You can make better choices with your foods, I believe in you. It's not always about trying to eat the healthiest options on the menu. Fast food restaurants are not the healthiest places but due your work/life/time/money, you may be forced to eat there sometimes. It's inexpensive, fast, convenient and comfort food. For people who rely heavily on these types of places, here are some ideas to help you help yourself. I hope they help :) and I know you can do it. Before placing an order, just ask yourself one question. How will this help my health goals?
1. Opt for grilled chicken as your protein source. It is delicious, it is everything you need and everything you don't nee. This will be the healthiest form of protein to be consuming and what will fuel your body well.
2. Restaurants use large images to sell their lucrative items. Highly processed foods spoil more slowly, so the profit margin is higher and that's why they push for them.
3. Swap your side dishes if possible. Instead of French fries, you may be able to swap for a baked potato, salads, corn etc.
4. People tend to read menus from left to right and top to bottom, and the way fast food menus are set up are to play to this statistic. You’ll probably find healthier, less profitable options on the bottom left of the menus.
5. Many restaurants have large screen tvs placed in front of tables and this is a strategy they use well. The closer your table is to a television, the more likely you are to order fried foods and you tend to be too distracted to make healthier decisions.
6. Salads can be eaten without the dressing, croutons, bacon or candied nuts. If you absolutely need more taste, lime and lemons are great for flavor. Foods can be eaten without adding extra salt, mayonnaise, bbq sauce, ketchup etc. If you can't do without condiments like that, the next best thing is to just minimize the amount.
7. Men on average save about 255 calories when they dine with a woman instead of a group. They don't want to be seen as disgusting in front of their lady so this sometimes makes them cut back. They also subconsiously may consume more in a group to assert their masculinity.
8. Fast food restaurants usually include medium sized items in their combo menus but offer to upgrade to a larger size for a small extra fee. Just ask yourself, do I really need that much more food? the answer should be no lol
9. Diners who sit under good lighting often order healthier food than those in dimly lit sections because they are literally under a spotlight. People often want others to think positively of someone and you know you want to look good in public. The darker the room, the more concealed you feel, the more you are likely to order food that you know you shouldn't be eating because who's gonna know right?
10. A statistic shows that restaurant patrons who sit farthest from the front door are 73 percent more likely to order dessert than those sitting next to the entrance. Sitting next to the entrance is a constant reminder that you can leave anytime.
11. Choose water or unsweetened iced tea/coffee over fountain drinks. They quench your thirst, make you feel great and give you lots of energy to go about your day.
12. Most desserts are not healthy for you. In general it's a great rule to avoid them if possible.
13. In a lot of places when you order a burger, you can go bunless or turn it into a lettuce wrap. It makes you feel less sluggish afterwards and you feel better having made a subtle but important change. Small details make a BIG difference.
12. Do not rush to order. Many drive-thrus have automated messages as soon as the sensor detects your vehicle. A lot of the message are meant to subconciously make you feel rushed to order. You may think this is for speed and efficiency but the reason this is done is that when you are rushed to order, you tend to order what tastes good versus what is good for you. This pushes you to order food that is quick to make, it keeps the line moving and they could care less if you were trying to go healthier. You are actually doing them a favor by ordering cheap and fast food.