Healthy National Chain Fast Food... any?

I have several friends who need to start eating more healthy but... like to get take out lunch at the fast food places sometimes. They asked me what they could try.

My only suggestion was the Wendy's Grilled Chicken Sandwich.

Anyone have some other suggestions???
Joe

McDonald's grilled chicken sandwich; hold the mayo.  Ask for hot sauce - they have it for the Breakfast Burritos.  Salads with lite dressing, and no cheese.

Subway - the whole lo-fat menu.  No mayo, no oil, no cheese.  Mustard and/or vinegar.  Pile on the veggies.

Maybe some of the Subway sandwiches:
http://www.subway.com/applications/NutritionInfo/nutritionlist.aspx?id=sandwich

If salt / sodium level is of any concern, you should probably avoid fast food burgers.   A small McDonald burger has 520 mg of salt and a Big Mac has 1040 mg.  1/4 pound of ground hamburger naturally only has about 80 mg.    For comparison, a small order of McDonalds fries has 160 mg & a large order has 350 mg. 

Nice tips Don!

6star... Nnice link! From looking at all that what makes it healthy?

Mj, good info. So I wonder how my fav.. a McDbl w/ no cheese stacks up? It probably has to much salt also?
Joe

Throw away the bottom bun. Eat the sandwich upside down.

Wendy's baked potato
Wendy's SMALL chili
Wendy's mandarin chicken salad

SD, good tip and... good tips. But... do you mix all 3 things? I do like tha tator topped w/ chili. I add jalapenos.

I saw that someone is offering a wheat bun. I can't remember who.

I try to eat as much wheat bread,  grain pasta, and brown rice, instead of tha white stuff, as I can.

I like a turkey hot dog on wheat but I see no FF place offering that. Not many of the hot dog guys here offer it ether.
Joe

and:
 http://www.jackinthebox.com/nutrition/healthy-choice.php

they participate in this:
 http://www.healthydiningfinder.com/

PapaJoe8


SD, good tip and... good tips. But... do you mix all 3 things? I do like tha tator topped w/ chili. I add jalapenos.

I saw that someone is offering a wheat bun. I can't remember who.

I try to eat as much wheat bread,  grain pasta, and brown rice, instead of tha white stuff, as I can.

I like a turkey hot dog on wheat but I see no FF place offering that. Not many of the hot dog guys here offer it ether.
Joe

haha, no, I don't mix them, but you can. I cannot stop you.   Wendy's does have a salad with their chili on it, the taco salad, but the dressing, chips & cheese push it into the unhealthy zone. They used to have a spinach salad that you could get w/o the chicken, but they stopped making it. *sniffs*
 
Chick Fil A has a wheat bun. I do not recommend it because it's a honey wheat, and makes it a different tasting sandwich than what I was expecting.

Bill,
Thanks for the healthly dining link.  It gave a few indeas for lunch already.

Many of the FF places have salads, just get a low-fat dressing and don't choose fried chicken on top.  If it's a huge concern, skip the cheese (but it's not like they give you a lot of cheese anyway).

Subway as suggested, with their 9-grain wheat bread and making good topping/dressing choices.

Taco Bell actually advertises a "diet" menu, but I've not checked it out to see how good it is.

Many places are also offering kids' meals with alternatives to fries, which if you ask can be ordered with an adult meal as well.  Apple slices, applesauce, carrot sticks, etc.

Thnks Bill... nice links.  JITB has a smart menu I think. I didn't look at everything but I did not see a wheat bun.

The healthy diner thing is neat!
Joe

Whoa!  Careful with your choices at  http://www.healthydiningfinder.com/  I put in my zip code, and the first item to come up was an Arby's regular roast beef sandwich.  


Check out the sodium content.  That is almost 40% of the daily value in one sandwich.  Have one of these everyday and you will go to the morgue pre-embalmed.

REGULAR ROAST BEEF SANDWICH Our classic sandwich has Arbys thinly sliced, oven-roasted beef piled high inside a toasted sesame seed bun.

Calories Fat Sat Fat Cholest Sodium Carbs Fiber Sugars Protein Fruit/Veg 320 14 g 5 g 44 mg Sodium  953 mg 34 g 1 g 5 g 20 g 0 cups 

SUPER ROAST BEEF SANDWICH The ultimate sandwich that combines our oven-roasted beef with green leaf lettuce and ripe tomatoes, all topped with a zesty red sauce on a toasty sesame seed bun. Available at participating locations.

Calories Fat Sat Fat Cholest Sodium Carbs Fiber Sugars Protein Fruit/Veg 398 19 g 6 g 44 mg Sodium1061 mg 40 g 1 g 10 g 20 g 0.25 cups

Here are the other recommendations.




Restaurants Near You: Cuisines Items Sample Item   Arby's ®
309 Highway 315
Pittston, PA
Map It
Deli/Sandwiches
Other
Quick Serve
2
Regular Roast Beef Sandwich
Calories: 320 
Fat: 14 g
  McDonald’s USA, LLC
306 RT 315 
PITTSTON , PA
Map It
Quick Serve
15
Ranch Snack Wrap®, Grilled
Calories: 270 
Fat: 10 g
  Perkins Restaurant & Bakery
304 Route 315
Pittston, PA
Map It
American/Family
6
BLT Chicken Breast Salad - SPECIAL REQUEST
Calories: 365 
Fat: 15 g
  Domino's Pizza®
49 Broad St Ste 1
Pittston, PA
Map It
Pizza
4
12” Medium Classic Hand Tossed Crust, Sauce, Cheese, 2-3 Veggie Toppings
Calories: 440 
Fat: 18 g
  Damon's Grill
28 Concorde Dr.
Avoca, PA
Map It
American/Family
Sports Bars/Pubs
Steakhouse
8
Aloha Chicken
Calories: 520 
Fat: 12 g
  Quiznos
1058 Wyoming Ave Ste 15
Wyoming, PA
Map It
Chicken
Deli/Sandwiches
Fast Food
Quick Serve
10
Baja Chicken Sub
Calories: 480 
Fat: 23 g
  Panera Bread
1151 Shoppes Boulevard
Moosic, PA
Map It
Bagel Shop
Bakery
Breakfast/Brunch
Café/Coffee House
Deli/Sandwiches
Soup/Salad
10
Asian Sesame Chicken Hand-Tossed Salad
Calories: 410 
Fat: 19 g
  Chili's
375 Wyoming Valley Mall
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Map It
American/Family
Mexican/Southwest
Other
Sports Bars/Pubs
17
Guiltless Grill Caribbean Salad
Calories: 480 
Fat: 24 g
  Peking Chef
29 Wyoming Valley Mall
Wilkes Barre, PA
Map It
Chinese
7
Chinese Steamed Haddock
Calories: 580 
Fat: 18 g
  Cracker Barrel Old Country Store®
2320 Highland Park Blvd
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Map It
American/Family
13
Breakfast: Oatmeal with Banana Topping
Calories: 280 
Fat: 4.5 g
  Super Suppers
1110 Commerce Blvd
Dickson City, PA
Map It
American/Family
Chicken
Other
Quick Serve
12
Dill Sautéed Salmon with Dijon Mustard Seed Sauce
Calories: 300 
Fat: 12 g
  Moe’s Southwest Grill
929 South State Street
Clarks Summit, PA
Map It
Mexican/Southwest
12
Burrito: Art Vandalay - No cheese
Calories: 630 
Fat: 18 g
 

Not a winner in the bunch.  PapaJoe8, Find a local Roadfood type place the uses fresh fruits, vegetables, breads and meats.  It may take some lookin, but I think it would be worth it.

In my travels, I have often found myself hungry with no time to waste and nothing but fast food between me and my destination.  In those cases, I go to Subway and get a sub stuffed with all their veggies.  If the store is clean, and has good turnover, chances are you can get some decently fresh vegetables.  Get the bread toasted, it's more palatable that way.  Skip all the meats and cheeses, and be careful of the condiments- some of them are packed with fat, salt, sugar, or all three.  The honey-mustard is passable.  Watch out for the pickles and peppers too, they're packed with salt.  Also, if you're really watching what you eat, most of the breads have hidden sugar and salt.  I go for the plain whole wheat, it's the least offensive.   Usually, it's filling enough to get me on my way.

Joe, thanks for all the research! A roadfood place was the first advice I gave my friends but they are often looking for something real fast.

Pig, a vegie sub is a good idea but my friends are mostly meat eaters. Maybe some of their new chicken subs would not be so bad? And yes, the whole wheat bread sounds best.

I think it's MickyD's that has a whole wheat bun that comes with some things. I looked at Wendy's and could not find one.

Sooo, who offers the whole wheat bun option? It's gotta be better for you that a white bun.
Joe

I'll echo subway,pick a sandwich and pile on all the veggies they offer...you get a thick veggie sub...and so little coldcuts, it really doesn't matter....and the veggie sandwich with some vinegar on it is quite tasty!!!

SD, LOL, I think I will only mix tha chili and tha tator. Hmm, maybe tha chick salad would be good on tha tator? Hmm? But... not all 3 for me.

Subway has that oven roasted chicked breast stuff. Maybe that would be a healthy kinda meat? And... with lotsa veggies a not so bad for you fast food?

Lee, I like tha vinegar also. And, so little meat and lotsa veggies might not be so bad.

I'm still in search of a burger, or grilled chicked sandwich, on whole wheat though.
Joe

Edit; Subway has a kinda neat menu / nutrition page with links to related subjects.

PapaJoe8

Sooo, who offers the whole wheat bun option? It's gotta be better for you that a white bun.
Joe

CHICK FIL A

I always seem to lose weight the day I go to Chipotle.  It seems like I wouldn't since the burrito is so big, but I get the bowl.  I think was does it is the quality of food that they serve and not so much the quantity.  Chipotle's meats are grass fed all natural beef and chicken is cage free.  Their ingredients are natural like for example the sour cream is rBGH free, which basically means hormone free.

Isn't there a chain in Florida called Healthy Tomato that  serves salads, etc? 
Anyway,  thanks for the tips on Subway.  I avoid chains when I travel but an occasional veggie sub might get me thru some dry patches during a day.

This link is to the best resoruce I have found for dining out at chains:

http://www.dottisweightlosszone.com/restaurants.html

The info is given in weight watchers points but it also supplies the numbers (calories, etc) that go into the calculation. 

carlton pierre


Isn't there a chain in Florida called Healthy Tomato that  serves salads, etc? 
Anyway,  thanks for the tips on Subway.  I avoid chains when I travel but an occasional veggie sub might get me thru some dry patches during a day.

I think it is Sweet Tomatoes to which you refer.
 
http://www.souplantation.com/
 
 

Hey, there are two of those Sweet Tomatoes in the DFW area. I wonder how tha 3 bean turkey chili is? Some other stuff there sounds good. I also wonder what kinda pasta the use for their pasta dishes?

Hatter, that Dotti's site is kinda neat. It does not seam to list the sodium though. My Windy's grilled chicken gets a 7.5 there. Not so bad. But I saw somewhere a 1,000 mg of sodium for the grilled chicken. Hmm?

Intel, the bowl trick for Chapotle might work.
Joe

MiamiDon

carlton pierre


Isn't there a chain in Florida called Healthy Tomato that  serves salads, etc? 
Anyway,  thanks for the tips on Subway.  I avoid chains when I travel but an occasional veggie sub might get me thru some dry patches during a day.

I think it is Sweet Tomatoes to which you refer.
 
http://www.souplantation.com/
 
 

There ya go, that's the ticket!

Sooo who has eaten at tha Sweet Tomatoes? And... what's good?

Another question; How unhealthy is cheese? And... should it be avoided at the fast food places?
Joe

The problem with Sweet Tomatoes is that they are buffets.  So they include soups, potatoes, pasta, breads, pizza, brownies, and ice cream.  I suppose if I had willpower they would be O.K.  

Ahh, I did not realize that Sweet Tomatoes was a buffet. I wonder if they have a whole wheat pasta?
Joe

PapaJoe8


Ahh, I did not realize that Sweet Tomatoes was a buffet. I wonder if they have a whole wheat pasta?
Joe

We eat  at a Sweet Tomatoes maybe once or twice a year. I don't remember seeing any whole wheat pasta but then I stay away from that anyway and just stick to the salad items.

Sweet Tomatoes have 3 locations in the DFW area: Addison, Arlington & Irving.  If you click on one of the locations, you can get today's menu for that location and future menus (for the rest of this month).

http://www.souplantation.com/locations/

Thanks 6star! I saw 2 earlier at the web site but missed the 3rd. Addison is close to where one of my friends works. They do vary the menu somewhat. They have Pasole today!

SD, so what's healthy at Chic Fil A ???
Joe