fast food fishing

[Georgiana]

Re: fast food fishing

Hey, I'm the newbie here.

I wanted to make sure, before replying about the "Atkins-friendliness" of that meal, that it is it you are talking about.

Hope this post not viewed as inappropriate.

Nope, it isn't.

I don't care for the trans fats

Don't you care that they increase your risk of CHD, among other things?

given choices in the marketplace, think this is a pretty smart choice.

Ummm... a smart choice would be buying whole, unprocessed/minimally-processed foods and cooking your own meals. Cheaper, too!

overall the carbs are very reasonable IMO.

Atkins is also about eating the right foods, not only about eating X net carbs.

Curious what specific contents people consider not Atkins friendly?

In the chicken: sugar, whey, maltodextrin, dextrose, partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oils, nonfat dry milk, wheat.

In dressings: fructose, corn starch, corn syrup, whey, sugar, buttermilk.

In the salad: carrots (they are fine on Atkins, but they are not an Induction vegetable).

12 carbs for salad

The whole salad actually has 9 net carbs. It's net carbs one counts on Atkins. Net carbs = total carbs - dietary fiber.

6 of these are coming from vegetables.

2 are coming from chicken (assuming you have only one serving of chicken).

1 is coming from cheese.

On top of these 9 net carbs, there are 4 net carbs from dressing. This means the whole thing has 13 net carbs.

Now, if you order the salad with two servings of chicken, then it will have 15 net carbs. 6 of these net carbs are coming from vegetables (one of which is not even an Induction vegetable). The rest (9) are coming from other stuff.

Most (more than half) of your daily net carbs should come from vegetables. And you're limited to 20.

[Georgiana]

Re: fast food fishing

corn vinegar

Does this stuff normally have sugar added?

[atkinsgal08]

Re: fast food fishing

Corn vinegar?

Beats me if it has sugar added ... I've never seen it at the grocery store, so I figured it was one of those pesky food additives.

Corn isn't an Induction food.

I did find one source:

"Corn sugar vinegar is a result of the alcoholic and subsequent acetous fermentation of corn sugar. It has a smooth, mild flavor and is a distinctive amber color."

and "White vinegar can be made from any fruit, or any material containing sugar, including and especially corn."

It might not be the deal-breaker in the salad dressings/chicken ... put all those nasty ingredients together and ... it's not Atkins friendly, imho!

[farmwife]

Re: fast food fishing

Subway has a salad option for $5. I tried that today and I got an extra chicken breast for $1.50. I also got the italian dressing which has 4 carbs, I think. So I just used half the pack.

It was awesome and so filling. Now I know where to get fast food!

[Georgiana]

Re: fast food fishing

Corn isn't an Induction food.

Corn as such, true.

Not sure about corn vinegar though. I guess it's fine unless it has stuff added to it. I know cane vinegar sometimes has caramel added (for color, maybe?).

put all those nasty ingredients together and ... it's not Atkins friendly, imho!

Trans fats, corn syrup and dry nonfat milk... I wouldn't have these even if I was not following Atkins!

[atkinsgal08]

Re: fast food fishing

>>Subway has a salad option for $5.>>

Subway is the worst!

Check out the ingredients in their food:

Official SUBWAY Restaurants U.S. PRODUCT INGREDIENTS GUIDE

[Suzanne_H]

Re: fast food fishing

>>Subway has a salad option for $5.>>

Subway is the worst!

Check out the ingredients in their food:

Official SUBWAY Restaurants U.S. PRODUCT INGREDIENTS GUIDE

ohhhhhhhhhhhh nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Now see I thought surely Subway, good ole' Subway (you know with JARED THE SUPER WEIGHT LOSS KING, right???) would be eatin' FRESH and just so good for me... Not one meat listed there is without its share of sugars and starches. pfffffffffffft

This is TERRIBLE!!! LOL No but seriously is there ANY restaurant I can hit when out and about shopping or doing errands or will I forever and ever have to rely on the minifridge in my purse???

[atkinsgal08]

Re: fast food fishing

>>is there ANY restaurant I can hit when out and about shopping or doing errands>>

Well, there's a couple of questions that come to mind ... do you really need to eat when you're out? I know that sometimes we do ... but sometimes we don't.

I think we have to aware of what's in fast food ... and even other restaurants, to the best that we can. I still eat out ... I'm just fussier about what exactly I eat. I know it's not as "clean" as what I make at home ...

We do have to learn to incorporate the principles of Atkins in "outside" eating ... even if what we eat outside our homes isn't perfect.

Sometimes the best we can do is to make the best choice possible.

[fetch]

Re: fast food fishing

If you have to eat out, my opinion is it is far and away better if you choose the "mom & pop" restaurants versus any type of chain restaurant/chain fast food restaurant. Chain restaurants have a priority of product uniformity and the food tasting the same regardless of what store and what location you visit. As a result, you get the highly over-processed foods - as you've pointed out now multiple times in the discussion, even something as benign as a "plain chicken breast" is loaded with crap. Local independently owned and operated restaurants, if you learn it's okay and your right to hash out the menu and food sources with the restaurant before deciding whether to patronize them or not, on average tend to use more unadulterated foods and thus more like what you would cook at home.

[bjp999]

Re: fast food fishing

Wow!

Okay - let me start with making sure I was clear about trans fats. I said I don't care FOR trans fats. Not that I don't care ABOUT trans fats. I try to be careful to not eat trans fats.

But this salad contains 0g of trans fats. And so does the salad dressing. There is a tiny bit in the there based on the ingredient list - but obviously less than a 1 g. I have a hard time getting too worked up about that. Atkins also doesn't discriminate about the fats he recommended.

The chicken ingredients says it may contain wheat from touching fried chicken. If someone had a severe wheat alergy I could understand not wanting to eat chicken that has come in contact with wheat, but for Atkins, the few crumbs we're talking about are nothing.

As for the water in the chicken - so what? I've seen similar things on chicken labels in the grocery. Water may improve profits by raising the weight, but not bad for you and certainly not anti-Atkins.

But the chicken does contain salt. Salt is bad for people with high blood pressure, so those in this category should look elsewhere. It also contains MSG. Some people (including me) have bad reactions to food with lots of MSG. But the amount of MSG in this salad has never triggered an MSG reaction for me. YMMV

The sugars in the salad add up to 5 grams (salad 4, chicken 1) and the dressing 2g. This may be high if you are following induction strictly, depending on your other food choices. The dry milk likely also contains some sugar that is part of the sugar numbers. But this is not like drinking a cup of milk - it is clearly only a very small amount included. I wouldn't abandon this choice based on what might be no more than a pinch of dry milk.

Interestingly, the side salad contains 2g of sugar. If sugar is completely bad, perhaps this is too much? If not, than maybe 7g isn't too much for an entire meal either.

Not trying to beat this into submission, but the key to success with Atkins is staying on it. Staying on it depends on the ability to pick good choices in a variety of situations. I know that many people on low carb diets, especially those taking their first steps, don't like to draw attention to themselves. Ordering a bunless hamburger - to some - would attract unwanted attention. Also a bunless hamburger on a plain salad is - well - not very appealing. Being able to order something on the menu from a fast food restaurent that is tasty, filling, and low-carb is important to them. Characterizing this salad as "not Atkins friendly" just doesn't make sense to me.

I ate these salads once, sometime twice a week over a period of months and lost over 40 lbs and got to my goal weight. It is not a magic bullet - but one of a number of healthIER choices I made that helped me. Although McDonalds has not been a frequent choice recently, I eat many Caesar and sometimes Greek salads with grilled chicken from a variety of restaurants and find them very satisfying and feel they help me stay on Atkins. With them I almost always can find something good to eat wherever I go!

Sorry for the long post. Good luck to everyone in achieving their own goals!

[atkinsgal08]

Re: fast food fishing

>> As for the water in the chicken - so what?>>

Why should anyone pay $$ for water? If I don't buy chicken filled with water at the grocery store, why would I do it at McDonald's?

>> But this salad contains 0g of trans fats. And so does the salad dressing.>>

That's not true. They're in the list of ingredients.

>>This may be high if you are following induction strictly>>

You didn't, I take it.

>>got to my goal weight.>>

And that's where you are now, right?

I guess what "troubled" me was that you didn't see anything in the list of ingredients for either the chicken or the salad dressing that made these items not particularly Atkins friendly.

One thing that Atkins has taught ME is to pay attention to quality.

I don't think these are "quality" items ... though there are certainly rare times when they may be the best choice available.

I'd still take a burger though.

>>Ordering a bunless hamburger - to some - would attract unwanted attention. >>

From whom? Who cares what I order or eat??

>>lso a bunless hamburger on a plain salad is - well - not very appealing. >>

You don't "have to" put it on the salad, though I read many people do. They don't seem to be bothered by it.

>>maybe 7g isn't too much for an entire meal either.>>

7 grams of sugar in one meal??? And you think that's not "too much"? Perhaps not on maintenance or well along the OWL ladder, but you have to think that it's a "bit much" on Induction.

[Georgiana]

Re: fast food fishing

Atkins also doesn't discriminate about the fats he recommended.

He does, if you read DANDR 2002.

From Chapter 11:

"Do not cook polyunsaturated oils, such as corn, soybean and sunflower oil, at high temperatures or allow to brown or smoke.

Butter is allowed. Margarine should be avoided, not because of its carbohydrate content, but because it is usually made of trans fats (hydrogenated oils), which are a serious health hazard."

Also from Chapter 11:

"For the first few weeks, I want you to be unafraid of natural fat (butter, cream, cheese, olive oil and the fat in meats, poultry and fish), but remember to stay away from those evil trans fats, which are labeled as hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated fats."

From Chapter 18:

"Consume no hydrogenated oil or other trans fats -- including margarine."

The sugars in the salad add up to 5 grams (salad 4, chicken 1) and the dressing 2g.

We don't count grams of sugar on Atkins. We count net carbs.

[bjp999]

Re: fast food fishing

>>got to my goal weight.>>
And that's where you are now, right?

I'm really surprised to get a mean-spirited comment like that in this type of forum. I'm very new here and trying to contribute. You may not agree with me, but I've been respectful in my posts. I am surprised that a moderator would not comment.

The answer to your question is no, I am not at my goal weight. But I am close. I have lost about 30 lbs, and my Dr. is happy with where I am. But I'd like to lose another 8-10 lbs.

I've also been on Atkins for 7 years, lost my weight, maintained my weight loss for 5 years, seen myself gain most of my weight back, and then arrested the gains and am now close to my goal again. I came here with a specific question about LDL, got 2 very good replies, and thought I might contribute and share some of my experiences with this community - and learn from others here. I'm now feeling that some in this community have a rather closed view and are not interested in others opinions or experiences.

I guess what "troubled" me was that you didn't see anything in the list of ingredients for either the chicken or the salad dressing that made these items not particularly Atkins friendly.

One thing that Atkins has taught ME is to pay attention to quality.

I don't think these are "quality" items ... though there are certainly rare times when they may be the best choice available.

I think it is a good choice in the marketplace for Atkins dieters. Perfect no. Good, yes (IMO).

"Quality" is a very difficult measure. Many would argue that bacon and eggs is a poor quality choice.

I'd still take a burger though.

Good for you. A solid Atkins choice. Personally I am pretty picky about my beef. I tend to buy from a quality butcher and cook my own. Not an Atkins issue, just my preference.

>>Ordering a bunless hamburger - to some - would attract unwanted attention. >>

From whom? Who cares what I order or eat??

Couldn't agree more. But still, many people, especially those with a lot of weight to lose, are not interested in drawing attention at McDonalds.

>>maybe 7g isn't too much for an entire meal either.>>

7 grams of sugar in one meal??? And you think that's not "too much"? Perhaps not on maintenance or well along the OWL ladder, but you have to think that it's a "bit much" on Induction.

As Georiana says, its about the net carbs.

BTW, one ingredient in this salad I almost forgot about is the grape tomatos. Those little suckers are full of carbs. When eating this salad, I used to toss them. I think eliminating these from the salad likely drops the carbs and sugar by 2-3g. I also used to "dip" my salad in the dressing (the lid, tilted slightly, works well), eating only about 1/2 of the dressing. This also reduced carbs.

He does, if you read DANDR 2002.
From Chapter 18:
"Consume no hydrogenated oil or other trans fats -- including margarine."

I stand corrected. It has been years since I read it, but didn't remember this being included. Very sensible advice! But I could argue that zero is very close to "no".

We don't count grams of sugar on Atkins. We count net carbs.

Agreed!

[liv]

Re: fast food fishing

bjp99
Thanks for taking your time to share your story like that. It is so much better when people who want to help share so everybody knows where they are coming from.
I think somewhere on our journey we will make compromises about what we eat. Well most of us will. I know I do. It is not a big deal.
What i think is sometimes important on a forum like this one is that we do keep in mind that many new to Atkins read these things. So then it is important for them you understand that keeping clean that first little while is very crucial. I would never have learned that my tolerance to carbs is super low if I had not been very careful about what I ate the first little bit. Nor would I have realized what a huge trouble coffee is for me if I had not followed Atkins advice to cut it out. These are things I have learned that I think will help me maintain why weight. Or I hope so.
As for fast foods and convenience foods - those are tricky - I also go for burgers if I have to because at a place like McD their meat is pretty clean. I have no trouble letting the bun go. This is about me being healthy. At this point of my journey I pity all those people sitting around eating that unhealthy processed wheat - thinking boy oh boy you guys are mis guided

[Georgiana]

Re: fast food fishing

Personally I am pretty picky about my beef.

Why only about beef? Just curious...

As Georiana says, its about the net carbs.

Georgiana doesn't quite understand what's the point of repeating this. Because in any food, the net carbs are higher (or equal) than the grams of sugar. So if something has 7 g of sugar, it will have 7 or more net carbs. This further weakens your argument.

BTW, one ingredient in this salad I almost forgot about is the grape tomatos. Those little suckers are full of carbs. When eating this salad, I used to toss them. I think eliminating these from the salad likely drops the carbs and sugar by 2-3g.

Ditching vegetables and eating a double serving of junk-laden chicken is a bad idea on Atkins.

You do realize that over half of one's net carbs should come from vegetables, right?

And I can tell you that one loses better when eating more vegetables rather than carbohydrates from other sources... especially from junk. It's healthier, too!

It has been years since I read it

Did you read the 2002 edition?

If you did, I would suggest re-reading it.

But I could argue that zero is very close to "no".

Oh well... You can agree with Dr. Atkins or argue with him. *shrug*