Healthy Options For Fast Food

 

These healthy options for fast food will help you make better choices when the kids are screaming that they want to go through the drive-through!

This post contains affiliate links. 

Healthy Options For Fast Food

If you are the parent of a young child who is old enough to “express themselves”, I think you can relate to my latest dilemma -the recurring battle I seem to be having with my little guy about fast food. Lately, the most dreaded words I can hear coming out of Branden’s mouth are “I want McDonald’s!” Eeekkk!! It’s hard enough dealing with the daily food temptations that are in my kitchen or in the grocery store aisles, without making myself vulnerable to calorie-laden fast food!  As soon as those dreaded words leave Branden’s lips, it starts. But first, follow these 5 not so obvious foods to avoid eating.

The Drive-Through War, that is. This is the war that takes place inside of me between my stomach and my mind. Once these words are spoken, I know that nothing I could cook for Branden at home will satisfy his fast food craving (he takes after his Daddy!) and that, instead, I am going to have to deal with my worst eating nightmare…being stuck at a fast food restaurant during…Da..Da…Dahhh…Meal Time. (If you’re looking to practice mindful eating when choosing foods, you’ll love this post.)

I do know many of my own strengths and my weaknesses, but the temptations at a fast food joint bring out the worst in me. Whenever it is near meal time, with my stomach growling and my guard down,  EVERYTHING on any menu seems like a great choice for satisfying hunger! The truth is, once I am really hungry, my will power is tested to the max! My mind says, “Don’t you dare do it!” while my stomach says, “Feed me! Feed me!”  No wonder I get anxious every time I accompany my happy toddler through the door of a fast-food restaurant! What’s a Mama to do? So instead, I try to follow these best practices with healthy options for fast food.

Tips for choosing healthy options for fast food

In order to overcome this waistline compromising situation, I have compiled a list of some of the tips that I use whenever choosing healthy options for fast food.

1. Overall,  I try to select menu items that are the healthiest, the leanest, and/or the lowest in caloric content. After scouring all nutrition information for many different well known fast food restaurants, I found that the world of fast food isn’t quite as scary as I thought. There are some delightful (or at least acceptable) options that will stop the war between our stomachs and our minds.

2. Always choose water over any other type of drink, and sip frequently. This helps my stomach feel more satisfied. (Here’s our favorite water filters for at home, that you can take on the go, too!)

3. Cut what you order in half, then order a side salad (because we all know that half of what we order is not going to fill our bellies).

4. Whenever possible, choose to take the food “to go” and eat it at home so that you can make healthy alterations to the food. Examples: substitute your own salad dressing, avoid re-fills, seconds, or desert, add fresh vegetables to your burger…etc…

5. If you must eat at the restaurant, there is also the old rule that goes:  Order what sounds good to you at the time, and immediately ask for a take-out container.  Then cut the serving in two and eat only one half of it, while setting the remainder aside to take home for later.

6. Some parents simply choose to not order anything at all and simply eat the leftovers their kids leave. But that can lead to trouble, too.  If you have waited too long to eat,  you can end up eating even more than if you ordered wisely, especially since what is usually leftover is FRIES! If you absolutely can’t find a suitable eating option, bring something with you. Typically, no one is monitoring if customers are bringing in outside food.

Looking for more healthy options? Here’s some great ones:

• My Favorite Detox Drink – So Easy To Make
• Maintaining a Healthy Diet and Fitness Routine
• Easy Southwest Style Kale Salad
• Bom Bom Run: A Health Twist on Your Favorite Adult Beverage
• Hydration on The Go With ZeroWater
• Healthy Snack Ideas For Weight Loss

I hope that this helps all the mommies out there to deal with the Drive-Through War. Hopefully these healthy options for fast food will help you make the best choice for you whenever your kidos get handgry! If you have a tip that you would like to share, please leave a comment below!  Happy Meals, Mamas, or should I say, Happy Mealtime!?

Fashionably Yours,

Allison