Fast Food suggestions???

I am doing ok for breakfast and dinner but I'm running into problems finding low cal stuff for lunch.   I don't cook and can't stand the thought of sitting at my desk through lunch.  I have to have that break away from the office.   Does anyone have any fast food suggestions that works for them?

If you're near a decent sandwich bar or a cafe that sells salads you could get away with it.   Subways aren't bad either.  But people that 'don't cook' tend to struggle with weight-loss.... simply because catered and ready-made foods are always larded with fat and salts.   Fast food being the worst offender.  A sandwich or a salad made at home doesn't take long to put together.  And you could take a walk at lunchtime, find a peaceful spot and eat it there.  A little exercise?  Kill two birds with one stone.

 you could pack a healthy sandwich or salad or small picnic type lunch and go to a nearby park?... the walk would be a bit of excersise and then you could enjoy the outdoors and sun and really tank energy for the afternoon slogger session :-)

That is if the area you work in has a park or somewhere like that nearby...

hihi- gi-jane- great minds think alike!!! you are so cool

Unfortunately there aren't any parks nearby.    Just a mall.

As a cucumber... LOL!  Mindset change is needed here.... Fast food - whether that's ping cuisine microwave meals, takeaways or similar - are a major factor in so many people being overweight.  I know there are a couple of examples of losing weight by eating nothing but Subways or MacDonalds but they're in the tiny minority.  Eat real food and it's 10x easier to control your weight.

Edited to add... even malls usually have a few benches and a fountain to chill out at.  Come on... don't be lazy!

Hit up a grocery store during the lunch hour if you have time or one is close. You can find some ready to eat soups or salads in the deli section sometimes. I love to get ready made salads and then I pick off most of the cheese. Bring your own fork and sit in your car, eat outside, or whatever. Besides, then I can pick up fresh fruit and have that as a lunchtime or afternoon snack too.

Another thought would be to research the calories of the restaraunts in your area before you go. This allows you to plan ahead. Thank goodness for the internet! I figure if they aren't willing to post the caloric intake for their food, I probably don't want to know and shouldn't eat it, lol.

 

I totally agree- if there is a mall there must be a bench or a fountain or something... you can sit there munching on your lunch and play people spotting ...

Original Post by gi-jane:

Mindset change is needed here....

Amen.  Stop making excuses to cut corners and eat less healthy food than you could be eating.  Bring your own lunch, sit at the mall if you're so insistent that there's absolutely no parks near your job, and then walk the mall for a while, going up and down the different levels (if there's only escalators, at least pretend they're stairs!) and just enjoy getting out of the office for a bit!  You can even just take a walk around your building or the area you work. 

It's not that I'm  "so insistent that there's ablsolutely no parks near my job".   There aren't any.   I can't build a park just to have somewhere to walk.    Understand that not everyone lives where you do and there are places in this world that don't have parks every 3 miles.

But you could go somewhere to get fast food.....  What you really wanted to hear was "XYZ chain do a fantastic Mc Thin Burger that is only ABC calories and I've lost 50lbs eating them every day".  I'm sorry if that's not how it's going.

Make a healthy sandwich, eat it at your desk and then take a turn around the block for some fresh air.   The 21st century (American?) environment has got a lot to answer for when it comes to the obesity crisis.  There are more fast food outlets than parks and more cars than pavements.... fact.  But you have to find ways to work around it if you're serious about losing weight.

Um, no.  What I was looking for was some ideas on some low cal eats at low price restaurants (fast food).   For instance,  maybe a wrap at a Chick-Fil-A for under 500 calories.     There are foods out there at fast food restaurants that are not too terribly bad for you.     I didn't realize that everyone here thought that you absolutely never ever could have a meal at a fast food restaurant while you are trying to lose weight.

Thanks to everyone who gave suggestions without bashing!

 

Yes, there's halfway-decent fast food restaurant offerings, but it seems like this is something you'd want to do every day, at least that's what I gather from reading your post. If it's not and you only want to have a fast-food lunch once a week, then just use your common sense when ordering, and check the restaurant's website for any available nutritional information before you go. Stay away from anything breaded and fried, and if you're going to have a burger, maybe skip the bun & cheese and get a a baked potato or side salad or something.  I still think going to the mall would be a great idea -- you can have your fast food, as well as a venue to walk some of it off.  

Good suggestions. Be very careful of the drive though places. I put 40+#s (that almost looks like an explicative) on in less than 4 years doing nothing different except for the driving though to get lunch. I have taken off about 1/2 that weight, in one year by doing nothing different except eating a sound lunch. Pack your lunch. You will at least know what is in it. Even delis, with soups, salads and sandwiches, can catch you off guard. Good luck, you will do great!

I havent been in a fast food restaurant in a very long time, house wife who loves to cook but my husband is a truck driver also trying to watch fat,calories etc. and he does not have a choice but fast food sometimes if hes out for several days no fridge in truck :)  I went on line and printed off the nutritional values of the fast food places like macd, burgking,wendys,subway etc. and he carries them in his briefcase and tries to stay within a certain amount of fat and calories for the meal. He always gets a toss salad and if he has a burger no bun or a chicken sandwich no bun. And his weight has been great and his chol. level is perfect. So it can be done if you choose wisely. Print out the nutritional values at the fast food places. Good Luck to ya

I can sympathise with not wanting to eat your lunch at your desk...however here is something I used to do and it helped me burn off nearly 40 lbs...I would walks for 20 mins at lunch (I was blessed to be able to walk in a neighborhood setting but if that's not available to you the mall could work) then I would go and eat the lunch at my desk (in about 10 min) but it was a light lunch also, I could sort of eat and work at the same time to an extent. a sandwich from home is good, also, and you can make a couple of these ahead and keep in the fridge, "bake a couple of potatoes in the microwave...pierce them and nuke for about 5 min, than put into a covered bowl for about 15 min. Cut in half and break up the inside (1/2 of a potato per srv) drizzle in a little skim milk for moisture, add some frozen veggies...peas, broccoli, spinach... a tbs of cheese and maybe a little dices ham or turkey...from the deli...S&P. put it in a plastic container and nuke it at work...tasty EASY! and nutritious...as for fast food a six inch subway isn't too bad if you avoid the cheeses, mayos and other heavy fat toppings....LOTS of veggies! These types of things were my lunches and the walks did wonders...I hope this was helpful 

There are lots of good grilled chicken sandwiches out there.  McDonald's even has a whole grain bun.  Order it without the mayo and it's not bad at all.  If you have a Sonic nearby, the grilled chicken items are tasty and fairly low cal.  They receive bad ratings here because of sodium.  If your mind is set to eat healthily (or decently), you can do it anywhere.  I hate packing a lunch!  When school starts again (I teach third grade.), I will be bringing frozen diet entrees or will be packing a lunch.  I live in a rural area, can't leave for lunch, and the cafeteria food is too high in calories for me. 

I understand about parks not being nearby.  I could walk in the woods on my break, lol.

Hi April,

Sorry to hear about all the negativity that others are bringing to you question. I understand that you want to leave the jobsite - who doesn't. My best suggestion is similar to the previous poster.

1. Choose items that are not fried or breaded (like chicken - get it grilled instead of fried).

2. Ask for no mayo and use mustard instead. Ask for extra veggies (tomatoes, lettuce, etc.)

3. Choose salads with the dressing on the side. Just dip your fork in the dressing - never dress the salad directly. This saves a lot of calories.

4. Water, instead of pop.

5. Don't eat all of the bread/bun - these are wasted calories.

Lastly, you can google the restaurants you would like to go to and get the calories for the menu items. That way you can be prepared. And know what the calorie content is ahead of time.

Good luck!

Ugh, some of the people on here need to pull their head's out of their....yeah, you know where I was going with that.

Is there a Subway near by? When I want to go for a walk and get out of that hell hole, I'll get a veggie delight on whole wheat. I skip out on the cheese and dressing, but it's enjoyable non-the-less.

what do you eat for supper?  Could you bring leftovers for lunch the next day?

I think Starbucks has a great selection of lowfat sandwiches.  I think of it as upscale fast food and heaps healthier.  The Turkey sandwich with Artichoke spread is only 200 calories and the Spinach Feta Egg wrap is only 250.  Add a cup of fruit or bring an apple from the store.

I also like to go to the grocery store instead of traditional fast food.  You have options from salad bars and you can have a sandwich made to your order/liking to keep it healthy.