Are you a fast food junkie?

[Loves Vintage]

Not really. I CRAVED big macs w/o the meat during pregnancy, but now the thought repulses me. Strange.

FWIW, I do not think of Panera as fast food. I almost always get the Greek Salad there. Yummo. Who knows what they do to make it seem fresh, but it does seem to be so. I think it's equivalent to a local deli, I mean it's a sandwich shop that claims to bake its own bread, right? I don't think of local deli's as fast food either, although I guess they are fast, I just don't lump them into the same category as "Supersize Me" fast food places.

 

[Amys Bling]

I don't eat it because a) I'm sworn off it during Lent and b) once I start, it's like a train wreck. I cannot stop. I have been known to drive a route that takes me past more than one drive-though.... I can ignore it for a long time, but once I eat some I want to eat lots, lots more.

I don't want my daughter to know it exists yet, either. She'll have plenty time to discover it I guess, but until then, I'm not telling.

Same here/ once I fall off the wagon I fall hard.

 

[Enerchi]

I think McD's maybe 2x / year and then I'm good. NEVER Kentucky friend chicken (UGH UGH UGH!!) but my daughter works at Wendy's and if nights have been rushed and we have to get her to work, we'll eat there - I have a salad of some sort or a baked potato but DH loves the burgers and fries. DD prefers chili and maybe a salad.

 

[luv2sparkle]

I don't eat a lot of fast food. Maybe once a week when DH is working I will buy it for my boys for dinner. But I don't eat any. There are two places I will eat though~ Chipotle and El Pollo Loco. My husband and I often go to Chipotle for lunch and we will split a bowl (7 weight watcher points) and I will eat three or four of their wonderful chips with just a smidge of guacamole. I crave Chipotle. El Pollo Loco's
chicken calls my name and I do sometimes have to answer that call. No tortillas though, just chicken and green salsa. Yumm...

Just a note~last summer when we went back east we stopped at a chipotle on the east coast~maybe around VA. They had the worst guacamole! I was so surprised thinking they would have all used the same recipe! No so. If you want great guacamole, come to california.
I'm just saying...

 

[AprilBaby]

I LOVE breakfast at mcdonalds!

 

[Amys Bling]

I LOVE breakfast at mcdonalds!

they say the egg mcmufin is one of the better things to eat for breakfast

 

[Mara]

Yup..!! I go through phases where I eat it a lot and then not for months, but I'm not that picky. My faves are McD, Taco Bell, and JIB curly fries. Oh I love Carls Jr too. I have one of the above about 1x a week...sometimes 2x if I'm feeling really bad. Funnily enough, my 2 year old has yet to have any fast food other than a McD's fry or two, mostly because we eat after he's asleep!

Greg is always telling me I'm a disgraceful Latina because I love TB. I told him, TB is not Mexican food..! It's a class all it's own.

 

[Amys Bling]

Oh I love a good double cheeseburger from Mcdonalds

 

[Laila619]

Wow, a lot of you are really disciplined. I am impressed (and envious)!

FYI, for all you other fast food lovers, Burger King is giving out free french fries on March 17th and 18th, in honor of St. Patrick's Day! I got mine today.

 

[canuk-gal]

I gave up fast food years ago. I will occasionally get a craving for McDonald's french fries, though.

Rarely eat FF--but ditto to the latter. And KFC once a year or so.

chers--Sharon

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Yup..!! I go through phases where I eat it a lot and then not for months, but I'm not that picky. My faves are McD, Taco Bell, and JIB curly fries. Oh I love Carls Jr too. I have one of the above about 1x a week...sometimes 2x if I'm feeling really bad. Funnily enough, my 2 year old has yet to have any fast food other than a McD's fry or two, mostly because we eat after he's asleep!

Greg is always telling me I'm a disgraceful Latina because I love TB. I told him, TB is not Mexican food..! It's a class all it's own.

Doesn't Taco Bell have a new taco that uses a taco shell made out of a big Dorito? My husband showed me a picture of one, but I wasn't sure if he was kidding!

Personally, I'm not a fast food junkie at all! There are a couple things I eat that are bad but they're not from fast food resturants...first is cup of noodles. I have two a week but I rinse the noodles with water to wash off some of the chicken/sodium flavoring. The other is chicken tenders from the grocery store deli - but I pick about half the breading off so I get a small amount of the breading but not so much so that I feel grossed out or guilty.

Mostly, our "fast food" is stuff like frozen Amy's organic mac & cheese or Alexia organic french fries that I bake.

Oh, and diet coke.

I guess, my diet is about 75% whole foods and 25% sort of junk - like not super bad stuff, but not unrefined, either. Like I buy Garden of Eatin organic corn chips instead of doritos so they don't have chemicals...not sure if those are considered junk food or not! lol

 

[DivaDiamond007]

I have fast food probably 1-2 times a week. We live in a small town so it's so easy to just go through the drive thru and order something if you're in a hurry or just really wanting that McD's double cheeseburger, fries, and fountain cola. I don't have a weight problem and have low blood pressure so I figure it's not too bad to indulge once in a while.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

not really, I eat it a couple times a year...but I am always super happy once a year to get a disgustingly delicious Shamrock Shake

 

[tuffyluvr]

I probably have In N Out once a month or so.Yummmm. I will also eat Jack In the Box tacos or Taco Bell every now and then (typically after a night of drinking).

I am really grossed out by meat, though--I will only eat it if I know where it came from and how it was prepared. I never get anything with meat--I get grilled cheese animal style at In N Out, fresco bean burrito & plain nachos at Taco Bell and tacos at JITB (they are made with soy!!!).

 

[hoover]

I'm a lousy cook, and I don't find it much cheaper to cook for two... So I guess I'm more of a eating out junkie than a fast food junkie...
Welll.... That's not true... I'm both
It's hard to beat a Costco hotdog and pop for $1.49, and like the others here, I too love the McDonald's fries (and chicken nuggets with hot mustard and BBQ sauce)
I really wish we have an Inn n Out burger here - I always make a stop at one whenever i go to Vegas. 1 x 1 animal style for me!

It really is too bad that the unhealthy foods are cheaper (and tastier) than the healthy ones ...

 

[Haven]

Lately I've only been eating fast food once a month, if that.

Sometimes I fall off the healthy eating wagon and eat fast food as much as once a week. That only lasts for a month or so, though, because I start to feel gross after doing that for a while.

When I do eat fast food, I love Chipotle, McDonald's, and Jimmy John's. I NEVER eat Taco Bell, KFC, Wendy's, Burger King, or any of the other popular fast food places.

If we had In-N-Out Burger in Chicago I'd be in trouble. I love those burgers. I've had two so far, and I've already found myself craving them.

I consider places like Panera and Corner Bakery fast food because that food is definitely not fresh to me. Panera bagels are okay, but everything else just grosses me out. I can't stomach cheapo fast food that is trying to be fresh but isn't.

I shouldn't be able to eat any fast food, though. Whenever I have students who work in a restaurant, I ask them to tell me everything. It's never good. (FYI: I worked in Jimmy John's for several years in college and it was SPOTLESS. The food was handled really well, thrown out when it was supposed to be thrown out, and the managers were obsessed with keeping everything up to standards. Jimmy lived in town, though, and our location was the training location. But I tell myself they're all as clean and safe.)

 

[Gypsy]

I loved the Corner Bakery. OMG, Haven. You reminded me of the chicken pesto sandwiches there. I don't consider Panera fast food. Maybe I'm naive-- but you can get food that is JUST (if not more) as unhealthy at TGI Fridays or Applebees or Chili's (none of which I eat at). I don't eat at Panera all that often though. They only have two things I like and one of them is for breakfast and I never go there for breakfast.

I ADORE Egg McMuffins. So much so that I asked DH to get us a couple tomorrow for breakfast.

For me fast food means it has a drive through or a set up like Chipolte's.

I can't eat at Taco Bell. If I absolutely HAVE TO, I get a chicken soft taco.

I do wish we had a Duncan Donuts-- and now, a corner bakery. And I'd KILL for a Jersey Mike's.

 

[diamondringlover]

I do love it (as I just finished McDonald's breakfast) honestly we probably eat fast foods about once a week or once every couple of weeks and it tends to be more breakfast then lunch or dinner....

 

[Lulie]

I love In and Out!!! Once a month

 

[Haven]

I loved the Corner Bakery. OMG, Haven. You reminded me of the chicken pesto sandwiches there. I don't consider Panera fast food. Maybe I'm naive-- but you can get food that is JUST (if not more) as unhealthy at TGI Fridays or Applebees or Chili's (none of which I eat at). I don't eat at Panera all that often though. They only have two things I like and one of them is for breakfast and I never go there for breakfast.

I ADORE Egg McMuffins. So much so that I asked DH to get us a couple tomorrow for breakfast.

For me fast food means it has a drive through or a set up like Chipolte's.

I can't eat at Taco Bell. If I absolutely HAVE TO, I get a chicken soft taco.

I do wish we had a Duncan Donuts-- and now, a corner bakery. And I'd KILL for a Jersey Mike's.

I really love the CB whoopie pies. My book club meets in the local CB when I don't feel like hosting at my house. It's the perfect location because it's in the local mall so there are other food option, and they have nice, huge booths that we can sit in for hours and they don't care that we're there so long. (I asked before we held our first meeting there, just in case.)

I guess I'm lumping "fast food" and "mediocre food" together when I say I consider Panera and CB fast food. I would put Friday's, Applebees, and Chili's in the same category of Panera and CB. Although, I'd eat at CB before any of the other places, and I just plain won't eat at Applebees. I ate a lot of Chili's bottomless chips in college.

 

[April20]

Do you all consider places like Panera to be considered 'fast food?' If not, then I eat less than I thought!

Skippy, Taco Bell is pretty gross...I can only imagine the things you saw, lol. I wonder what is in their taco meat.

If you want to get technical, places like Panera, Chipotle, etc are QSRs- quick serve restaurants or "fast casual". (basically any place where you place an order at a counter and go find a seat and then have it brought to you or wait a bit to pick it up). I do see a difference in menu offerings, though I dont know if they are truly nutritionally better when you get down to brass tacks.

 

[luv2sparkle]

I agree with Haven about Applebee's and Chilli's. Hate Applebee's. Years ago we stopped because they were doing this 'famous chef' thing and had a wonderful looking (on the menu) roasted chicken, and when we ordered it, it was clearly microwaved and the nastiest thing I have ever seen in my life. Never have been there again. On the other hand, I love Panera's salads and a few other things. I think it depends on your area. Back east, the Panera we tried was not so good, our local one is great. I would have never guessed that.

 

[Amys Bling]

I used to love Applebee's and chili's but now I feel like its just junk and makes me feel awful. Maybe it was always junk- but my body just can't handle it any more

 

[Gypsy]

I agree with Haven about Applebee's and Chilli's. Hate Applebee's. Years ago we stopped because they were doing this 'famous chef' thing and had a wonderful looking (on the menu) roasted chicken, and when we ordered it, it was clearly microwaved and the nastiest thing I have ever seen in my life. Never have been there again. On the other hand, I love Panera's salads and a few other things. I think it depends on your area. Back east, the Panera we tried was not so good, our local one is great. I would have never guessed that.

I won't eat at any of those. But I agree that Applebee's is the worst of the lot in my experience. If NOTHING else at Friday's they have great wings. I can't eat anything at Applebees. I just can't.

Quick Serve, I didn't know that April. Makes sense though. I love Chipotle's tortillas. Weird but true. I used to love their chicken but got burned out on it. They have great cheese though too, so whenever I go there now I get the best cheese quesadilla ever (IMO, I just need bread and cheese to live, and live happy).

My favorite foods can be summed up in five general catagories:
Meat on a stick. (In all it various forms from Brazillian BBQ, to Kabobs, to corn dogs even)
Bread and Cheese (from Pizza to grilled cheese to quesadillas)
Baked sweets with cream filling (real cream, like dairy)
Fruit
Seafood

 

[Laila619]

I used to love Applebee's and chili's but now I feel like its just junk and makes me feel awful. Maybe it was always junk- but my body just can't handle it any more

Yeah, for some reason, their food is just so junky and greasy to me. But then I have no problem chowing down McDonald's--go figure!

 

[Gypsy]

I used to love Applebee's and chili's but now I feel like its just junk and makes me feel awful. Maybe it was always junk- but my body just can't handle it any more

Yeah, for some reason, their food is just so junky and greasy to me. But then I have no problem chowing down McDonald's--go figure!

I'm the same way Laila. I think that since it's junk food to me, and I KNOW, it's not supposed to be nutritional I accept it (although Whitecastle and Taco Bell I can't even qualify as food). Plus, it's cheap and quick. If I am sitting down someplace and placing an order and spending the time to really eat, I can't stomach paying too much for junk. It's not worth the time, money OR the calories to me.

 

[TravelingGal]

Anytime I go on a road trip, I always have a McD cheeseburger.

An In-N-Out opened up near me. I'm doomed. I love In-N-Out. TGuy and I have said we will try to make it no more than twice a month. At 480 cal for a cheeseburger and splitting one order of frys (under 200 cals a piece), under 700 cal is not horrid for a once in a while dinner. On days I know we will have In-N-Out, I try to have egg white scrambles for brekky and salad for lunch so I can enjoy guilt free!

 

[Jennifer W]

Anytime I go on a road trip, I always have a McD cheeseburger.

An In-N-Out opened up near me. I'm doomed. I love In-N-Out. TGuy and I have said we will try to make it no more than twice a month. At 480 cal for a cheeseburger and splitting one order of frys (under 200 cals a piece), under 700 cal is not horrid for a once in a while dinner. On days I know we will have In-N-Out, I try to have egg white scrambles for brekky and salad for lunch so I can enjoy guilt free!

We don't have In -N-Out here. Thank heavens. I love a good burger and this one sounds like they serve a good burger!

When I was pregnant, I craved cheeseburgers. I could have eaten them all day. Some days, I pretty much did.
I just bought some steak, to try making the Ultimate Burger at home today. It won't be what you'd call diet food, but as least it will be wholesome.

Why? Why did I even click on a thread about fast food? It was only ever going to go one way - the cheeseburger way...

 

[Imdanny]

I think so because it goes in stages. I've never been able to stop eating McDonald's totally. Right now, I drive by one if I see it. I'd like it to, but I don't think that's going to last.

I think I'd be lying if I said I not "addicted" to their food. I like their regular (small) hamburgers and can eat up to four at a time. They taste good (to me anyway), they cost $1, but often times when I eat their food, um, I wish I hadn't.

I can't eat Burger King anymore. It tastes rotten. I can't eat Wendy's. It taste like slop (I worked there in college and I know the quality has gone downhill).

The one I wish we had is Popeye's. I guess it's lucky for my health that I'd have to take a plane to Honolulu to get to one.

 

[missy]

One of the major problems with fast food (besides the other obvious unhealthy nutritional qualities) is the high sodium content. Most options at fast food restaurants are way over the daily allowance for sodium. In fact, this is true at many finer restaurants as well. Whenever we dine out I always request for the chef not to add any (more) sodium to my dishes and if possible to prepare my meal without any sodium at all as I am highly sensitive to it.