cut the nugs up, and make it a grilled chicken salad. It’s soooo good.
Sometimes I also just do the nuggs in the salad with the ranch and crunchy peppers. 10/10. When I'm out of work for work/hiking/etc and being calorie mindful, this or the nuggs on the side is almost always my go to. One of my old customers in a job is one of the main chicken farms that supplies the chicken for chik fil a, and they are super serious about consistency. I think this comes across in the consistency of the product, too - and it's nice with the sauce in packets to track vs something like a taco bell whatever where it's usually super inconsistent.
Their fried chicken isn't too awful either, because of the type of oil they use. Much lower in sat fat than other fast food fried chicken. A spicy chicken sandwich (with an unbuttered bun) and kale salad side is my go-to meal.
As someone who doesn't do well with processed food Chick-fil-A is obviously miles above.
Their fried nuggets don’t cause big blood sugar spikes too, because the breading is so thin. Totally keto friendly (within reason) if you’re into that sort of thing
I’m a sucker for those side salads too. Grilled sandwich, side salad and a diet lemonade is my go-to meal.
chipotle and panda express are peak for high protein and low cal
All the chipotles near me have gone downhill in terms of quality, it used to be one of my favs but I won't even go there any more
Better to just dine in because takeout is going to be trash. But if the line is all slopped up and stuff is intermingling, time to run away.
I started going to Qdoba now that they have more locations near me. Way better than Chipotle.
Especially since panda has the super greens veggie option, super clutch.
supergreens, white rice, terayaki chicken, pepper steak is the way to go!
Wendy's salads are pretty solid options. I follow the atkins diet and you can definitely work those into the plan.
Just don’t go between 11:30 and 1!
I'm guessing that's when their surge pricing is?
An assumption, but yes.
Supposedly it was announced that Wendy's has now decided to back off, from their stupid idea of testing surge pricing for their menu items. Good riddance, if they cancelled doing this.
I follow Atkins as well and Chick FIL A spicy southwest grilled chicken salad is low carb too. Just ask for no corn and black beans and with the spicy ranch it's only 3- - 5 carbs
Chic-Fil-A. Grilled nuggets. Fruit for your side.
It's the fries and soda that make a lot of fast food bad for you it's hard for your body to digest frying oil, sugar, and it's all mainly carbs. If you just got the burger it's fine, or a chicken sandwich or whatever but the fries and soft drink are the main contributor to why fast food is bad for you besides almost everything being highly processed for preservation purposes.
I'm partial to the apple walnut chicken salad at Potbelly Sandwiches. Bleu cheese crumbles!
Their Mediterranean chicken sub is good.
Poke bowls
chick fil a grilled chicken sandwich
L&L Hawaiian BBQ. Chicken, white rice/mac, veggies (broccoli and carrots).
Love this, but have to go very easy on the rice & mac, as left unchecked, they are carb/calorie bombs.
CAVA Easily my favorite.
What definition of healthy are we going with here? Low calorie or some other metric?
Mostly low calorie, but a little bit of nutrition would be nice!
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3 Tbl of sour cream is 60 cal. It's not going to wreck your diet.
Taco bell if you stick to the soft or crunchy tacos. 200 cal each, less if you go no cheese, but that is too sad.
The steamed potatoes at Wendy's are pretty good for something quick and simple. You can top it with a small cup of chili for a heartier meal or I like to get it with a 4 piece of nuggets as a light dinner when I really don't feel like eating but still need to eat something. Non-fat Greek yogurt makes a great substitute for sour cream and there's plenty of lower fat butter substitutes if you still want that richness. Also, chipotle salads are good but do not get the chipotle honey dressing, it can literally double the calories. The white queso sauce is actually lower fat and lower calories.
Panda Express—teriyaki chicken no sauce with a side of the vegetables
Veggie Burrito Bowl at Chipotle. For like $10 you can feed yourself for two meals. Rice and beans together contain all your essential amino acids (protein) and guacamole is complimentary with the veggie option. It’s my go-to road food.
If anyone has a Roti nearby…it’s like Chipotle but for Mediterranean food. It’s literally rice or salad with chicken + a ton of different veggie options. Pickled onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, chick peas, pickles, carrots, you name it. Of course they also have hummus, a “tzatziki” type sauce, and some spicy sauces but they hardly make a huge caloric difference. The food tastes great and the only place where one may go over calories is the portion size itself because it’s pretty large. I struggle finishing them and I’m a 230lb man, so it takes self control but you can eat half at lunch, and finish the rest at dinner or something. Love Roti.
This sounds very much like SAAJ. I can never finish the “bowl” option with greens then other veggies, hummus and falafel. It can be spicy with a few additional toppings or not. I live on the west coast, but I don’t think this is a very prevalent option. But everything is prepared, you simply go through the line telling them what you want. It might even be faster than most fast food places!
Standard egg McMuffin at McDonald's with unsweetened ice tea is a cheap breakfast staple.
Same. Sometimes I’ll order scrambled eggs and a few pieces of bacon. The eggs are actually really high quality and it’s a few hundred calories for both and enough protien to keep me full for like 6 plus hours.
Try the egg McMuffin with an extra round egg on it. Makes it way better and more filling for only like a 100 extra cal, and since its egg you're getting nutrition too.
Wendy’s chili is a great choice. Add a baked potato too.
A grilled chicken sandwich with chili instead of fries was my go to healthy fast food meal for years. Then they discontinued the grilled chicken sandwich. Now I have no reason to ever go back.
They got rid of side salads too, which was one of the main reasons I went there. Grilled chicken sandwich, side salad & Diet Coke was my fast lunch stop since there’s one near my office.
Their salads are really good too.
Chili, even if it comes in a can, is a much healthier side than fries or anything that needs to be cooked in oil. Wendy's chili is actually pretty good. And it's probably one of the healthiest side you can get. But if you ever eat chili from a can, be mindful of the salt and sugar content. Some have so many preservatives that it pretty much negates the health benefits.
El Pollo Loco Chicken Avocado salad
Any Mediterranean place normally has a good blend of flavor and health. Options for almost any diet. Good choices for proteins. I like getting a lamb gyro when I can, not the most healthy option (compared to other Mediterranean dishes) but highly customizable. Along this line middle eastern places also have nice and healthy dishes.
Jersey Mike’s sub shop with a mountain of veggies on top.
When I lost 40lbs (and didn’t have a cheba hut nearby) I learned that a mini there is like the perfect size lunch and since my favorite was turkey and provolone (and I HATE mayo, usually don’t get it mikes way either) it was about as low cal as it gets. It helps I don’t seem to like most of the things outside bread and cheese that make a sandwich calorie dense
When I traveled, I used to get Starbucks egg white bites - the kale and portobello mushroom. (Sodium is kind of high though.) I make my own at home these days in cupcake pans. I just do the full egg and whatever leftovers I have.
Starbucks seems to be the lowest quality and least healthy food of any chain I know of…
Salads at fast food restaurants are not bad compared to the rest of their food.
It depends on the dressing you use.
Chipotle salad (just skip their dressing) or a bowl with brown rice, beans, chicken, skip the cheese Chick fil a grilled chicken sandwich or their Chick grilled nuggets + salad Culver’s burger & broccoli with cheese sauce Subway turkey six inch on whole wheat. Jimmy John’s isn’t bad either, just skip the cheese and ask for light mayo.
Grilled nuggets and a kale salad from Chick fil a.
If fruit is an option over fries or tots, that is a good start. Apple slices at McDonald's instead of a small fry can go a long way over time
The grilled chicken sandwich from McDonald’s without mayonnaise is pretty healthy. So is their breakfast sandwich that has egg and ham; it’s pretty low calorie compared to the sausage, egg, and cheese sandwiches they offer. Taco Bell tacos and their bean and cheese burrito are not only pretty healthy, but they are cheap. The bean and cheese burrito used to be $1.09 where I live, and kept me alive while in poverty and in need of a cheap dinner option. The Burger King Wraps are pretty low calorie, too Carl’s Jr. has a charbroiled Chicken Sandwich that is less calories and probably less fat than the rest of their menu options. Wendy’s offers a vegetarian burger option, and some salads, but salads can be calorie and fat heavy if you order it with all the toppings and dressing. Their baked potato is pretty healthy, if you order it plain. They also have a grilled chicken sandwich that is fairly healthy, if you skip the heavy condiments, like mayonnaise. Long story short, aim for grilled chicken, hold the mayo and heavy dressings, and beware of menu options with a lot of cheese.
Asian style noodle soups like pho or ramen, or a Thai curry, or stir fry.
Haven't really seen anyone mention CAVA. The tzatziki sauce + hummus + saffron rice + braised lamb = goodness in my mouth.
we learned about this in nutrition class actually you can drastically minimize the negative impact of occasionally consuming any fast food by including a variety of different nutrients in your order and making sure to exclude mayonnaise. So like if you get a bacon cheeseburger get it with all of the veggies too and no mayo. Mind you fast food veggies NEVER taste good in my opinion, but the most important thing is actually getting enough of a variety of nutrients for your body to do its job. Also shakes are big bad, at least according to the class.
Most fast food places have salads. Try to get grilled chicken instead of fried, get a vinaigrette instead of a cream based dressing (ranch, honey mustard, etc )
Ask for dressing on the side!
Teriyaki Chicken and rice but don't add sauce
black bean crunchwrap at Taco Bell is like 510 calories and a whole meal for me
Sushi. I love me a good spicy salmon roll
My go to is going to Wendy’s if we’re talking true fast food places. Double burger, I ask for it plain, then just eat the two burger patties without the bun. I usually get a baked potato to go with it, and I put a little bit of butter on there. The only time I get this is when I traveling for work, and I usually go to a gas station and get some almonds to eat with it. It has a decent macronutrient profile between protein, fat, and carbs and there aren’t any trans fats or other trash nutrients in it.
Not sure if this qualifies as fast food, but chipotle burrito bowl can be customized to be very healthy.
Jimmy John’s sub on a lettuce wrap. Amazing flavor!
Taco Bell, I believe, is the healthiest option.
If you live in Denver Colorado, check out Mad Greens. Healthiest "Fast Food" I've ever eaten at.
Chipotle mostly, although after climbing most of the time, I'm looking for a high calorie intake.
I've been to this place called Crisp & Green. It's pretty damn delicious and I can't imagine it's terribly unhealthy.
[удалено]
Came here to pimp Chipotle. (Disclosure: not an investor.)
Lots of people are on a Chipotle strike, due to inconsistency in sizing and quality. Similarly there is cava, mezah, and qdoba
The starbucks oatmeal, panini, or kale and farro salad. The healthiest drink option is \*always\* water and you don't need it in a plastic bottle, but if you're looking for a healthy drink too, try unsweetened green tea, black tea, or plain black coffee.
Cava or chipotle
Sweet green
Chicken teryaki rice bowl at jack n the box. Broccoli, cucjen, rice, sugar sauce. Only 9$
Freshii
Subway salad if you go easy on sauce and pick the right base (most of them). Although I hear subway generally isn't as good in the US as Aus
So many places have online or mobile ordering now that you can avoid fast food and get real meals. Asian restaurants are great choices, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, Indian. Most of these local places around me have fast online ordering. I order from my desk at work, and by the time I get in the car and drive there, it's usually ready to pick up.
Just about any option in moderation.
Taco Bell bean burritos
Hamburger with plenty of lettuce and toppings, no cheese, no fries, no soda is actually not too bad.
Most sub restaurants are fine as long as you choose chicken, veggie, turkey or ham options with no mayo or fattening creamy sauces, skip the cheese and go hard on the veggie toppings.
Maybe visiting a local independent hamburger place instead of a huge franchise. In my case the ingredients tend to be fresher and better quality, not just frozen or full of preservatives.
Eat This, Not That Am I old for remember these books?
The fact that no one mentions Jimmy John's Unwich option (any sandwich, wrapped in lettuce instead of bread) is a testament to the near-criminal negligence and oversight of their marketing team. Unwiches are fantastic for diabetics and people looking for healthy or keto options, and they're basically delicious salads in sandwich form. And their food is some of the fastest available anywhere. And delivery is one dollar. Jimmy Johns: Hire me to do all of your marketing. Your team fucking sucks.
Not speaking to the nutrients, just calorie counts. I have these saved in my phone: Panda Express: I love the super greens and get them in a panda bowl with the honey walnut shrimp (my fav item there lol). 460cals McDonalds: Ham Egg McMuffin is just 300cals! Love it with an unsweetened tea and hashbrown (+150cals) for a quick "junky" breakfast. Jollibee: 1pc Chickenjoy and spaghetti. This one is for cheat days at around 1000cals. I usually get this as dinner and am full from the day, so only eat about half and save the other half for tomorrow. In n Out: A cheeseburger is 480cals. Tasty fast food dinner for me and approx the same cals (but different nutrients) as a peanutbutter jelly sandwich. I'm a 5'2" woman for reference and these are quite filling for me.
Chick Fil A’s grilled nuggets aren’t too bad and you can get them with a fruit cup and a bottle of water. It’s a really solid after gym meal.
Sushi. There's a nice sushi place in my town and I haven't even had an allergic reaction due to cross contamination yet. It's been great.
A McChicken no mayo only has like 250 calories
Chipotle, just hold the sour cream and red salsa (the runny one.... has a LOT of sodium). Pico de gallo, on the other hand, is great for you).
Sweet greens ! And anywhere that serves chicken rice and beans
I’ve been doing Taco bell as other have stated. I never eat the meat, and always do a power bowl. Just rice, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, cheese. Or, get that in a taco form. OR if you have a Del Taco near you, they mostly use plant based meat now.
1. Grilled Chicken Sandwich 2. Veggie Delight Sub 3. Salad with Grilled Protein 4. Burrito Bowl (sans tortilla) 5. Sushi Rolls with Lean Fish 6. Veggie Burger (watch toppings) 7. Wrap or Salad with Grilled Protein
I lost like 90 pounds in a year. When I wanted fast food, I would do bunless big MAC or burger, burger bowl.
Poke bowls
i always think of taco bell. sodium is high, but so is all fast food imo...but comparing taco bell to other fast food places, taco bell will always win since it's more customizable.
A burger made with lean beef topped with lettuce, tomato and a touch of condiments is a reasonably balanced quick bite to eat.
A small portion. A small hamburger is about 250 calories and a small fries is about the same. Have a diet soda or just water and you’re not adding anything extra. A 500 calorie lunch is going to be okay.
McDonald’s classic egg McMuffins are not actually that bad for you. They have good proportions of carbs/fats/protein. No saying that they’re a health food, as they’re highly processed, but they aren’t awful for you.
Cava