"safe" stuff to eat when out and about if low carbing ?

silverharp

Just looking for ideas when I end up in a McD's etc. My staple is the McD's Chicken Ceaser salad as the crutons and mayo come seperately remembering to ask for the grilled chicken not the battered. the problem is the mayo "sells" itself on being low fat, but sugar is the third ingredient by quantity. Do any of the other main chains have good low carb options?

rubadub

I remember EileenG saying she throws away buns on burgers, I just hate throwing out food and I expect some chains like McDs would not just make one without giving you buns, a chipper might though.

There are a few Chinese buffets around no, I get no rice or noodles, I demolish the spare ribs, you could scrape off excess sauce -but it is usually €10 so unless you are starving it might be an expensive option.

I also go to a local londis and get "salad bowls", which is my case is just a pile of chicken breast and a little cheese.

Torakx

I used to go walking into town nearly everyday when it wasnt snowing lol
Im supposed to be keeping carbs and sugar low so before i go out id have a big plate with steak and veg(breakfast ).Then if i got hungry in town id go to a health food store and buy a small pack of nuts for like 2 euro and some sesame sticks(complemented by a drink made from coconut and pineapple) to eat as i walked around or sat in a park.
As for eating out i wouldnt go near any take away or those chains you mentioned.Well if i did it would be for a cheap tea
Unless it was a decent restaurant then id consider getting a decent meal into me.
Im sure if you researched what went into the cows(and food) that are supplied to alot of these cheap take away chains you would i hope consider never stepping foot inside there again.Even regular chippers i would think use cheap meat that probably has all sorts of hormones in them or from abused chickens etc.
So i guess the question i would ask you is what do YOU call "safe"?
My personal ways are above but it may not suit most people.I just dont trust cooks behind closed doors or where the food is supplied from especially in a recession lol
Natural all the way for me

Ps, it doesnt mean you cant make your own salad with some left over freerange chicken you cooked the night before.homemade food imo tastes the best because its made to your taste and you know exactly whats in it and hopefully where it came from and if its full of hormones etc etc

El_Dangeroso

If your worried about meat of dubious origin (don't think there is hormones in Irish chickens btw) then go for the leanest cuts. If there's gonna be toxins or hormones or whatever they'll be in the fat. That's the only time you'll see me eating lean meat, but I always add a pat or two of Irish butter to make up the difference.

I have American friends who go out of their way to buy Kerrygold, it's a gourmet product over there

EileenG

In McDonalds, I get a burger and use the bun to mop up the ketchup before eating the burger on its own. Or the egg and sausage of the breakfast. Or a grilled chicken salad. Or a side salad with a tin of tuna or sardines.

In a pizza place, I go for the chicken wings or just eat the cheese and toppings of pizza. Not ideal, but not impossible.

Lots of buffet places are now great for things like prawns or chicken drumsticks.

Italian places are great, lots of olives, ham, cheese etc. Spanish tapas are brilliant for low carbers.

Sapsorrow

Torakx wrote: »

I used to go walking into town nearly everyday when it wasnt snowing lol
Im supposed to be keeping carbs and sugar low so before i go out id have a big plate with steak and veg(breakfast ).Then if i got hungry in town id go to a health food store and buy a small pack of nuts for like 2 euro and some sesame sticks(complemented by a drink made from coconut and pineapple) to eat as i walked around or sat in a park.
As for eating out i wouldnt go near any take away or those chains you mentioned.Well if i did it would be for a cheap tea
Unless it was a decent restaurant then id consider getting a decent meal into me.
Im sure if you researched what went into the cows(and food) that are supplied to alot of these cheap take away chains you would i hope consider never stepping foot inside there again.Even regular chippers i would think use cheap meat that probably has all sorts of hormones in them or from abused chickens etc.
So i guess the question i would ask you is what do YOU call "safe"?
My personal ways are above but it may not suit most people.I just dont trust cooks behind closed doors or where the food is supplied from especially in a recession lol
Natural all the way for me

Ps, it doesnt mean you cant make your own salad with some left over freerange chicken you cooked the night before.homemade food imo tastes the best because its made to your taste and you know exactly whats in it and hopefully where it came from and if its full of hormones etc etc

That in now way answers the OP's original query They meant safe, as in low-carb!

Kimia

I lolled at the above. Bless his good intentions.

OP - to be honest McD's is best avoided really if you're doing low carb. Along with chipper chips obviously, any rice from chinese takeaways and definitely stay away from pasta and breads etc.

If you're out for a meal, just ask for the chips/potatoes to be replaced with veg. Normally restaurants are grand to do this.

Torakx

Sorry i couldnt help myself lol
I just dont equate those types of places as selling food anymore.
I would feel like i was trying to fool myself if i decided to eat in mac donalds for example no matter what i chose from the menu it all seems toxic to me.
I used to eat in places like that when i didnt know the difference between protein and carbs.I literally didnt know(or care) what i was putting into my body and why! seems cazy now looking back.

I would just feel like an ass if i didnt say that a mac d's salad is probably not to be considered part of your 5 a day or whatever.I just wouldnt chance it unless its just the odd time.But i rather eat healthy most of the time and pig out properly or in a more healthy way when i am going to eat carbs.
If your going to fall off the wagon with dieting why not plan it ahead of time Hence the suggestion to making your own food to take with you.

silverharp

all good replies. As I dont crave carbs anymore I can take it or leave it. its only the odd time with the kids that I may end up in McD's. I did find once or twice in town that I coundnt think of an obvious place to go for a snack, was disappointed when the German stall in the food court near Henry st closed down. I'll check out the Spar/Londis type salads.

EileenG

Having children myself, I frequently end up in McDonalds. I eat the side salad, or the grilled chicken salad, or the burger minus the bun, or a combination of those. The quality of the mean in the burgers is fine, and the salad is a basic salad, nothing funny about it.

Torakx

My Bad then.I had heard rumours that mac donalds have high sugar content in their salads.Or something of similar importance.So maybe i was too hard on their salads.
I guess if you are feeling you will be in that place to feed your kids something you wont eat yourself maybe you could consider eating more protein before heading out so you dont need to eat that stuff when your in there with your kids or whoever.
When im stuck for food in town and feel i cant go home for a proper meal i have a tendency towards sandwhichs filled with chicken and lettuce and a pack of nuts with water.The bread is a no no but if im walking about town more than 30 mins its going to get burned up as energy.
I just cant imagine a greasy take away joint as any place to go for food anymore for anyone adult or children,so that explains a little of my rash comments lol
Here is an example of what other people have supposedly found regarding these types of salds.
N idea if its true or not though,i havent stepped foot inside one in many years.
http://thenakedlabel.com/undressing-the-mcdonalds-salad/

rubadub

Torakx wrote: »

My Bad then.I had heard rumours that mac donalds have high sugar content in their salads.Or something of similar importance.So maybe i was too hard on their salads.

McDonalds are a favourite target for many, and rarely do people compare like with like. e.g. the "super size me" documentary. I expect if you went to most restaurants in the US and ordered in the same manner he did (basically eating everything he was offered) then you would end up with similar results, probably would have gotten over 5000kcal

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Size_Me

Spurlock consumed an average of 20.92 megajoules or 5,000 kcal (the equivalent of 9.26 Big Macs) per day during the experiment. As a result, the then-32-year-old Spurlock gained 24½ lbs. (11.1 kg), a 13% body mass increase, a cholesterol level of 230, and experienced mood swings, sexual dysfunction, and fat accumulation to his liver.

Torakx wrote: »

When im stuck for food in town and feel i cant go home for a proper meal i have a tendency towards sandwhichs filled with chicken and lettuce and a pack of nuts with water

There was a program on before comparing sandwiches from the likes of tesco and asda to mcdonalds, the sandwiches had far more kcal, fat & salt, and were loaded with chemicals. McDonalds are very upfront about their ingredients, the lists seem long since they tend to give the E number along with a good description -other manufacturers could have the exact same ingredients but list them very differently and appear "better".

Torakx wrote: »

When im stuck for food in town and feel i cant go home for a proper meal i have a tendency towards sandwhichs filled with chicken and lettuce and a pack of nuts with water

The site you linked mentions Canada, a big mac and other foods are larger portions there, a big mac is not 540kcal here. There is no mention of what size those salads were, their values did not shock me though. If you watch any chefs on TV they liberally douse salads with olive oil and salt, I expect most michelin star restaurants would have more or less the salt & oil per 100g than mcdonalds for an equivalent style salad.

-Not saying McDs are great, just as good/bad as many others.

EileenG

I tend to avoid the dressings, but the actual salad are lettuce, grated carrot, cherry tomato, etc. Very basic and sugar-free. The meat in the burgers is just meat and a bit of salt, and I used to know the vet who approved their meat, they didn't skimp on the quality of beef they bought. I would avoid all the breadcrumbed and deep fried stuff, but there is edible food there.

figrolls

I've previously done work for the company that supplies all the meat to McDonalds in Ireland and its interesting to see it blasted for its quality of meat. For every line of McDonalds meat thats run there has to be at least double the amount of quality checkers and they send in their own people to check it, apparently they reject a lot more meat than other customers. This company also supplies meat to top supermarkets, butchers and restaurants...

at little off topic I know, but just though ye might be interesting to know that McD's meat is possible better than the stuff in restaurants.

I personnally cant stand the stuff, leaves me starving 30 mins later

Now, back to the OP's question: When I was low carbing Babybels were a lifesaver,you can grab them in pretty much all supermarkets, shops and airports, and they've got me out of a spot of bother or two

Other than that, salads in restaurants or nuts from the shop

Might go back to low carb after christmas when I can focus on it properly...

Mellor

rubadub wrote: »

The site you linked mentions Canada, a big mac and other foods are larger portions there, a big mac is not 540kcal here.

For reference

Hamburger 255
Cheeseburger 300
Double Cheeseburger 445
Big Mac® 495
Quarter Pounder with Cheese 500
Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese 685
Big Tasty 840
Big Tasty with Bacon 995
CHICKEN
McChicken® 380
Chicken Legend with Mayo 555
Chicken Legend with Salsa 520
Chicken McNuggets® (4 pc.) 170
Chicken McNuggets® (6 pc.) 260
Chicken Selects (3) 365
Chicken Selects (5) 610
Chicken Snack Wrap 265

From their website (make sure you go to the .ie one for irish values)

silverharp

I'm taking junior into town today, the plan is to go to the sushi bar off grafton street instead of Mcd's , not the cheapest option but ok value if you dont hoover everything in sight

WildBoots

Torakx wrote: »

I used to go walking into town nearly everyday when it wasnt snowing lol
Im supposed to be keeping carbs and sugar low so before i go out id have a big plate with steak and veg(breakfast ).Then if i got hungry in town id go to a health food store and buy a small pack of nuts for like 2 euro and some sesame sticks(complemented by a drink made from coconut and pineapple) to eat as i walked around or sat in a park.
As for eating out i wouldnt go near any take away or those chains you mentioned.Well if i did it would be for a cheap tea
Unless it was a decent restaurant then id consider getting a decent meal into me.
Im sure if you researched what went into the cows(and food) that are supplied to alot of these cheap take away chains you would i hope consider never stepping foot inside there again.Even regular chippers i would think use cheap meat that probably has all sorts of hormones in them or from abused chickens etc.
So i guess the question i would ask you is what do YOU call "safe"?
My personal ways are above but it may not suit most people.I just dont trust cooks behind closed doors or where the food is supplied from especially in a recession lol
Natural all the way for me

Ps, it doesnt mean you cant make your own salad with some left over freerange chicken you cooked the night before.homemade food imo tastes the best because its made to your taste and you know exactly whats in it and hopefully where it came from and if its full of hormones etc etc

Fair play to you! Encouraging to see people making such intelligent decisions! Maybe try having an omelette with some mushroom and spinach or whatever you fancy for brekkie though, your digestion will be sluggish for the day if you're hitting it with a big steak first thing in the morning!!!

Torakx

Well to be honest i had to pay a hefty price to learn that lesson lol
I used to eat in all sorts of places even that supermacs that was in the square in galway..i remember eating chicken nuggets there and feeling sick..
I eventually got ill from too much fat, sugar and carbs.
So i hope people can forgive my overbearing nature on the topic of food.
I dont know that much but the basics more or less.Its just i find it very sad to see children eating this type of food when they have no idea what it does to their insides until they are older and overweight(sometimes) and feel its too late to do anything.
I was always thin and still got sick so i would always be wary if i did have kids what toxic substances are going into their bodies.Just because everyone else puts that "food" as a treat to their kids doesnt mean we all have to or that its safe or even "safe".It seems very misleading not to mention that.And i would be the last person who would want to see anyone at all go through what i had to because of a bad diet.

Thanks for the suggestion i am trying to shift over to eating more eggs.I have had candida for years and only in the last year gotten on top of it.Leaky gut is gone so for the first time since i was a kid i can eat eggs.But i am having trouble finding tasty ways to get it down me lol
Omlette doesnt do it for me.So far the easiest is fried and shoved into a slice of toast.But ye the steak can be heavy,although i have a super fast metabolism so it will only last me so long.Tomorrow morning is going to be steak and eggs with beans mmm

silverharp

Torakx wrote: »

Well to be honest i had to pay a hefty price to learn that lesson lol
I used to eat in all sorts of places even that supermacs that was in the square in galway..i remember eating chicken nuggets there and feeling sick..
I eventually got ill from too much fat, sugar and carbs.
So i hope people can forgive my overbearing nature on the topic of food.
I dont know that much but the basics more or less.Its just i find it very sad to see children eating this type of food when they have no idea what it does to their insides until they are older and overweight(sometimes) and feel its too late to do anything.
I was always thin and still got sick so i would always be wary if i did have kids what toxic substances are going into their bodies.Just because everyone else puts that "food" as a treat to their kids doesnt mean we all have to or that its safe or even "safe".It seems very misleading not to mention that.And i would be the last person who would want to see anyone at all go through what i had to because of a bad diet.

Thanks for the suggestion i am trying to shift over to eating more eggs.I have had candida for years and only in the last year gotten on top of it.Leaky gut is gone so for the first time since i was a kid i can eat eggs.But i am having trouble finding tasty ways to get it down me lol
Omlette doesnt do it for me.So far the easiest is fried and shoved into a slice of toast.But ye the steak can be heavy,although i have a super fast metabolism so it will only last me so long.Tomorrow morning is going to be steak and eggs with beans mmm

just one gripe, tut tut for saying you still eat toast. very very unsafe