Let's be honest... Fast food is convenient, and sometimes it's the only option - especially when travelling.
Hey there, reader! Mike here.
I don't know if you know this, but we train a ton of pro wrestlers at Stoked and I work with a bunch of them online as well.
One of the biggest issues that the wrestlers I train run into is sticking to their nutrition while on the road.
Who can blame them! Fast food is typically trades higher quality ingredients for ones that are more convenient, and - well let's be honest - allows them to make more money.
But even so - that doesn't mean we need to ignore them altogether. Sh*t happens, and sometimes - fast food and chain restaurants are the only options.
We understand this, and it's why I actually send our wrestlers a list of my top meals from 50 chain and fast food restaurants when they first start. This way, they can still hit their protein and stay within their caloric goal while on the road.
I wanted to share 3 picks from this document that I send that to hopefully help you out the next time you're running around, need some food, and want to stay as on track as possible!
Before we get to the list, we should take a moment to go over three things I consider when making a list like this.
What takes a fast food option from okay to great?
1) Is it customizable?
Any restaurant that welcomes building an order your way is a huge plus. This opens a ton of possibilities while sticking to your plan.
2) Is it high in protein?
Typically, I try to get as close to 10g of protein per every 100 calories of my meal. That means, if a meal is 500 calories, I want to make sure 50g of protein (or however close to that I can get).
3) Are the portions consistent?
Each time I go to a restaurant, I want the amount of food to be consistent in taste, macros, and quantity. It makes it really hard to plan if we are always getting different amounts of meats or rice or whatever.
So let's take a look at 3 options that won't take away from your progress!
1. A Bowl from Chipotle (you can sub in Moe's, Qdoba, etc)
Chipotle bowls are one of the greatest options for eating on the road based on how well you can match it to both your taste and your goals. I typically go half rice, double chicken, black beans, salsa, corn and cheese when I'm cutting. When bulking or maintaining, I might add full rice, a tortilla, and guac.
2. Wendy's Apple Pecan Chicken Salad without it's dressing
This salad comes super close to that protein-to-calorie ration I mentioned earlier - boasting 39g of protein with a total of 450 calories. And with pecans, chicken, cheese, apples, and cranberries, I find that it's still tasty even without the dressing.
3. Taco Bell's Soft Steak Taco, Fresco Style
This taco is tasty, quick, and dense in protein. Obviously, Taco Bell isn't the best quality of food (or even fast food) - but this taco works in a pinch if you want a lower calorie, high protein option. For two, you're looking at 300 calories with 20g of protein! Not bad!
To wrap it up...
Remember, we always want our nutrition to have a bit of leeway from being perfect. For some, that may look like 80% strict, 20% loose. For others, it might be 90% and 10%.
Giving yourself that little bit allows you to still make progress without burning out and tossing all your hard work away.
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