Low-Carb Fast Food Ideas

Low-carb diets may help you lose weight by by limiting the number of carbohydrates that you eat, according to the Mayo Clinic. While that means quick weight loss for many, it is difficult to eat low-carb foods if you are eating traditional fast food meals. If possible, avoid fast food restaurants during the initial phase of a low-carb diet, when you must severely limit the amount of carbs that you eat. After that, it gets much easier to find a meal at a fast food restaurant.

Ditch the Bun

A burger is a safe bet when you are following a low-carb diet, but the bun is full of carbs. Ask the cashier to give you a burger without the bun, suggests the Fun Times Guide Healthy Living website. The fast food restaurant won’t give you a discount, but at least you won’t be wasting food. Some chains offer a low-carb version of their burgers, using a piece of lettuce instead of a bun. Choose this style if you can.

Grilled, Not Fried

One big advantage of low-carb diets is that you can still enjoy high-fat, fried foods. Unfortunately, the fried foods at fast food restaurants have bread crumb coatings that can seriously increase your carb count. You may be able to get away with chicken nuggets or fish sticks if you are in the later stages of the diet or if you are strict about your diet the rest of the day, but grilled meats are the best choice.

Watch the Condiments

You don’t even think about it, but ketchup, mayonnaise and other “special sauces” can include carbs. Ask for your burgers without condiments or ask for them on the side so that you can control how much you put on.

Load Up On Salad

Most fast food restaurants offer at least a side salad, if not a larger one that can serve as a main meal. This can make a great low-carb side dish because salad vegetables contain very few carbs. You can also use a salad as your main meal, adding grilled chicken, not fried. You simply have to watch your dressing choices. Blue cheese is the best choice because it usually doesn’t have carbs, but you can also look for other full-fat dressings. They’ll contain carbs, but not very many.

Drinking Low Carb

Naturally, you’re going to want something to wash down your low-carb meal. Sugary sodas are not your answer. Stick with water or diet soda. While tea is also a good option sometimes, the tea at fast food restaurants usually has sugar to sweeten it. If you’re not sure, ask before ordering.