Tips for healthy eating at fast food restaurants: Eating Out

HealthyPals · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

You can be healthy while eating fast food. Keep this tips in mind when going out to eat at fast food restaurants.

Make careful menu selections. Dishes that are deep-fried, pan-fried, basted, batter-dipped, breaded, creamy, crispy, scalloped, Alfredo, au gratin or in cream sauce are usually high in calories with unhealthy fats.
Check out the nutritional information. These days everyone has a website. Check out the nutritional information on the company's website and figure out which items are healthy to eat.
Be aware of dressings. Often dressings such as mayo or sour cream are fat-packed.
Don't be afraid to special order. Many menu items would be healthy if it weren't for the way they were prepared.
Watch portion size - share or bring a portion home.
Avoid buffets – even healthy ones like salad bars. You'll likely overeat to get your money's worth.
Drink water with lemon instead of soda.

Y's Guy · **Site Rank:** Moderator

Dick's burgers in Seattle doesn't do special orders... What's up with that??? Not all of us likes Mayo!!!

HealthyPals · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

Dick's burgers isn't exactly healthy though so you should try and stay away from there anyway if you are trying to be healthy!

Y's Guy · **Site Rank:** Moderator

That's why you need me here hp!!! I like being healthy most of the time... but I know the urges to be unhealthy!

Just keepin it real HP... just keepin it real!

I'll be good a lot of the time but when I wanna be bad, I'm bad. I want the site to address some way to help mitigate the bad times by still being bad... but only like the one calorie of bad... Diet bad!

You can treat yourself every now and then... Just so long as the good outweighs the bad!

I want to help people make healthier choices... If you are gonna be bad... work out a little more than normal the day before or day of... It really makes the bad that much sweeter

Am I right, people???

Junior · **Site Rank:** Healthy Associate

I like the way you think. I wish I thought that way. If I think bad, it is not for one day. My bad usually lasts about two weeks. I keep trying to just cut fast food out of my diet all together but I keep finding myself going back to it because it is so easy. Then I find myself eating it everyday and getting it super-sized, biggie-sized and king-sized with extra cheese. I think I am doomed to be big my whole life!

marie · **Site Rank:** Healthy Associate

Junior,

Maybe you shouldn't try to cut fast food out all at once. Maybe you need to ease your way out of it. Maybe try to only eat it a 3 or 4 days a week at first, and then try to cut it down from there. Not only is home cooked food better for you, but it is also cheaper!

Junior · **Site Rank:** Healthy Associate

My wife wants me to start doing weight watchers with her. I can't say that I am thrilled about that but if it will make her happy then I will try it. My fast food days might be over really quickly.

tammy · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

How long has your wife been doing weight watchers? Has she been sticking to it?

Junior · **Site Rank:** Healthy Associate

She started it about a month and a half ago but wasn'treally sticking to it. She thought I was the reason so she wanted me to join her. Togther we have been doing it for 3 weeks. I miss the bad food, but I am seeing results in myself and my wife. I guess this counting calories stuff really works. It is hard not to eat the bad stuff though, really hard!

tammy · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

I know it is hard, but over time your body will start to get used to it and the bad cravings will start to go away!

Y's Guy · **Site Rank:** Moderator

It has been about 8 months for me since I have been trying to eat healthier and it seems like when I stay away from things completely it doesn't work... when I have a full meal of bad stuff that doesn't work either, but if I have a treat every now and then it seems to be the best!!!

I feel like I'm missing out if I don't eat any of it...

The cravings start to come back if I have a full meal of it...

But if I just have a little bit of it, it reminds me that it is such a temporary pleasure that it is not worth destroying my diet, ruining what I am working out for and sabotaging my goals for it!

tammy · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

I have found that if I only have a treat once in a while, the treat actually feels like a treat!

Y's Guy · **Site Rank:** Moderator

And I know when you've talked about it that when you eat treats it taste so much better when you workout extra to deserve the treat... then it feels so much more like a treat and you don't feel guilty eating it either!

ducky · **Site Rank:** Healthy Friend

One of the things I learned in my time in WW is that ... if you swear off the bad food and tell yourself you can't have it, you're going to want it that much more. Something "off-limits" or "illegal" is so much more tempting. The key isn't in denying yourself of the less healthy foods, the key is ... if you're going to choose those less-than-perfect options, limit yourself. I used to go to Key Arena once a week for work when I was still in Tacoma and, boy, I know the deliciousness that is the greasy fare at Dick's. But instead of the whole "meal," I would allow myself a burger OR a shake. If I'd eaten really well and/or gone to the gym every day, I'd get both. (but no fries. love 'em, but not worth it)

My former leader used to love telling us ... "you can have your cake, but only in small pieces and only one at a time!"

Y's Guy · **Site Rank:** Moderator

Fries are so not worth it... I agree!!! It is such a fleeting pleasure that you don't even remember that you ate them ten minutes ago... If I am going to be not-so-healthy... I gotta go with a small shake!

Who is online