When Fast Food is Your Only Option

August 12, 2019

When we travel, our weekly Whole Foods or even farmer’s market run is not an option -- and the restaurant choices are often less than ideal.  While we may have meant to pack a cooler full of healthy options to eat during the trip, sometimes things just don't work out as planned.  So how do you maintain a healthy diet when all you see are fast food chains and convenience stores on the road?
 
Don’t fret.  Believe it or not, there are some healthier choices to be found in some of the quickie food restaurants and stores.
 
McDonald’s:  their Bacon Ranch or Southwest Grilled Chicken Salads are the best options.  Craving a burger instead?  Just ask for no bun – they’ll serve it to you on a bed of lettuce so you can make your own lettuce wrap.  You can do the same thing with a breakfast sandwich – a little egg and sausage patty can actually be quite filling since they contain a decent amount of protein.  If you’re thirsty, skip the soda and get an iced (or hot) coffee or a water to drink.
 
Taco Bell:  I would recommend the Power Menu Bowls here, as they contain a decent amount of veggies, along with chicken or steak, black beans, rice and guacamole.  Steer clear of the tacos – although the hard tacos are made from corn and are technically gluten-free, the ground beef in them actually contains wheat (in the seasoning).
 
Chick-fil-A:  the Spicy Southwest Salad or the Market Salad are your best options here.  The granola on the Market Salad is gluten-free and several of their salad dressings are dairy-free (even the Creamy Salsa Dressing, funnily enough).  Chick-fil-A does offer gluten-free buns for their sandwiches so you could also do a grilled chicken sandwich if you don’t have celiac disease (no fast food restaurants are really safe for anyone with celiac disease).
 
Subway:  Subway has a bunch of decent salads and many locations offer gluten-free rolls for their sandwiches (which are also dairy-free).  Their veggie patty does contain gluten and dairy, however, so stick with meat on your sandwich or salad if you want protein.
 
Convenience Stores (like a Mobil Mart):  these stores often have fresh fruit (apples or bananas, typically), chopped carrots or celery, hard-boiled eggs, cheese and pre-made salads.  Other easy options include bags of nuts, protein bars and sunflower seeds.  Get a piece of fresh fruit AND some nuts or eggs for a nice mix of macronutrients!
 
Of course it’s always best (for you and your wallet) to pack a bag or cooler full of your own food before leaving for a trip, but when that doesn’t happen, there are often healthy-ish things to be found out there – it may take a little more time and effort to find those things, but it’s worth it.