Surving Fast Food Chains & Eating Out w/WLS

[Lorna Doone]

I thought it would be good to give a listing of fast food chains & menu selections for folks who have had WLS. Many of us are on the go all day long & this listing would provide some menu choices that would accommodate the dietary needs of those of us who have had WLS & give us some ideas for healthy protein menu selections. Feel free to post your order selections at nationwide restaurant chains in the US and if you live in Canada, the UK, or Australia you may want to post some ideas for restaurant chains in your countries to give your fellow sleever's some ideas. I'll start the thread with my selections. But please add yours. Lorna

[Lorna Doone]

The USA:

Taco Bell: order of pintos & cheese/refried beans w/ a scoop of meat or chicken added; or 1 or 2 hard taco's (170 calories each)
or a taco salad. You may not eat the entire salad. I eat the inside & leave the shell. Sometimes I eat pieces of the shell.

McDonalds: they offer delicious salads. I usually order a small one & eat with a chicken snack wrap. They offer several flavors or choices.

Wendy's: the chili

Subway: They can turn any sub into a salad.

Quizno's: delicious salads & soups (many choices)
Also many delicious flat-bread sandwiches. You can order sandwiches & salads in small sizes & there are many choices.

Starbucks: Ask for a skinny latte. They are made with non-fat milk, & the sugar-free syrup of your choice. (Vanilla, Hazelnut, Caramel, Cinnamon Dolce, Gingerbread.) Pass on the whipped cream.

[sandyfromoz]

COOL GOOD IDEA LORNA thank you

[Lorna Doone]

The USA:

Duchess Drive ins:
delicious soups & flat bread sandwiches

[tracieb]

I so love the skinny lattes from star bucks or sweet bay! The white chocolate one rocks! Also the pintos and cheese from taco bell helps move things along when your stopped up...lol. Pizza topping is also good to eat because you only have the meat and cheese, not sure of the calories.

[Lorna Doone]

I want to add: Wendy's, Duchess & McDonalds all offer un-sweet iced tea. They also have sugar free substitutes you can add to your drinks. I order ice-tea to avoid carbonated beverages. They're no good for the sleeve. Note: Taco Bell does not serve un-sweet tea. If you must order diet-soda add sugar substitute to taste. It will reduce the gasses in soda. Also the un-sweet tea at Mc D's is very tasty with sugar substitute. I don't know what their secret is but their tea is the best. Lorna

[Lorna Doone]

For those of you in the liquid stage 1st two weeks:
Target, Taco Bell, & McDonald's offer delicious fruit smoothies. They can taste like gold while you're healing in this difficult stage. And keep you from going over the edge.

However, bear in mind when you move onto solids you don't want to indulge in them on a regular basis as some of them can be high in calories.

Lorna

[Lorna Doone]

In the USA:

IHOP; They offer 1/2 sandwich w/soup for $6.49. They also have an over 55+
senior menu that offers tiny portions for a lot less than larger portions.
They are also very understanding to WLS patients and won't hassle you over ordering & portion size control. You can also do substitutions that are WLS friendly.
Lorna

[Lorna Doone]

Some new menu's I discovered recently:

Dunkin Donuts:
Have smoothies, light latte's and yummy flat bread sandwiches.

Wendy's: Besides chili they offer delicious sandwich wraps and small side salads.

Lorna

PS. I will post new restaurant menu's as I go along and discover them.

[flevy77]

Fruit smoothies in the first 2 weeks? I didn't think I could have any fruit yet

[Enjoyingmynewsize]

I love the light cappuccino from Dunkin donuts...
In my country the major fast food chains have most of the things you mention...I usually go for a salad...I've tried the chili option from Wendy's thanks to your suggestion
Where I struggle is for example when I go to other type of restaurants, a friend suggested to order from the children's menu but here the children's menu is always like breaded chicken fingers, corn dogs, fries....nothing healthy....what has worked for me is to share a meal if I go with my mom or someone close, otherwise I will not even eat half of the meal....at the begining I use to think what a waste, why even bother in going out to eat if I can't eat a normal portion, but now I don't even feel bad when most is left in my plate, some of my friends love to go out to eat with me even more because they know I will leave most of my meal and they can eat it....LOL
Such is life

[Lorna Doone]

I lived off of fruit smoothies during the liquid phase. When I was leaving Mexico I had one between flights. At the airport there are not too many choices for those of us on the liquid diet. I sucked it through the straw very slowly but it satisfied me till I arrived in NYC.

I also drank them on and off during the first two weeks. They're liquified pretty good and you can basically drink them down. Maybe some folks would be afraid to drink them down during the first two weeks but I didn't have a problem with them.

Lorna

[MoreFitDiane]

I have found that in restaurants, it is easier for me to order from the appetizer menu (something with protein such as a crab cake) and ask the waiter to bring it when he brings everyone else's entrees. I also order a small salad to pick at while I wait for the main course and while others are eating the evil appetizers such as fried calamari or potato skins...whatever. And if the appetizers have nothing healthy to order, I order an entree but end up taking about 2/3 of it home with me. So I am getting 3 or 4 meals out of one restaurant outing. It's a little bit more difficult on business trips when I have no "home" to go to, just a hotel room with no refrigerator and no microwave. I hate to see good food go to waste, but I'm learning to get over it, especially when the company is paying the bill, LOL. Another option is to sit next to a petite, skinny person and offer to split an entree...but I have to be friendly with my business colleague for that to happen. I'm sure it will happen because I travel a lot for my job.

[Heather]

Sonic Drive Inn has the BEST unsweet tea!!!

If you have an Iphone/pod/pad there is a great app that lists a lot of resturants and their items and their nutritional info including protein! It is called restaurant nutrition and it is free!! It is awesome!!!

[CGirard]

Another trick if you are eating out and have to order a normal sized "meal" - as soon as the food hits the table, ask for a box right away - don't wait until the end. I have found that if I immediately put half of it (or sometimes MORE than half...LOL) into the box, it's a LOT easier to not over eat. It helps take away some of the "why aren't your finishing that?" and the constant questions from the waitstaff asking "is everything alright? Is there a problem with the food?"