Fast Food - Need a Nutrition Nerd to take a look
 

I’ve been eating more fast food out lately then what I like. I have been hung up on the below meals and was wondering if they are healthy alternatives or if I am fooling myself.

Wendy’s – side salad and large chili. I had heard one time that the chili at Wendy’s is supposed to be healthy but I don’t know if that is fact or fiction.

Taco Bell – I have two options here. First, I order 3 chicken soft tacos but I throw away the tortilla on one of them and put the insides on the other two tacos. Second option, Two chicken soft tacos and 1 bean burrito. Again, I throw away the tortilla on one of the chicken soft tacos and put the insides on the bean burrito.

Arby’s – I get the 5 for 5 deal. Each sandwhich has 3 ounces of roast beef. So I take two of the sandwiches and empty the contents onto the other three, thus making three meals with 5 ounces of roast beef. Then I like to add a fruit or vegetable with each sandwich, usually a serving of raw brocolli.

I think all their websites publish the detailed nutritional information for all their products. There are also independent watchdog/nutrition sites that breakdown the nutritional facts for a lot of popular restaurants.

If you want to get down to things like quality of food, additives, preservatives and the like, then you're going to have little in the way of options most places. But, all considering, I'd say if you check the macros and they're about what you hope then you're probably good to go as long as it's not like 50% of your diet.

Then again, I hear that if you eat Zone ratios, you can eat anything you want and still be superhuman. :p

What would I get, you didn't ask?...
In 'N Out. Double-double, protein style, animal style.

Next option would be a steak + egg + cheese burrito from one of the "taco shops" that are on nearly every corner around here. Mucho protein for a good price.

Taco Bell is just plain garbage, IMO. I feel like hell after I eat anything there.

The Wendy's choices are probably your best bet of what you listed above.

I don't think they have In N Out in Texas.

Everything but Subway and Panda Express make me feel like crap.

I was on a Subway kick for a while. I have to do one of two things at subway. Either order a footlong and take all the toppings from half of it and put on the other half, then throw away the extra bread. Or my second option, order a double meat 6". Both of these options tend to put me over my $5/meal fast food budget. The $5 footlong would be a good deal but they don't have any of the clean meats (i.e. Turkey or Roast Beef) for this special. It's usually like some cold cut combo with bologna or there version of a chicken breast which I am skeptical of.

I also did the research on my Wendy's food and realized to get it to a 5 block zone meal, I need to be eating two small chili's ($.99/each) and a side salad. However, the sodium count on this is through the roof. I don't know what detrimental effects sodium has though...

I didn't know you were Zoning.

I don't take it to an extreme. I try to eat clean and have at least 20-30 grams of quality protien with every meal. I like to eat 3 meals and 2 snacks per day. Eating clean for me basically means not binging on cookies and cake and choosing healthy alternatives, like the chili at wendy's as opposed to the double 1/2 cheeseburger and fries.

You might just ask the folks at Wendy's how much a burger patty costs, or get a couple of the dollar menu burgers on lettuce (or put the meat from two on one bun).

If you don't overdo the sodium the rest of your day, I don't think you need to worry about it when you do fast food on occasion. Your best bet will be to reduce the amount of fast food in your diet (but you already know that).

If you are trying to eat clean(er) and be convenient, what about the good old Zone combo of deli meat + fruit + nuts?

Patty's yes.
2 burger kings whopper patties, and then source some more fat - walnuts or avocado etc even if you need to take it from home. Ive had this combo at many an airport when im in a hurry.

In a pinch....get some meat, toss the bread, use a fork, take extra multivitamin/fish oil just in case, get on with your day.

I wouldn't bother with any fast food salads...they probably have as much nutrition as the napkins....may be easier to eat those instead.