Today is my LAST day of induction. It has gone very well. My challenge is that we leave today on a 10 day vacation. I'm sure we will eat many a meal from a drive-through window. What are my best choices at these types of places? Salads with chicken? Burger without the bun? What about the salad dressings? I'm not sure I'll have the time to check the carb contents of these things before ordering so any input would be appreciated, especially regarding the salad dressings.

Thank you,
4galmom

I have to eat lunch out every day. Most of the fast food salad dressing (well, the ranch dressing that I prefer) is usually 3 or 4 carbs per packet. Make sure you tell them that you don't want fat free. They try to slip that in on you sometimes. And stick with ranch, blue cheese, maybe italian. Don't have thousand island, French, or honey mustard. Or if you like mayo on salads - you could get mayo packets. Now, the McDonalds salads are pretty good. Arby's has a really good turkey club salad. I eat that alot. If you have a Back Yard Burger around (I don't know where your going), they have a really good club salad also. BK has a new chicken ceasar salad - it's not bad. And you can get a burger - throw away the bun and get a side salad with it. That is pretty filling.

Well, i think I have rambled on enough....
HTH

Tia
170/157/130

Be still and know...

I don't go out to fast food .. unless I am doing a high carb day, but I can tell you be careful when ordering hamburgers. A lot of places (McDonalds being one of them) add fillers to there burgers. so make sure you ask them.. "is this 100% real beef". I am not sure if chicken is the same way or not, but it couldn't hurt to ask! Be prepared to get funny looks and don't let it bother you! Good luck and have a good time on your vacation!

On and off since 2000
This time around I started on 1-3-03
272/201/199<--(next goal)

Wendy's also has great salads!!

202/183/140
I can feel it melting away!

Stay away from all the obvious carbs (buns, fries, etc.) and also skip the breaded items such as fried fish, fried zucchini, chicken strips, etc.

Probably the safest thing will be a grilled chicken breast sandwich with the lettuce, mayo, and tomato. Use the bun like a "holder" so you can eat without getting messy. I "sqeeze" the bottom of the bun like a push-up ice cream so the meat keeps peeking out the top. Then I take a bite and squeeze again.

As for dressings, if you stick to blue cheese or ranch you'll probably be fine. They may have a few carbs but these are usually the lowest of all the other flavors.

Good luck!

LCE Member since 2001
http://www.ilovelowcarb.com
Low Carb & Loving it!

Burgers are almost always a good safe bet. I'm not sure about McDonalds... they are so chintzy with their meat that I never bother with their burgers... but I live on Carl's Jr. and Burger King and Jack in the Box. Even better is a big double cheeseburger from a no-name greasy spoon take-out place. They're usually very generous with the meat

Pastramis are great low-carb food. You get a huge pile of pastrami with most pastrami sandwiches. Spray some extra mustard on it, toss the bun, and you're made.

At restaurants, the breakfast specials are good. At Denny's, I get the Original Grand Slam ($2.99 -- cheapest thing in the restaurant. They must hate my guts). Just be content with not eating all the side dishes, like pancakes or whatever.

The Chef's Salads are usually a great deal. They are enormous salads full of just about every kind of cold deli meat they can throw into it. Plus eggs and avocado and shrimp, whatever...

There's always steak. Tell them to substitute cottage cheese for the potato, or just don't eat the potato. (I kind of like smelling the potato while I eat my steak.)

Fresh lobster.... *droooool*

Just don't feel resentful about the parts of the food you can't eat. If that might be an issue for you, you're not ready for restaurant eating. After a while though, it will seem like second nature.

Taco Bell -- open up those burritos and eat them with a fork! I like their steak burritos.

Pollo Loco is excellent. They have non-breaded chicken. Delicious skin! You can order it ala carte, too, which is great.

I like arby's salads! Grilled chicken on top (not breaded) just be sure to have them put dressing with your salad that you can eat.. any regular ranch or blue cheese, etc.

Susan

LC and feeling better every day!

Atkins since 7/18/03
210/190/140