Fast Food & Carbs

[mmm9986]

I find myself out during the lunch hours. I know it's important not to go any longer than 6 hours, so I stop to grab lunch at a salad bar or look for a very low carb fast food option. I went online the other day to see exactly how many carbs the franchise says their products contain, not just my break down of what was in the salad. I've been calculating the total carbs to be 5-6 with dressing. I've noticed that online the salads with grilled chicken from mcdonalds, wendys etc are between 10-12 carbs, without the dressings. They account for the salad mix to be 6 or 7 carbs, that's without carrots or tomatoes. I'm really confused about where all of theses carbs are coming from. Any insight would help!

[chels4144]

Re: Fast Food & Carbs

I got a chicken BLT salad from Wendy's today with Ranch dressing instead of the regular honey dijon that it comes with. I checked on their website and it shows it to be about 10 carbs after subtracting the dietary fiber. There is a customize tool on it that you can change the order (for instance changing the homestyle chicken to grilled). I noticed that even the grilled chicken had one carb. I don't know why they always seem to have to sneak carbs into everything. The ranch dressing was also about 3 carbs which was kind of high but I was out and that was the best choice possible. I think maybe its just the sheer volume of some of those salads that makes it high in carbs, there is a lot of veggies in them. I didn't even finish mine!

[mizski]

Re: Fast Food & Carbs

I've noticed that online the salads with grilled chicken from mcdonalds, wendys etc are between 10-12 carbs, without the dressings. They account for the salad mix to be 6 or 7 carbs, that's without carrots or tomatoes. I'm really confused about where all of theses carbs are coming from. Any insight would help!

Are those net carbs? At McDonalds, the salad mix is 6g carbs - 3g fiber = 3g net carbs. Judging from the high Vitamin A content of the salad mix my guess is that the 3g sugar is from the carrots. So the net gram count would be very low if you picked those carrots out (which you should do anyways until in the upper rungs). HTH

[mmm9986]

Re: Fast Food & Carbs

Your right! I looked over the fiber bc I was so shocked with the number of carbs. I need to be more careful. Thanks a lot!

[liv]

Re: Fast Food & Carbs

If you are going to eat salads at fast food places (and why not) bring your own dressing. The dressings they have at most places are very sugary and carby.

An atkineer's purse should contain a few boiled eggs, some jerky, pepperoni, cheese strings and dressing. Essential equipment.

[IrishIrish]

Re: Fast Food & Carbs

Food, Nutrition, & Fitness

This website is one of those that you can "build" your own salad and see the ingredients to know where the carbs come from. Doing this before presented with a fast food menu is best rather than standing at the counter or sitting in the drive through trying to make up you mind.

FYI

[kellyf48]

Re: Fast Food & Carbs

Also the chicken in the salads have sugar most places. I'm pretty sure mcdonalds does.

[Grant]

Re: Fast Food & Carbs

Also the chicken in the salads have sugar most places. I'm pretty sure mcdonalds does.

McDonalds does. I've never found a fast food restaurant with "safe" chicken. That and the insanely high sugar dressings are probably the biggest fast food related traps that Atkineers, who think they are on plan, fall into.

From what I can tell the only safe options are a bunless burger (every place I know of uses 100% beef) with mustard only, or a salad, no meat, bring your own dressing.

[Strmtrper6]

Re: Fast Food & Carbs

I just stick with the burger minus bun. I love that Arby's has 5 for 5 again. a buck isn't bad for 3 ounces of meat when your options are limited.