One of the biggest questions I get from my mom friends is some variation of this:
“But, what should *I* get when I go to McDonald’s?”
And I completely and totally get what they are asking me. Most moms are concerned about the health of their children (Huzzah! I’ll get Jimmy the apple slices instead of French fries!), but it’s not only about the kids. Most moms are concerned about their own health too. They want to know the wisest, lowest calorie, best options for THEM.
So, I hereby give you MY tips for ordering at McDonald’s. And let me just add a little disclaimer here and tell you that I am just a mom and not an expert of any kind. I calorie count and I read labels and I talk to people who know things and I listen. But I am no expert.
1. Know what you are going to order before walking in to the restaurant. Trust me on this one. The sights and smells of all that deliciousness can make even the best dieter in the world weak. Stick to your guns.
2. Don’t think that Happy Meals are just for kids. It’s a way to enjoy both the hamburger (or McNuggets) and the fries and still eat for under 500 calories.
3. If you think a Happy Meal won’t be filling enough for you, go for a Quarter Pounder without cheese and apple slices without caramel. It’s also less than 500 calories.
4. If you are desperate for a Big Mac, order it with half the sauce. It’s less than 500 calories that way. You can also take out the middle piece of bun and save some calories.
5. Choose an Egg McMuffin in the morning. It clocks in at only 300 calories.
6. The salads! Yes. If you haven’t tried the new line of salads, I highly recommend. Even the Crispy Chicken salads are fairly low in calories.
7. Drink water or diet pop. Don’t waste your calories on empty ones.
8. If you have to have dessert, go for a vanilla cone. It only has 230 calories or the baked apple pie at 270 calories.
9. Don’t touch your child’s untouched food. You can consume hundreds of extra calories without even realizing it. Eat your own food only! For more info on McDonald’s menu check out the nutrition calculator, http://www.mcdonalds.ca/NutritionCalculator/index_en.html
Any tips you want to share?
A little trick that I use, for my son’s happy meal, I order the Apples, and get the fries for my meal. This way, we SHARE the fries, (neither of us get too much salt or grease intake) and he has the apples later on. (I throw them in my purse and take them for the road.
I NEVER get 2 orders of fries, from ANYWHERE. Burger King also has an alternative for the fries, so I’ll get onion rings, or mozzarella cheese sticks (ULTRA YUMMY!!! we fight over them 😉 and he normally wins the last one). They are good to have now and then, but given the option, me and my son actually like the alternatives.
It’s true, the nutrition calculator is really helpful. Just the other day when I was at McDonald’s I couldn’t decide what to order. I simply checked the nutrition chart so that I could make an informed decision (I went for the .
It isn’t always obvious what is a good choice. When I was in New York city a few weeks ago I was completely stunned to see the amount of calories in foods that I often eat. New York city became the first city in the US to implement a law forcing chain restaurants to post the calorie count of each food in the same size and font as the price. I was shocked to the core when I saw that the cheesecake slice that I adore had a whopping 850 calories. Now, I always knew that cheesecake wasn’t the greatest of choices, but learning that it was almost half of my daily calorie intake was astounding!
We love our nutritious home cooked meals but when you’re pressed for time, McD’s will win out.
This is directly from the meal plan which Fitness World has provided me, it is very much like the zone in that is it balances out your carbs, protein, and fat.
The recommendations for McDonalds’ are: Egg McMuffin or Sausage McMuffin; 2 orders of scrambled eggs with cheese and an English Muffin; 1 regular Hamburger with double meat, side salad with low-fat balsamic vinaigrette; Chicken McGrill Sandwich with side salad and low-fat balsamic vinaigrette minus the top of the bread; Bacon Ranch Salad with Grilled Chicken, low-fat balsamic vinaigrette dressing, Fruit ‘n Yogourt Parfait without the granola; California Cobb Salad with Grilled Chicken, low-fat balsamic vinaigrette dressing, Fruit n’ Yogourt Parfait without the granola.
Anything can be modified to stay balanced, so if you are heading toward the drive-thru, don’t be discouraged or feel guilty as there are MANY healthy choices available.
thanks! this was so practical and very helpful. how about writing one about the food court!! 🙂
Took the kids to lunch at McD’s today and guess what I had? A hamburger Happy Meal. Still felt like I got a little treat but didn’t overdue it as far as calories, etc. Definitely satisfied my craving!