LCHF - What fast food options are there?

[Chocolate Rose]

I need specific choices of food items at drive-through fast food places for times when we're out running errands and need something quick and fairly inexpensive. I used to be able to find things in my old way of eating that were somewhat healthy. I very, very rarely eat beef and would mostly choose some form of chicken. I'm thinking that I may need to go back to eating beef, at least occasionally. I heard that at least one restaurant (I think it may be McDonalds) injects their chicken with HFCS which would mean I can't eat the chicken there. I'm not familiar with what's available at most fast food places. I'd like to know what specific things would be OK to eat (LCHF) at any of the following places. Anyone have suggestions?

 

Wendy's (one just opened here last week)

Jack-In-the-Box

McDonalds

Arbys

Burger King

Dairy Queen

Taco Bell

Taco...I can't think of the name of the other Taco place

[ssavings]

Side salad (skip the dressing, or use lemon juice) and a generic burger without the bun seems safe?

[Elinor Everywhere]

Do you have In-N-Out? You can order their hamburger "Protein Style" and it comes without the bun.

[athena1277]

Do you have a Chick-fil-A nearby? You can ask for a chargrilled filet (I order this for my GF dd all the time) and they have fresh fruit cups.

[Chocolate Rose]

No In-N-Out or Chick-fil-A here.:(

 

But, I did just check out the Wendy's website and they have a breakdown of the carbs in all of their items. So, I can at least figure out what I can eat there. YAY!

 

Hoping for more suggestions!!

[KungFuPanda]

Do you have a Chipotle nearby? It costs more, but they're meals are big enough for two people.

[eternalknot]

I don't like meat but my husband does. He eats a low-carb, high-fat diet.

 

His go-to is a chicken salad, no dressing OR a cheese burger w/tomato and lettuce (then he removes one or both buns to consume). He can get those at Wendy's, JitB, McD, BK, and DQ.

 

At Arby's he gets a plain roast beef sandwhich w/extra meat, then he eats it open-faced style with only one bun.

 

Most fast-food places that serve burgers will also have lettuce; my husband has never had anyone say "no" to a request for lettuce in lieu of buns. It's usually easier and less time-consuming overall to run inside than to try to communicate this through the drive-thru window :D. Many times he's only charged "side of meat" or "extra meat" but sometimes he'll be charged the full price of a burger. This is similar to to In-N-Out's protein style.

 

Taco Bell is trickier. Most of ours are lumped with other restaurants, either Pizza or Long John Silver's. Fish is the obvious choice at LJS, but when it's TB and Pizza .... well, he usually gets the fresco taco and eats it open-faced. It's not terribly satisfying, but it keeps him on-track and satiates him enough 'til he gets home. He does keep nuts and packets of PB in the car (for apples and such, which he can order at most fast-food joints) to help.

 

But truly, he tries to find places that serve all-day breakfasts. Sonic is one, but he'll even phone in an order to IHOP for pick-up and it's not too much more time than driving through a fast-food place. Eggs and bacon, usually in a wrap or a biscuit that he nixes.

[J-rap]

We usually do Subway if we need to do fast food.

[Chocolate Rose]

Do you have a Chipotle nearby? It costs more, but they're meals are big enough for two people.

 

Nope. No Chipotle.

[Chocolate Rose]

I don't like meat but my husband does. He eats a low-carb, high-fat diet.Big Snip

 

Thanks for all the great ideas. I hadn't even thought about looking for breakfast food.

[Chocolate Rose]

We usually do Subway if we need to do fast food.

 

Thanks. We like Subway, too. But, I'm hoping to find something I can get at a drive through for those days when I'm running errands like crazy and just want to grab something quickly.

[JumpyTheFrog]

At Subway, you can have any of the sub varieties made into a salad.

[Susan C.]

Our fast food is in the grocery store's deli, chicken tenders, rotisserie chicken, etc. I won't eat fast food burgers (hormones). I also like Panera Bread, do you have one? We also have an independently owned Mexican food counter service with good quality food.

[Chocolate Rose]

At Subway, you can have any of the sub varieties made into a salad.

 

Thanks! This is good to know for times when I have more time.

[Chocolate Rose]

Our fast food is in the grocery store's deli, chicken tenders, rotisserie chicken, etc. I won't eat fast food burgers (hormones). I also like Panera Bread, do you have one? We also have an independently owned Mexican food counter service with good quality food.

 

Yes, I oftentimes get a chef salad at our store's deli.

 

What kind of quick Mexican food do you get that is low carb/high fat?

[Jpoy85]

We usually do Subway if we need to do fast food.

 

:iagree:

[LibraryLover]

If HFCS is an issue, I don't think McD's has HFCS in their meats. It's in buns, yes. But I do not believe it's in chicken. Take this as you will. ;) lol THis from their website:

 

Fast Food

 

• When you purchase a burger at a fast food restaurant, you are often asked if you would like fries as well. Unfortunately, you are not asked if you want high-fructose corn syrup. According to a list of McDonald's ingredients compiled by DietRiot.com, the bun and the majority of the available sauces, including ketchup, contain high-fructose corn syrup. McDonald's is not the only fast food restaurant to incorporate high-fructose corn syrup into their recipes. Whataburger also puts the ingredient in their hamburger buns, as does Arby's. You should also know that one of the main ingredients in the Arby's Sauce that typically comes on a Roast Beef Sandwich is high-fructose corn syrup.
   
   
  

If wanting to eat organic foods is not an issue, I would think a grilled burger or chicken from the $1 menu would be fine as long as you don't eat the bun. The salads would also be fine without dressing. A hambuger patty without a bun would work as well.

 

But I would consider buying tuna in those bags, cheese sticks, avocados, baby carrots, etc. Have you considered boiling up a dozen eggs a couple of times a week? We do that, and when we need to be on the move, we grab several, along with organic cheese sticks, baby carrots, and organic yogurt. Throw in a few pieces of fruit, and a few handfuls of nuts and you're set. :001_smile: Add a water bottle and you're golden.

Edited April 14, 2012 by LibraryLover

[Chocolate Rose]

If HFCS is an issue, I don't think McD's has HFCS in their meats. It's in buns, yes. But I do not believe it's in chicken. Take this as you will. ;) lol THis from their website:

 

Fast Food

 

 

snip

 

But I would consider buying tuna in those bags, cheese sticks, avocados, baby carrots, etc. Have you considered boiling up a dozen eggs a couple of times a week? We do that, and when we need to be on the move, we grab several, along with organic cheese sticks, baby carrots, and organic yogurt. Throw in a few pieces of fruit, and a few handfuls of nuts and you're set. :001_smile: Add a water bottle and you're golden.

 

I can't remember where I saw the info about hfcs being injected into some fast food restaurants chicken. I'll have to figure that out.

It's not just hfcs, it's all sweeteners and carbs I need to avoid.

Yes, I always have nuts in my purse and water in my car. I try to remember to take some cheese with me, too. I can't eat fruit or carrots. I am pretty good about making sure I have food with me most of the time.

 

BUT, I'm just really trying to figure out what my fast food options might be for those times I need to grab something quickly while I'm out and on the go.

[Cinder]

We like the taco salad or chili from Wendy's. Chick-fil-a has a spicy chicken salad that's good, too.

 

For running around town dh usually carries an apple and some nuts with him when he goes out. Sometimes I'll get one of those convenience packs from walmart that has a few carrots and broc with dressing. It also has either grape tomatoes or a hunk of cheese and some almonds. It's small enough to throw in a lunch bag with an ice pack.

[Liz CA]

Sorry, they all make my stomach churn. I'd go the icebox and homemade snacks route.

[Susan C.]

Salad w/meat in it; soft taco, the flour tortilla is very small and you don't have to eat it all; flautas, it is rolled w/a tortilla, but stuffed w/meat and topped w/sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo; chicken enchilada, again, small tortilla, stuffed w/meat. You can order a la carte w/o rice and beans. You might be able to order a meat burrito wrapped in lettuce. It would be messy, though.

 

Yes, I oftentimes get a chef salad at our store's deli.

 

What kind of quick Mexican food do you get that is low carb/high fat?

[Cortana]

If you have a Carl's Jr nearby, they do a carb-less burger and I REALLY like it! They have also started doing turkey burgers and dh likes them a lot.

 

Another thought with breakfast items is that Jack In The Box does breakfast all day long.

 

I had a friend who's mom was really into low carb and she would only eat out at Burger King as they would make for her whatever she wanted. She would always order a grilled chicken with no bun and they always accomodated her.

 

You can always go to the different restaurant websites and look at their menus, then you can make a list of what options will work for you for each place and store it in your phone or whatever you use.

[amey311]

Yes - Jack in the Box does breakfast all day (they do their whole menu all day, so you can get a burger at 9am, or a breakfast burrito at 8pm). I'd check out the contents online and make yourself a little list to keep in the glove box. Then you'd know that you want to order the "ABC breakfast burrito, no potatoes" or whatever. If you do the legwork ahead of time, you can make lists and then know what to order.

 

I like that more and more places around here are doing actual brewed iced tea (rather than powder). That's a zero calorie, zero fake sugar drink :)

[Chocolate Rose]

Salad w/meat in it; soft taco, the flour tortilla is very small and you don't have to eat it all; flautas, it is rolled w/a tortilla, but stuffed w/meat and topped w/sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo; chicken enchilada, again, small tortilla, stuffed w/meat. You can order a la carte w/o rice and beans. You might be able to order a meat burrito wrapped in lettuce. It would be messy, though.

 

I was just commenting to my daughter earlier today that the Mexican-style fast food places would be out for me as everything involves some form of tortilla (which I can't have). But, I might be able to do it if I request them wrapping it in lettuce. Thanks for the suggestion. You're right though, it would be very messy.

[Chocolate Rose]

If you have a Carl's Jr nearby, they do a carb-less burger and I REALLY like it! They have also started doing turkey burgers and dh likes them a lot.

 

Another thought with breakfast items is that Jack In The Box does breakfast all day long.

 

I had a friend who's mom was really into low carb and she would only eat out at Burger King as they would make for her whatever she wanted. She would always order a grilled chicken with no bun and they always accomodated her.

 

You can always go to the different restaurant websites and look at their menus, then you can make a list of what options will work for you for each place and store it in your phone or whatever you use.

 

No Carl's Jr. either. I'm starting to feel really deprived. You all are mentioning places that I've never seen before.

 

I was able to do some searching and several restaurants have enough nutrition info online that I was able to make a list of items I could order as long as I requested slight changes to the food - no bun, or ketchup, etc. I was really surprised to find that salads were about double the carbs compared to other items even without dressing.

 

I'll have to go back and look at Burger Kings menu again. BK and Dairy Queen seemed the least low carb friendly of the other places I looked at.

 

Thanks, so much, to everyone who is offering helpful quick fast food restaurant suggestions. I know this is such a stupid thing, but I feel better knowing that I do have some choices and won't make some horrible choice.

[Chocolate Rose]

Yes - Jack in the Box does breakfast all day (they do their whole menu all day, so you can get a burger at 9am, or a breakfast burrito at 8pm). I'd check out the contents online and make yourself a little list to keep in the glove box. Then you'd know that you want to order the "ABC breakfast burrito, no potatoes" or whatever. If you do the legwork ahead of time, you can make lists and then know what to order.

 

I like that more and more places around here are doing actual brewed iced tea (rather than powder). That's a zero calorie, zero fake sugar drink :)

 

Thanks for the JITB suggestion.

 

I did exactly what you said and put together an excel spreadsheet with info from the places I could find that had nutritional info online. I put a copy in the car and a copy in my purse. I'm hoping to add to it when I have more time.

[amey311]

I wonder about the source of the carbs in the salad. Is there a chance it's from things like tomatoes?

 

I suppose it doesn't matter if you need to do low carb no matter what. DH does a food separating thing and we've had to read labels because sometimes something lists the grams of sugar in the nutrition facts, but it's not ADDED sugar, it's naturally occurring sugar. So, he can eat tomatoes, but not sweetened dressing.

[amey311]

If you have Chipotle (mexican chain) you can also get salads. Then you'd need to skip the rice and beans, but you could get double meat, sour cream and cheese (and possibly salsa depending on your personal restrictions). The Chipotle locations here, though, don't do drive thru. You'd have to go in.