Eating healthy at Fastfood Restaurants

[jared767]

Hi everyone!

I love eating out with friends and family and I just can't give up on it. Is there anyone who has some suggestions about eating healthy at the following fast food restaurants such as:

• Subway
• Pink berry
• Pizza Hut

I prefer meals that are high in protein, yet low in complex carbs.

[Paplo]

Good question.

I understand your pain! I have the same habits with my friends but at different fast food places.

I thought I'd try to be the smart guy and I just went to the Pizza Hut website to see if I could spot something that would meet your high protein, low carb preference. Absolutely everything on the menu is high in carbs and low in protein! I couldn't even find a side salad in their sides options.

At Subway, the Western Egg & Cheese looks alright...except for the cheese. If you can get a multigrain flat bread, that'd probably make it a little better than the white flat bread one. They also have a Veggie Delite salad that might get you through without ruining your weight loss.

Good luck!

[Lydiapurple]

Subway- any of their 6 inch sandwiches with turkey or grilled chicken are pretty healthy (6 grams of fat or less) just don't put any mayo or ranch sauce or cheese on it. I get mine with BBQ sauce instead.
Also their salads are very healthy- you make them to order just like you do the sandwiches. I usually get plain grilled chicken on mine and use the sweet onion sauce as dressing (on the side). This should fit your low carb high protein requirement.

As for pizza hut, one slice of ham and pineapple or the vegetarian pizza is about all I can think of that won't murder your day...

[sarah]

You could also start adding a new place every now and again that offers better options. It doesn't have to replace those fast food locations altogether, but you can go there once in a while. Every little bit counts.

[ChristySmiles]

As fun as it isn't, when in doubt, go for the salad. Most of these places have a salad option, even if it's just a bowl of lettuce with a few chopped veggies on top. Don't forget to go for light dressing, though!

[tankini]

McDonalds and most "burger" fast food joints usually have a grilled chicken burger option. Order this and don't eat the bun.

[bigbobby]

As long as you're only eating at these places on occasion and not every day or two, you can consider it to be your treat and then you can just be extra careful for the rest of the week.

I'm not saying you should pig out, and a side salad instead of a side of fries will go a long way, but if you are going to go as your treat, then just stick to your diet to the letter for the rest of the time.

[watson_charles]

Eating healthy at Fastfood Restaurants

Yes one can not stop going fast food restaurants but you can have healthy food their which is high in nutrition and low carbs which is hard to find in most fast food restaurant..

[treehuggertodd]

If you decide to think you're clever and eat the salad because that's the "healthy" choice, be very careful what goes on it. A lot of times if they add meat like chicken or any dressing at all, your fat, calories, and even sugar will skyrocket

[chefmel]

This is so true. If you read the nutrition label on the packet of dressing, the grams of fat are often like 18 grams and the calories several hundred. You may as well have just had a smaller burger.

That's nuts! It's amazing that something like a small amount of salad dressing can make that much of a difference. You're absolutely right, though (I didn't believe it, at first, so I looked it up LOL). You practically would be better off with a small burger.

One thing I thought I'd point out is that a lot of places - mcdonald's, for example - are now offering a yogurt with fruit option as a part of their "healthy" menu. While there is a lot of sugar in it, it's actually not so bad...until you add the granola. This adds a HUGE amount of fat to the dessert! Again, you may as well eat a small burger for all the fat you'd be taking in.

[bruceH]

Try to see if you can find a healthier alternative and then make it your treat for the week. Don't gorge yourself on it but eat a smaller portion. Make sure that you stick closely to a healthy diet for the rest of the week and the one small portion of a treat shouldn't do too much damage.

[silvertoes]

healthy tips when dine out

- Eat all the food you love, but lessen your normal intake

- When eating out, eat everything in half. If you're with friends, share it. If you're dining alone, ask for a doggie bag and enjoy the other half at a later time.

- Before eating out, have a snack at least an hour before you eat out, so that you will not be so hungry when it's really time to eat.

[tracy1976]

- Eat all the food you love, but lessen your normal intake

- When eating out, eat everything in half. If you're with friends, share it. If you're dining alone, ask for a doggie bag and enjoy the other half at a later time.

- Before eating out, have a snack at least an hour before you eat out, so that you will not be so hungry when it's really time to eat.

To add to your (great) list:

- Choose water with lemon in it as a beverage instead of soda. That way, you can eat all of those foods that you love with a lot less guilt.

- Eat more slowly. Instead of trying to take the biggest possible bite of pizza, take smaller bites and chew them well. You'll get more flavor and you'll get full after eating a smaller amount of food.

[bruceH]

I just discovered the technique (which is likely well known but it's new to me) of drinking a huge glass of water and waiting five minutes before eating a fast food meal. That way, you start off with your stomach a bit full, already, so you won't need to eat as much to be satisfied.