Question:
for those on the go, what do you eat at fast food places?

just need a little help for the days i just have to grab something. I am 6 wks out, have been released to eat solids, just want make healthy decisions! thanks!    — TIFFANY R. (posted on July 23, 2003)


July 22, 2003
I stop at Wendy's and get a small chili.
   — Mica M.

July 22, 2003
I am three years out and still have a hard time eating fast food. I have a big problem with fries, hamburger and the bread they come on. If i think I have to have some fast food I get a chicken sandwich and just eat the chicken and not the bread. Like I said I have a hard time with fast food. It doesn't go down very well. For breakfast I would get a burrito and eat the inside of it. I tried to eat a bisket and it just wouldn't go down.
   — Sharon T.

July 22, 2003
I have a few stand-bys. At Taco Bell, I get the pintos'n'cheese and have them add extra onions to it. One will fill me up. Other times I've had about half the insides of a burrito supreme. At Wendy's, I love the baked potatoes or their salads. Be careful with the dressing there, though-some are heavy sugar. Chick-fil-a's chicken nuggets are abouth the only times I do a chicken nugget.
   — Cathy S.

July 22, 2003
Refried beans at Taco Bell are loaded with fat. Fried chicken isn't good either. Fast food places are why many people get heavy to start with. I keep a fast food nutrition chart in my car (I travel alot for work). I got it off the web. This way I can make "informed" decisions. I don't eat the fries or fried foods. Nearly all of the burger places carry broiled chicken. If I order a burger, it's a kids size and I take half the bread away and put it in the trash. (Fast food = big calories for tiny portions) At taco bell, I order the smallest thing on the menu. Once you look at how many calories a small burger or taco has and how many carbs they carry, you will start to change which fast food places you go to. Best wishes -
   — M B.

July 23, 2003
Burger King: Chicken Whopper Jr, plain, and pitch the bun. The chicken is usually very tender and is not breaded. A side salad or some baked potato depending on what you can tolerate. (I couldn't quite do salads that early!) I didn't do much fast food, and still don't, but usually choose a salad with chicken.
   — koogy

July 23, 2003
I love Taco Bell's chicken quesadilla and can manage almost half for one meal. Another good choice is the chicken soft taco supreme, $.99, and very filling. I have also tried Wendy's chicken nuggets, which have only a little breading on them. I can't handle any soft breads but these were tolerable. I am 13 weeks post-op.
   — Angela G.

July 23, 2003
McDonald's chicken ceasar salad is yummy. Also Wendy's salads (watch the dressing though) or chili.
   — mom2jtx3

July 23, 2003
I usually do the El Polo Loco Chicken bowl, I can't do the whole thing, it fills me up, I ask for more rice less beans... I also do Subway, Port of Subs, I usually just do a sandwich there, sometimes I can eat a whole 6 inch sub, how-ever I usually opt for a low fat version, no mayo, lots of mustard though and tell them to pack on the veggies !. I have done Sonic, can only do the meat and the cheese and the bottom bun, cant do much there...... hope this helps... Post op 14 months
   — tannedtigress

July 23, 2003
I am on the go constantly with my kids (I'm a stay-at-home dad for girls ages 5 and 6); plus, we travel several hours a few times a month to visit out-of-state relatives and friends. I still can't really eat a salad so I try to find either a Burger King or a Wendy's and have their chili. I won't have anything else there as I fear reverting to my old very bad habits. Of course, it's usually best when I remember to have some bottles of Isopure, bottled water, sugarless gum and some Atkins bars in the car to get me through those hungry spots.
   — SteveColarossi

July 23, 2003
For many of the reasons listed below, it really just isn't worth it to go to fast food restaurants- it isn't exactly "fast food" when you have to disect your food anyway! Why not just carry around a couple of protein bars, then you KNOW that you are getting exactly what you need right off the bat? I don't mean to sound preachy, but at 6 wks out, I wouldn't be pushing it as far as fast food goes. Mushy old Pintos and Cheese at Taco Bell or Chili from Wendy's would be the extent of it, in my book, since you asked; anything with white carbs (french fries or buns) or ANYTHING fried is out. Eating at "Fast Food" restaraunts and thinking it is okay is how I got Morbidly Obese in the first place. Look around the next time you go in there. And good luck!
   — kultgirl

July 23, 2003
Why not try the deli at your local grocery store if you really just need to grab and go. Most have salads that are half the price (and carbs) than you'll find at a fast food joint. They also sell wonderful meats and cheeses.
   — [Deactivated Member]

July 23, 2003
I go to Wendy's and get chili, although sometimes I go to Mc Donald's for the All-American cheeseburger with a diet coke and then throw away half the bun. Something else I've done alot is eat beef jerky when I'm in a hurry. It's great because you can buy it ahead of time and eat it on the go. You can also buy microwaveable pork rinds at Wal-Mart (they come in a box like popcorn). They're full of protein. I only have 1/2 hour lunch at work so many times I just open a can of tuna and eat that right out of the can.
   — jan M.

July 23, 2003
Wendy's chili (with extra cheese, please) is an old standby. Also, if you are willing to say it a couple of times, you can order a Taco Bell burrito without the tortilla. Just ask them to put it in a bowl. Jack in the Box is supposed to have some really good new salads. And if you have a Chick-Fil-A in your area you have it made: their chicken nuggets are da bomb! (And they have diet lemonade!) I don't eat much fast food but in a pinch this stuff works for me. Also, some Asian places have steamed dumplings. They have good protein and the chicken ones are very low fat.
   — ctyst

July 23, 2003
I feel like the queen of fast foods and I have a lot of suggestions. First of all, the only meal I will eat at McDonald's is breakfast. I will get 2 bacon and egg biscuits--NO CHEESE(yuck!!) and remove 1/2 of each biscuit. I can eat about 1 and 1/2. This is my favorite breakfast!! At Burger King, I will get a Chicken Whopper Jr. (it's grilled chicken and yummy!!) and remove half of the bun. At Arby's I will get a French Dip Sub and only eat about 1/3 -1/2. Using their au jus to dip is GREAT!! because it moistens the bread and meat and is so easy to eat!. At Wendy's when I was early post op, I would eat about 2 of their chicken nuggets in barbecue sauce. My taste buds have changed and I can no longer stand the thought of the grease with these. But early post op, they were a life saver. Now, I will eat a small chili or a baked potato (sometimes with the chili on top). At KFC, I can eat about 1/2 of their pot pie. I also enjoy their honey barbecue sandwich. I remove the top half of the bun and eat about 1/2 of the remaining sandwich with a fork. Early post op, Taco Bell was a lifesaver. I would eat almost daily, about 3/4 of a crunchy taco minus the extra shell at the top. Now, what i especially enjoy is the Steak Soft Taco. I open it up and eat the insides with a fork. It is perfect!! It's like having a little salad with steak on top and of course the sauce is like dressing. I have posted before, that I go through food "phases", where I will eat almost the same food 5-6 days a week for several months and then my body gets tired of it and I move onto something new. It's weird, but it is apparently working for me, I am maintaing just fine. Shelley
   — Shelley.

July 23, 2003
If I'm on the go and can't sit for lunch I'll have half a yogurt or protein shake. I've never liked fast food so it's not difficult for me to stay away from all that fat. In KFC I'll order chicken strips for my son and eat 1 or 2 strips. Of course, I'm so paranoid it's fast food that I'll pick off all the bread crumbs and be left with almost nothing. If I have mash potatoes I order it w/o gravy and eat half. I find it too thick so if I'm home I'll add some milk to it. I try not to eat at KFC because it doesn't go down to well. I hate BK so McDonalds is the only other last resort for me. I will order a hamburger plain and toss the bread. I then dip the pieces of burger in a ketchup and mustard mix (or barbecue sauce). I order the salads at Wendy's and share it with my son. Any left overs are eaten for dinner.
   — Oneida H.

July 25, 2003
at 6 weeks i too could handle chili or refried beans. i also carried around bars (i prefer zone or balance, and eat a half at a time), nuts and string cheese so i didn't have to rely on fast food too often. at three and a half months out, i've had salads at wendys and mcdonalds, chicken strips from chick fillet (two strips was plenty) and twice i've had a small burger from mcdonalds, without the top bun and without most of the bottom bun. but i have to say my tastes have changed and i eat fast food only when it's the only option - i don't crave it -- i don't even particularly enjoy it.
   — carolsaunders

July 25, 2003
By "on the go", I'm going to assume you mean, in the car, in your lap. If I can sit down, I make better choices. In the car, I usually do (part of) a Happy Meal CB, or a burrito. Things I can eat with one hand. I drink 6+ protien shakes per day,anyway, but I need solids, too. In the very beginning, I carried things like string cheese or hard boiled eggs. Frequently, with a sick dad at home, I must run out the door with no planning.
   — vitalady




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