I get most people do well about packing and not having to eat out but what happens if you have to?
What are good go to, for lack of a better word, fast food chains, to visit and what could you get that wouldn’t absolutely wreck your dietary progress?
I don’t usually go with fast food (those a Wendy’s Spicy Chicken sandwich used to be my goto), but look for fast casual places. Its typically pretty easy to find a halal guys or similar chicken/rice/lettuce/sauce dish around here. Otherwise, I’m looking for anywhere with a Chipotle-esq assembly line that I can make a plate with.
If you are going fastfood, taco bell is one of the best. They have a nutrionist on staff, cut out a bunch of sodium from the products, and have a whole secret menu of higher-protein and lower-carb modifications that you can use.
If you can find a Native Foods, they have great healthy options, beyond the onion ring burgers. Not a traditional fast food chain with a drive thru, but orders are made quickly, with healthy seasonal ingredients, and you can order ahead very easily.
Chipotle as well, as others have commented. Since it’s so customizable, you can make a really healthy burrito bowl or salad. And their ingredients are relatively good quality. Not too expensive too!
Grocery or convenience store is the move. Nowadays even a CVS will have a bunch of pre-prepared sandwiches and salads. I figure a store-bought sub is going to be healthier by default than a burger or even a restaurant sub place
Prepacked food in supermarkets are more balanced and easier on your wallet.
Publix has 1 main dish, 2 sides and a roll for $5.99- $10. I get veggies for sides. Divide into 2 meals.
Hot bar at Wholefoods is a bit more expensive.
Subway, Moe’s, CAVA. The kids meal is good enough for 1 meal.
If I buy a full portion, I divide into 2 meals.
This year I developed and was diagnosed with a milk allergy. So I look for places that have allergen charts listed online.
Subway has been an easy and convenient place to go since there are so many in places I tend to visit. A 6” veggie delight loaded with veggies isnt great for protein but it’s not bad over all. I also like burrito places, and tend to get burrito bowls. Booster Juice has a few options I can have/like.
Grocery stores. Always.
I travel a lot. Trust me please. I also camp/backpack and think it’s silly when folks think they need to pack a kitchen. You don’t need cooked food. Apples, bananas, nuts, cucumbers, carrots, etc. Lots and lots of foods are totally fine just sitting in your car at room temp. I’m also a fan of babybel cheese which don’t really need to be refrigerated. I’ll often get something from the deli like a sandwich, wrap or salad. There’s so much.
The fallacy most folks hit is thinking they need a warm cooked meal for some reason. You don’t. Just eat a bunch of plants, you’re good. Use one of the plastic grocery shopping bags as a trash bag and toss it out at the next gas stop.
Can’t believe nobody has said this one yet….Chick-fil-A! Grilled nuggets are basically straight protein (nearly negligible carbs/fats), BBQ sauce is ~10g carbs, buffalo is ~3g fat (iirc).
Chipotle is another one of my favorites, but more difficult to track macros because portion sizes are based on scoops (and good luck finding 2 people that scoop the same size), but still…you can “build” your meal online & enter the macros for a +/- 20% accuracy.
Lastly, In-N-Out if I’ve got a bunch of fat left over. Burgers are delicious and you can easily find the macros for everything (bun, meat, cheese, sauce, etc) online!
I’m vegan-I usually search for a juice bar/smoothie shop or build your own bowl/salad place! It’s always easy to find healthy options there. Or…I stop at a grocery store and pick up some fruit/a salad/snacksFast food makes me bloat and feel awful so I avoid it