The more into calorie counting I become the more I love it... when you finally realize that nothing is "truly" off limits unless it triggers you... the more this lifestyle becomes realistic- When I first started this diet I didn't think I'd be able to eat at any fast food places- especially when you get the cravings for them it's horrible..... Now, these things are food options that shouldn't be used daily but only seldom of course and budgeted into your allowance SO I was wondering what some of you have really found enjoyable yet low cal at fast food places! here is mine!

Taco Bell- fresco crunchy tacos! - only 150 cals I even let my self get two

Whopper Jr hold the mayo and ketchup or sometimes not if I can "afford it"-290 cals

Mcdonalds Cheese burgers- 300 cals. or You can get a cheeseburger happy meal for 500 cals.. I get mine w/o ketchup and no salt on the fries

KFC- their barbecue snacker only 210 cals

Wendy's chilli doesn't have a lot of calories in it. I only know because I was doing the Self.com reach goal challenge and one of the meals listed for lunch was a large chilli and a side salad with fat free French dressing. Altogether that's 452 calories.

When I go to McDonald's I usually get the Southwest chicken salad with grilled chicken. With the dressing it's 420 calories.

mmm- I love wendy's chili! I'm gonna hafta remember that next time I need a quick lunch! which I don't allow my self to do often- I usually pack my lunches for work- but it's nice to go fast food every now and then!

I think whopper jr. is the best fast food burger (no mayo), at about 290 cals. Also, I like Wendy's chili, very filling and low cal.

I wouldn't recommend taco bell, seeing as I nearly broke my tooth on a rock in my cheesy bean and rice burrito the other day.

ohh.. I just learned that Arby's ham and swiss melt is only 275 cals! not bad! I used to love those too!

I also love fresco crunchy tacos; I just had three for dinner.

Some of my standbys are:

Blimpie's turkey six-inch sub

Papa Murphy's plain cheese delite, two to three pieces depending on how I slice it

chicken lettuce wraps at P.F. Changs

McDonald's vanilla ice cream cones

I'm addicted to Subway's Veggie sandwich....230 calories....

someone asked the same question a couple days ago, here is that thread:
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=163385

apple dippers @ mcdonalds, yummy!

me too!

I love Subway Club Salad with Fat Free Sweet Onion dressing.

I have nutritional info for most fast food and restaurants in our area printed out in each vehicle. With 3 teens and a hubby on the road we need to make educated choices.

McDs - grilled snack wrap 260
fruit & walnut salad - my fav - 210 1.5g fat
Wendys - Baked Potato 280(i think)
we half a chili to go on top of the potato
grilled chicken wrap under 300
Subway - any of the low fat subs
Roly Poly - anything there is great, just remember portion size
Fazolis - we usually half the grilled chicken sandwhich (320 total) and half a salad with light dressing (300 total)
Chinese - beef&broccoli, pepper steak, anything not fried
Chic fil a - Grilled Chicken Sandwhich (260 I think) fruit cup for the side
Backyard Burger - Hawian Chicken Sandwich (320) Baked Potato (260)

As you can see we like to eat out. It is all about making good choices and knowing what a real portion size is.

We also eat out at Ruby Tuesdays, I get the lunch Turkey Minis with baked potato. It comes with the salad bar so I just eat the salad bar and get them to put the meal in a to go box. This lets me enjoy eating out twice and only paying once.

At any fast food restaurant you can always choose a grilled chicken sandwich, grilled chicken salad, or grilled wrap as the best choices. That being said, you can also satisfy your desire for a burger or fries and not kill the diet. My favorites are:

McDonalds - regular cheeseburger only 300 calories and you can add a small fries for 230 and be at a respectable 530 cals for the meal. New at McDs is the McDouble. They have taken the double cheeseburger off the $1.00 menu and replaced it with the McDouble. The McDouble is a double burger with only one piece of cheese instead of the two pieces of cheese that are on the double cheeseburger. The calories for the McDouble are around 390 so it's not a bad choice if you are really in the mood for a burger with more meat than the regular cheeseburger. The double cheeseburger is 440 cals and the QPC is 520 so you are saving 50-130 cals with the McDouble, and saving money too!

Arby's - regular roast beef sandwich at 320 cals or Arby's melt at 300 cals. I always get the 2 potato cakes instead of fries which only adds 250 cals.

Burger King - Whopper Jr (no mayo) 300 cals and with cheese 340 cals. Regular cheeseburger 340 cals. I add a value size onion rings for only 150 cals as I don't care for their fries but the value fries are only 220 cals.

Wendy's - Small chili 190 cals, plain baked potato 270 cals, kids size FF 210 cals, junior cheeseburger 260 cals, double stack cheeseburger 360 cals. Also a favorite of mine is the 5pc chicken nuggets at 230 calories which isn't the healthiest choice being fried but is low in calories and on the $.99 menu.

As you can probably tell, I like fast food. I usually eat it at least once a week. The main disadvantage for me is not the calories so much but the sodium levels and that prevents me from eating it more often even though I know I can stay in my calorie range with the choices above.

I remember reading about KFC drumsticks in a WW magazine. I looked up the calories since I had one today (yeah, I know not the best food out there b/c it's fried but a girl has to splurge sometime). Turns out 1 original recipe drumstick only has 110 calories in it!

seriously! I'm so going to get a drum stick...LOL I LOVE KFC!!!!