Eating Healthy at McDonalds
Today I had the ultimate test in will power…we went to McDonalds to eat lunch after a day of shopping in town. My normal meal of choice is a double quarter pounder with cheese (plain) and a medium fry. I saw the salads on the menu and I reluctantly ordered a caesar salad.
Double quarter pounder with a medium fry: 1,120 calories
Caesar salad with grilled chicken: ~300 calories (I used a little bit of dressing to dip into)
That is a huge difference in calories. However, it was a tasty salad and I was quite surprised. It wasn’t as bad as I thought, but I still miss the double quarter. It had a taste to it that I loved and thinking about that seasoned burger makes my mouth water.
I wasn’t entirely a good girl, though. I snuck 5 french fries from my husband and son. I had a brief thought of going back up to the counter and ordering my own small fry but I didn’t. I lived with the urge and by the time I was done with my salad the urge was no longer there.
My husband still ordered his normal meal and after we got home I tallied up the calories that he ate (1,700). We both decided it was best to try to stay away from McDonalds and if we have to go somewhere to eat while shopping we will head to Subway. It will be better for the entire family’s health.
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Comments
Ah, yes, the fast food problem. I quit going, too. However, when I very infrequently get it for my kids (when we’re on the run), I eat a fry or two. I’ve found that if I let myself have a very little bit of the thing that sounds so good, it satisfies me. The only thing that doesn’t work with is sugar. If I have a little, I start to get crazy, so I avoid it.
My darling daughter is making dinner for us tonight, and I’m going to stay on program, even so. I’ll have chicken, salad and veggies, and skip the pasta. I don’t feel deprived when I’m eating what everyone else is eating, just in moderation.
You’re doing so great, Tricia! Keep it up. I’ll see you on the OTHER side of 200 (just made it myself!!!) 
You don’t need to avoid fast food restaurants all together. Grilled chicken sandwiches are available at most of them and as long as you ask for no mayo, it can be pretty healthy.
At McDonald’s I try to balance money and health and I usually err on the side of the double cheeseburger for $1. The key is that it’s all I get for the meal. It’s not the healthiest meal, but all things in moderation.
Why go to a fast food joint in the first place? Why tempt yourself. If you tempt yourself, you’ll always have that “feeling” of wanting to eat something bad. It’s for this reason we never buy anything at the grocery store that is bad because then it doesn’t tempt us at home. Also, not going out to a FF joint saves you money that can be put towards debt!
I haven’t eaten at McDonalds for 5 or 6 years. When I was in high school, I went through a spate of over a dozen trips to McDonalds where I got something green that wasn’t supposed to be (a fry, a nugget, etc). The only time I ate there was when it was the only option when travelling with the cross country or track team. I didn’t like the food, and now that I’m on my own it doesn’t like my budget.
I may be lucky where I live, but if I am going to get fast food I will only stop at a deli and have them make me a sandwich. The food tastes better, tends to cost less, and is healthier for you. Generally speaking, though, I avoid eating out as much as possible.
It’s very true that we could avoid fast food altogether. The days that we end up going to McDonalds are the days we go to town and shop for quite a few hours (Walmart, the thrift stores). Usually, that happens every two to three weeks. It is an outing for us and we have a meal when we go.
Closer to home eating out is what we have REALLY cut back on. We have a BK not too far away and we haven’t eaten there in over 2 months. Before that it was more like once/week. We have a Subway, too, and we eat there about once a month usually when we plan to go on a picnic last minute.
All in all, I think the key is moderation.
Claire - congrats on the weight loss!
We stopped eating fast food all together - the most we’ll do is chicken from Chick Fil A (a regional thing I’m sure), and even then only because more of their menu is available to me on the plan I’m following.