I've realized I have plenty more fast-food meals that I've used to create high-protein, low-calorie options, so I've decided to turn this into a series.
Fast Food and Fitness?
Yes, I know it sounds paradoxical, but check out my first post for a deeper dive into how it can actually work. In short, if you build your meal carefully and are willing to compromise a little, you can create meals that fit into your macronutrient goals, allowing you to live a healthy lifestyle even when you don't have time to cook or meal prep.
In this post, I'll be sharing my go-to orders from Taco Bell, Blaze Pizza, and Chic-fil-A:
Taco Bell:
Back in the day, I'd come here and down a 6-pack of Doritos Locos Tacos with a Baja Blast—definitely setting me back a couple of thousand calories with minimal protein. While Taco Bell isn't my first choice anymore, I've found a healthier order that still satisfies my cravings: the Chicken Cantina Bowl. Note: I remove the sour cream and avocado sauce to cut down on calories.
Pro tip: Load up on the hot sauce packets—they're only five calories each. At just 280 calories per bowl, the combination of high protein and fiber from the beans keeps me full for a long time, all while helping me stay on track with my macros.
With this item only coming in at 280 calories, I often have gotten two orders of the bowl, keeping me full for several hours, and the higher fiber from the beans really curbs cravings.
Chick-fil-A:
Fried chicken sandwiches sound like a diet disaster (but a tastebud win), right? However, if you dig deeper into the Chick-fil-A menu, you'll find some healthier options like their Cobb Salad. But, when I think Chick-fil-A, my first thought isn't salad—so here's my go-to macro-friendly order:
For the mac and cheese and nuggets meal, the macros come out to 50g of protein for 470 calories, hitting that perfect 1:10 protein-to-calorie ratio. Add a low-calorie sauce like Zesty Buffalo to stay on track. Sometimes, I'll mix the sauce, mac and cheese, and nuggets together (sorry, no picture of that combo), but lately, I've preferred to keep everything separate. Either way, you get to satisfy your Chick-fil-A cravings without wrecking your diet.
If you're craving the regular chicken nuggets, heads up: they're pretty macro-friendly, too! An 8-count of fried nuggets has 27g of protein for only 250 calories.
Blaze Pizza:
Blaze may not be the most authentic pizza spot, but if you go for a "Build Your Own" pizza and customize it the right way, you can make a very filling, high-protein meal at an affordable price. Here's my go-to order:
The key to this pizza is the unlimited toppings. I load up on as much chicken as they'll give me—38 servings might sound like a lot, but calorie-wise, that's roughly the equivalent of one chicken breast. The chicken's macros allow me to still enjoy other pizza staples like regular mozzarella and the dough. I also add vegetables for some extra micronutrients and flavor at low calories. Don't forget to ask for it to be well-done so the chicken cooks through. Good luck finishing this pie!
So there you have it: some more fast food and macro-friendly food options empowering you to hit your protein and calorie goals and lose weight. Let me know how you like these options or if you have any other fast-food hacks to share!
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