When you think of dieting, fast food probably never enters your head. It just doesn’t make sense to have fast food when you’re trying to change your eating habits, right?
Well, I know some people may sometimes not have a choice but to go to a fast food place for a meal for one reason or another.
On a ketogenic diet, there may be times when you have to find some fast food.
This can be a tough decision because you know that most of the options at fast food places aren’t going to be keto friendly. You’re on a keto diet trying to change your lifestyle.
Since the ketogenic diet has a lot of wiggle room with what you can eat, you can get away with eating some fast food. However, the options you choose still need to be the right foods.
You’ve been working hard to get your body into ketosis and there’s no point in getting kicked out of it because you don’t have a choice with the place you have to eat at.
Keto and Fast Food
Going to a fast food restaurant would never be my first recommendation for anybody that is on the ketogenic diet.
I do understand that everyone lives a different lifestyle. By this, I mean that there could be circumstances that don’t allow you to make your own keto meal for some reason. Fast food might be your only option for your next meal.
Luckily, there are options at most fast food restaurants that are keto friendly. You just need to know exactly what you can have.
Below are going to be some fast food places and the options you’re going to have on the off chance you have to stop at one of them.
McDonald’s
There are McDonald’s everywhere. It’s very rare you drive through a town that doesn’t have a McDonald’s anywhere.
If you have to go here for breakfast, take a look at their sandwiches. Stay away from the buns that come on the sandwiches. As tempting as it is to have the English muffins or biscuits, you need to take those off if you want to stay keto friendly.
You can throw in a black coffee with your breakfast too if you’re a coffee person.
For any time after breakfast, my top recommendation would be the grilled chicken. Again, no bun just because they are essentially all carbs.
The burgers wouldn’t be something that I would highly recommend, but you can have them. You just have to make sure that you take off the bun and get them without ketchup. Ketchup usually contains extra sugars that can sneak up on you and kick you out of ketosis in a hurry.
Something that is good about the development of McDonald’s over the years, you can ask for no bun and they will happily do that for you.
Burger King
Burger King is very similar to McDonald’s, the food just has a different taste to it.
You can do exactly the same as you would do at Mcdonald’s. Go for the grilled chicken at first, but if that isn’t what you feel like having, the burgers are a very reasonable option.
Keep it simple with your options. If you start ordering any of the specialty sandwiches, you’ll be hit with the extra sugars that you aren’t expecting.
For example, they have a burger that comes with fried onions on it. If you get this you are adding a ton of carbs to your meal because the onions are breaded.
It’s the little sneaky things that you need to be on the lookout for if you want to stay in ketosis.
Kentucky Fried Chicken
Just the name of KFC doesn’t sound too promising when it comes to the low carb options.
However, there are a few keto options that you can make at this place.
Stick with any of the grilled options that they have. If you choose anything that’s fried, then you are going to significantly fall off the keto path.
When it comes to side items, you really only have one option. That option is green beans. They are pretty good though so that’s not the issue. The issue is the fact that you don’t have any other options.
Wendy’s
Most Wendy’s restaurants that I’ve seen don’t serve breakfast so that won’t be a worry for anybody.
Like the previous two, you have the grilled chicken option which is usually a good go-to for anybody wanting to stay on top of their keto diet.
Their burger options are usually good as well. You just have to remember that you cannot have them with ketchup. Ketchup can be the silent killer for anybody on a keto diet.
If you need a condiment, go with mayonnaise or mustard. These are always good for the ketogenic diet.
You should really stay away from the salads as well. The only way most salads are going to be acceptable from a fast food restaurant is if you have them without any dressing on them. Other than that, don’t have them.
Taco Bell
As I’ve gotten older, I really only want Taco Bell late at night, after a night of drinking. This is okay because they don’t really have many keto options at all.
They never have low carb shells or tortillas for their tacos.
The best and really only options you have at Taco Bell is to order a few tacos, put the ingredients in a bowl, and throw away the shells.
It may not be the same type of experience but it helps keep you in ketosis, which is a priority for you at this point.
In-N-Out Burger
I have never met a person that doesn’t enjoy a good In-N-Out burger from time to time. My only criticism of the place is that their fries could be better, but that’s beside the point.
This is mostly a burger place so you’re going to want to order a burger. The good thing about In-N-Out is that you can order any sandwich “protein style.” Ordering it like this lets them know to not use a bun. They are going to use a lettuce wrap instead.
Lettuce wraps are perfect if you ever want anything to go around your bun-free sandwich.
Again, make sure you’re smart about the condiments you put on the burger. No ketchup is always the safe option.
Five Guys
In my opinion, Five Guys makes the best burger. It can be difficult not getting a bun because it usually ties everything in the burger together.
However, you’re on keto so you have to always stay mindful of that.
Five Guys understands that people like to have as little carbs as possible. You can order your meal without a bun and they will put it in a little tray for you to eat.
If you want more than just the burger and cheese, they have a wide range of toppings that you can add. A lot of the toppings are keto friendly and you can add as many as you want without any extra charge.
An added bonus to Five Guys is the fact that they have free peanuts that you can eat while you’re waiting for your food.
Take advantage of any keto friendly aspect you can when you have to eat at this fast food restaurant.
Chick-Fil-A
Chick-Fil-A makes some delicious chicken. It can be somewhat addicting honestly.
Hopefully, you don’t get a craving for this place on a Sunday, which seems to always happen anyway.
There aren’t many keto friendly options here, which is unfortunate, but they make such good chicken that the little options they do have are delicious.
You want to get the grilled chicken options. Going bunless is a given. The best option you can have though is the grilled nuggets.
Be careful with the sauces though because these can sneak up on you without you realizing it. Your best bet is to eat the nuggets plain to ensure that you are as keto friendly as possible.
Chipotle
Chipotle is a personal favorite of mine. I could possibly eat here every day when I’m not worried about my diet.
Now, it’s not the best option for keto but it is still a decent choice when you compare it to others.
It should go without question by now that you need to stay away from the burritos and tacos. You need to stay away from the rice bowls as well. Even though they will taste delicious, you’ll for sure get kicked out of ketosis.
The salad is your best choice. You can get nearly all the ingredients they have to offer. Stay away from too much of the salsa and the corn. Everything else is up for grabs.
Don’t be scared to add a bit of extra guac on your salad too. Even though it costs extra, it’s definitely worth it.
Enjoy with Caution
Only go to fast food if you don’t have any other options for your next meal.
They should be looked at as a last resort.
Remember, stay away from the buns and don’t let any sugary condiments sneak up on you. Whenever possible, go with a lettuce wrap as well.
Stick to as many grilled options as you can as well.
If you have any more questions about fast food and the ketogenic diet, check out Keto Dash. Keto Dash will be able to provide you answers to any keto question you have while at the same time providing you with a community that will always be able to support you.
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