Best Way - How Do You Eat Low-Carb at Fast-Food Restaurants?

How Do You Eat Low-Carb at Fast-Food Restaurants?

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By C.J. Heller
eHow Contributing Writer

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You've made a personal promise to yourself to lose a few pounds, eat healthier and cut down on your daily intake of carbohydrates or "carbs." But what happens when those fast-food cravings kick in and you find yourself drooling in front of a drive-through menu? You don't have to go hungry. There are ways to indulge at a fast-food restaurant without ruining your low-carb eating plan.

Go bread-less

Order your burgers without the bun. Ask the servers to wrap your burger with several large pieces of lettuce instead, or eat the burger patty with the toppings of your choice with a knife and fork. A McDonald's Big Mac with ketchup, pickles, mustard and onions contains 45 grams of carbohydrates and 540 calories, but without the bun, it contains only six grams of carbohydrates and 330 calories. There are 51 grams of carbohydrates and 67 calories inside a Burger King Whopper with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard. Without the sesame seed bun, the sandwich contains seven grams of carbohydrates and 430 calories.

Lose the Ketchup

Choose mustard over ketchup as a dip or topping. There are four grams of carbohydrates in a single serving, one tablespoon, of ketchup, but none in mustard. Ask for an extra slice of cheese, if you feel your sandwich is too flavorless without the ketchup.

Skip dessert

Avoid milkshakes, pies, ice cream and cookies that are chock full of carbohydrates and calories. A small Wendy's chocolate-flavored Frosty drink, for example, contains a whopping 52 grams of carbohydrates and 320 calories. A 12-oz. McDonald's Chocolate Triple-Thick Shake contains 76 grams of carbohydrates and 440 calories. Hungry for pie? A McDonald's Baked Hot Apple Pie will run you 32 grams of carbohydrates and 250 calories.

Watch Out for Unnecessary Salad Fix-Ins

Avoid croutons, tortilla chips or crunchy Asian noodles when ordering a salad. They usually have a lot of carbohydrates in them and not many nutrients. A packet of butter garlic croutons will add 10 grams of carbohydrates and 60 calories to a McDonald's salad. Adding a packet of seasoned tortilla strips to a Wendy's salad will add 13 grams of carbohydrates and 110 calories.

Avoid starches

Skip the fries and pasta dishes. A small order of McDonald's fries contains 29 grams of carbohydrates and 230 calories. The same order at a Burger King has 44 grams of carbohydrates and 340 calories. A small fries order at Wendy's contains 44 grams of carbohydrates and 330 calories. Even a 10-oz. Wendy's baked potato with no toppings, while seemingly healthier than fries, contains 61 grams of carbohydrates and 283 calories.

Cut Your Portion Sizes

Eat half a dish of something that contains a lot of carbohydrates or just a few bites of one if you feel you absolutely must taste it. Sometimes that is enough to satisfy a craving.