We all do it! We order fast food! And you know what? There isn’t anything wrong with that. I get it! You are running late to work OR coming out of work late and you don’t have time to cook for the entire family. Shoot! Maybe you just don’t like cooking! Well the best thing you can do is choose the healthiest drive-thru foods when you are in this situation. But I will say that as a nutrition coach I would advise you to try your best to make most of your food at home since this will cut out excessive amounts of calories when it comes down to your daily intake. And if you don’t like to cook, it’s time to learn to love it!
In this article I will hit most fast food chains (the kind with a drive up window) in Yuma and keep in mind I only added the places that provided the nutrition facts for their meals. Ialso made sure to include the macros (protein, carbs and fats) for each menu item since that matters a bunch too. Always make sure you take a look at those numbers any time you go out!
“MEXICAN”DRIVE THRU FOOD
1. DEL TACO
The salads are lower in carbs than anything else on the menu, they are excellent in protein and it doesn’t get too high in calories so these are a great choice at Del Taco.
Chicken Bacon Guacamole Salad with Ceasar Dressing
530 Calories | 28g Protein | 24g Carbs | 44g Fat
Signature Taco Salad with Fresh Guac
510 Calories | 25g Protein | 36g Carbs | 26g Fat
The second thing I found on the Del Taco menu were the bowls. They look delicious, the only thing is that they are pretty high in carbs (not low carb friendly) because of that I think this would make a great pre-workout meal. And if you don’t workout, you better! And there is a bowl available for vegetarians which is awesome to see.
Pollo Asado Bowl with Fresh Guac
570 Calories | 28g Protein | 73g Carbs | 18g Fat
Veggie Bowl with Fresh Guac
450 Calories | 13g Protein | 71g Carbs | 12g Fat
Tip: If you are on a low calorie nutrition plan leave the dressing and/or guacamole out.
2. TACO BELL
Surprisingly I wasn’t expecting too much of a difference with the bowls from Taco Bell compared to the bowls from Del Taco but the bowls do have lower calories and carbs as you will see below. Now, I will say that Taco Bell has no salad options, bummer (at least for me).
Power Menu Bowl
470 Calories | 26g Protein | 50g Carbs | 19g Fat
Power Menu Bowl – Veggie
430 Calories | 12g Protein | 57g Carbs | 17g Fat
Black Beans and Rice
170 Calories | 4g Protein | 31g Carbs | 3.5g Fat
“AMERICAN” DRIVE THRU FOOD
1. JACK IN THE BOX
Yes, Jack has a few “healthier” options believe it or not.
Chicken Fajita Pita
320 Calories | 27g Protein | 37g Carbs | 9g Fat
*These are the nutrition facts for Salads with no dressing or toppings and with GRILLED chicken. I recommend you add your own low calorie dressing.
Grilled Chicken Salad
230 Calories | 30g Protein | 12g Carbs | 8g Fat
Southwest Chicken Salad
340 Calories | 36g Protein | 25g Carbs | 13g Fat
Chicken Club Salad
230 Calories | 30g Protein | 12g Carbs | 8g Fat
2. IN-N-OUT
There is only 1 option at IN-N-OUT and that is the Protein Style Burger that is wrapped in lettuce. If you aren’t used to eating burgers without buns I will tell you it’s still pretty darn delicious!
Protein Style Burger w/ Onion
240 Calories | 13g Protein | 11g Carbs | 17g Fat
Protein Style Burger w/ Cheese + Onion
480 Calories | 22g Protein | 39g Carbs | 27g Fat
Double Double Protein Style Burger w/ Onion
520 Calories | 33g Protein | 11g Carbs | 39g Fat
3. CHIK-FIL-A
Chik-Fil-A has some pretty good options as well, as always I would stay away from dressings (these will add extra calories) and any toppings/sides that might come with these meals.
Grilled Nuggets 12 Count
200 Calories | 38g Protein | 2g Carb | 4.5g Fat
Lemon Kale Cesar Salad with Grilled Nuggets
470 Calories | 43g Protein | 22g Carbs | 24g Fat
Lemon Kale Cesar Salad with Warm Grilled Fillet
400 Calories | 30g Protein | 22g Carbs| 22g Fat
Grilled Market Salad with Grilled Nuggets
570 Calories | 32g Protein | 41g Carbs| 32g Fat
Grilled Market Salad with Warm Grilled Fillet
540 Calories | 28g Protein | 41g Carbs| 31g Fat
Grilled Chicken Sandwich
380 Calories | 28g Protein | 44g Carbs | 11g Fat
Chicken Noodle Soup
145 Calories | 9g Protein | 21g Carbs | 3.5g Fat
All right! So those were a couple of options you can use when you are out or don’t have time to cook at home. The main thing is to check out the menus of the drive-thru restaurants you like to go to and find what’s healthiest on the menu. Shoot for items that have a good ratio of macros and that are low in calories. AND You should be fine!
The last thing I will say is that at some point you will have to make time and prioritize your nutrition if you want to level up and drop some weight. That’s the only way it’s truly gonna happen for you. All it takes is a few small tweaks every month to see some great results. And if you need help with your nutrition, don’t hesitate to contact me for Nutrition Coaching. I’m only a consultation away!