Top 10 Low Carb Fast Food Options

9/20/2012

If you follow my blog at all you know that I am all about eating low carb with as little effort as possible. That being said over the last few years I have discovered that there are plenty of great options available for you to get at your local fast food joint. These have all been staples for me when I lost all my weight and still are today. One thing to keep in mind, none of these are perfect. When you eat fast food and meals prepared by others it's always a little tricky to stay balanced, but these are some of the better options out there for the Low Carb-er on the go.

1. Subway Salads - You pick the toppings, dressing, and meats. Just hope that the veggies are fresh. :)

2. Five Guys Burgers and Fries Lettuce Wrapped Burgers - Always fresh to order and get two patties for the most delicious of burgers.

3. McDonalds Value Menu - You can't beat the price of a dollar. Ask for the burgers lettuce wrapped and get yourself a ranch salad.

4. Carls Jr. Low Carb Burgers - They will wrap any burger in lettuce and not look at you weird for asking. Its wonderful. Lots of lettuce in the wrapping too!

5. Jack In The Box Grilled Chicken Strips - It's chicken that's grilled yo! What's not to like?

6. Rubio's Chipotle Ranch Chicken Salad - Fresh and yummy. I love their salsa.

7. Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken - Its only 11 carbs so when you need your Asian fix do it.

8. Togo's Italian Salad- I love this one because it so hearty and full of lot of meat. Its salty, but get the dressing on the side if that helps.

9. Wings from anywhere - I love wings!!! Yes they are messy, but they are also amazing.

10. Chipotle Salads!!!! - Chipotle is my saving grace. I ate there at least once a week in my early days. The food is always fresh and they meat and salsa pack so much flavor. Flavor is the key to leaving a meal satisfied. This place will be your best friend if you make the right choices.

82 Comments

lowcarbing

1/5/2013 04:04:02 pm

mc d's will lettuce wrap a burger?

Mary Carlson

1/26/2013 12:16:27 am

I do it all the time when I'm traveling and in a hurry. I order the double cheeseburger or the macdouble (it's a dollar) and ask for no bun. They even have a button on their computer that brings up "no reg bun." They serve them in a salad bowl and give you a fork and knife. Actually I usually get two and combine into one bowl -- it's like eating a hamburger salad! Save more carbs by also asking for no ketchup (but I like ketchup and there really isn't much there).

7/16/2013 09:36:32 pm

Mc D will do anything you want, and they won't even bat an eyelash. They even have a button for "two full strips of bacon" for 1.19. Sometimes I get just the bacon or a double order of bacon, and sometimes I add it to a lettuce wrap.

jennifer Lovett

8/20/2015 11:09:43 am

I use McDs for my on the go breakfast. I order a round egg, which is cooked fresh, and a sausge patty. Less than 2 bucks, I get an iced coffee once a week, unsweet iced tea the rest of the week-if I feel like it-I often only get ice water.

Cyndi

8/13/2015 12:50:53 pm

Yup! I get 2 mcdoubles no ketchup. $3 and only 4 carbs TOTAL!

Poor Mans Atkins

1/6/2013 04:02:58 pm

They aren't very good at it, but they'll do it.

Landria

1/20/2013 10:39:44 am

I had no clue they would even consider it , I normally just rip the bun off lol

LinkChecker

1/25/2013 02:25:25 am

Your #3 McDonald's link points to the Five Guys review.

Popr mans atkins

1/26/2013 03:53:54 am

I like ketchup too. :)

Landria

1/26/2013 05:07:11 am

I love ketchup , but it always makes ms crave sugar :(

BLeach

1/31/2014 03:25:49 am

ketchup has sugar in it.

Poor Mans Atkins

2/3/2014 03:21:42 am

Thats Why I suggest Heinz low Sugar Ketchup. I cant even taste the difference.

Jerry link

5/1/2013 11:08:31 pm

I like all the options. Although I prefer foods with few calories.

HeftyJo

2/5/2015 01:44:03 am

If you are on a Low-Carb diet you don't need to be counting calories. The only thing you should be counting are the carbs. That's a mistake a lot of people make when going low carb. They still count calories like they are traditional food pyramid calorie restriction diet. On a low carb diet you should be eating as much meat, fat, low starch vegetables, and some hard cheeses as you want (until you are full). A lot of people that go low carb restrict their carbs and their calories which makes them feel perpetually hungry all the time and ultimately leads to failure.

acemanx

5/27/2015 01:44:00 am

This is the basis of the ketogenic diet, eat as much healthy fats from meats, nuts, and oils, and as many greens as you can eat every day, i lost 78 pounds from 268 to 190 doing this, never spent a single day in the gym and just ate the most delicious fatty foods...instead of your body receiving the carbs and breaking it down to glucose for energy, your body receives the fat and breaks it down to ketones and that replaces glucose as your energy source..

my diet:
breakfast
2 eggs 2 bacon cooked in coconut oil

snack
nuts

lunch
steak or chicken or pork or salmon with a huge green salad with olive oil and vinegar or ranch dressing (not the fat free kind!)

snack
more nuts

dinner
steak or chicken or pork or salmon with a huge green salad with olive oil and vinegar or ranch or bleu cheese

Chris

12/27/2015 12:24:58 pm

This is initially true. Most folks who take on a low carb lifestyle will shed weight simply by cutting carbs and they do not need to watch calories. I did that and lost over 200 pounds. It was remarkable. However, at some point you do need to get back to "watching" calories, if not counting them. The low carb lifestyle is not a ticket to eating all of the low carbs foods you want in any quantity you want, which is what this implies. You still need to be responsible with your calorie intake. Calories do ultimately matter, and there is something to be said for the "number in, number out" philosophy. But, I generally agree with Heftyjo's post. Start off by just counting carbs. That will take you a long way. Sometime in the future, though, to continue weight loss, you can't always just eat until you are full.

Marie

3/30/2016 02:09:43 am

Thats it. Low Carb high fat. I count only carbs.

Lost 50lbs lab work never better! Diagnosed diabetic best thing ever happened to me!

Kristin link

5/15/2013 02:00:19 am

Zaxby's traditional wings with no sauce are my go to. They do not have breading on them. One pack of the ranch dip is 2 carbs.

Kristin

5/15/2013 02:01:35 am

Low carb blog www.biscuitsandexcuses.blogspot.com

Shannon

6/19/2013 06:47:33 pm

Unfortunately, my local Five Guys refuse to make me a lettuce wrapped burger.

Nick

4/10/2014 02:46:33 am

Odd, my local 5G's has the option on the menu board to lettuce wrap.

Charisse

3/20/2015 03:21:08 pm

if you ever get to a Red Robins restaurant, they will make any of their burgers lettuce wrapped and they taste 10 times better than McDonald's

Whitney

8/10/2015 08:19:08 pm

I hate that for you. Our 5 guys, we tell them we want a double bacon burger with cheese bunless. Extra bacon and cheese is no charge. They put in a bowl and load it up. We have never asked for them to make a wrap.

Karen

10/2/2015 06:20:47 am

Just ask for it without the bun and eat it with a knife and fork. I've done this at 5G, before I knew about the lettuce wrap.

Debbie

12/29/2015 12:06:08 pm

Five guys burger in a bowl is great and on the standard menu. It's even on the app so can order ahead.

Poor Mans Atkins

6/19/2013 11:34:42 pm

This has happened to me before too. Just order it with "no bun" and extra lettuce. They will at least put it in a bowl.

Ginger

6/26/2013 03:49:40 am

Thanks for the post! My local Five Guys even allows lettuce wrapped burgers as an online ordering option.

Christy

9/23/2013 10:08:36 pm

I take my low carb tortilla with and wrap my burger or grilled chicken in that. Dont have to miss a thing! : )

Jim

12/23/2013 02:47:47 am

Wendy's will also give you a burger w/out the bun. Comes in a plastic bowl with knife and fork.

Andrea

3/20/2014 03:49:53 am

Jimmy John's also offers an "Unwich", which is any of their sandwiches wrapped in lettuce.

Dee A

7/5/2014 04:05:14 pm

Im gonna try this diet. .I work at Subway ( fresh Veggies) so it should be easy during the day for me..
Wendy's double cheese plain no bun is awesome. .try it you'll love it!

Fred Smith

8/26/2014 04:39:49 am

Just finished a great lunch option at Qdoba. Naked Taco Salad, skip the beans/rice/ranch, add extra chicken, guacamole and the pico/salsas you like. Squeezed a lime wedge or two over the top. Very filling lunch

Bertha

9/19/2014 04:29:16 am

El Pollo Loco is my go to for low carb. They have the grilled chicken salad. Order it without tortilla strips and corn and add extra chicken. There creamy cilantro dressing is amazing and only has a couple carbs. They also have avocado salsa that tastes delicious added in. This is a must!

Susan

12/19/2014 07:01:40 am

Jimmy Johns sub shops will do any sub as an "unwich" - wrapped in huge lettuce leaves like a sub. They're awesome!

danielle link

6/5/2015 10:05:17 am

The unwich is ok if you want to taste lettuce first. I finally realized that ordering cheese on any regular sub and just taking the whole thing out of the bun puts the cheese on the outside like 2 little tacos. And the shredded lettue is better! Beware though jimmy johns bacon has more carbs than you would think!

mrsemory

12/20/2014 09:29:11 pm

I have PCOS so i eat very low carb, we live in Missouri & they are still not sure what this low carb thing is lol so at Sunway, when i order a 6" sandwich no bread.....they tried charging me for a chopped salad....ummm nope! I get exactly what i get on my sandwich just no bread & ask them to put it in a bowl, some finally catch on...others try to argue & charge me double. Wendy's has been great!!!! I order a jr. deluxe burger, no cheese, no bun and extra veggies, it is the best!!!!

7/18/2015 01:11:43 am

Subway is supposed to charge you for a sandwich and put all the makings in a paper tray. It is cheaper than buying the salad - and frankly - sometimes I just don't want all that produce.

HeftyJo

2/5/2015 01:54:05 am

If you have the fortune of having a In N' Out Burger in your area you can order any burger as a 'Protein Salad' and they will wrap the burger with large leafs of lettuce. You can even go 3x3 or 4x4 meat and cheese patties to really put the protein in 'protein salad'.

Becky

4/15/2015 02:06:21 pm

chick-fil-a's Cobb salad with grilled chicken. Or just their grilled chicken nuggets, it's real chicken and just as good as the fried!

Pat Kremer link

6/22/2015 02:39:02 pm

The keto diet - 80 fat/15 protein/5 carb % of daily calories is my last chance after 4 yrs stage 4 Breast cancer. Dr. Oz did interview w/Katie Curic who is on this diet for her breast cancer. She did chemo - I refused. Elaine Cantin & Dr. Fred Hatfield cured their Stage 4 Cancer w/ketogenic diet. Mayo Clinic uses keto diet for epileptic patients. Cures diabetes too. Stay under 20 carbs per day - starves tumors. Normal cells can burn fat for fuel, cancer cells NEVER can (keeping protein at 15% of daily calories protects muscle loss while preventing cancer cells from using protein as fuel. Lots of proven alternative cancer treatments available, but not always affordable - yet you CAN afford this - just the right food!

MN Gowan

7/17/2015 11:39:16 pm

Pat. I don't understand your percentages of foods you listed. 15% protein and 5% carbs...what foods are pure fat that don't have carbs or protein that take up 80% of your diet. This is an interesting post. I'd like to know more.

Kss

8/13/2015 09:13:02 pm

Healthy fats, Olive oil, coconut oil, avocados and real butter.
http://ketodietapp.com/Blog has some great info and recipes. You can get the app on an iphone or ipad.

NicciB

1/7/2016 09:14:44 am

I'm sorry there is no cure for diabetes. Unless you have a medical degree and have been able to do so you should not help with the mis-information railroad. Now certain diets will help in lowering sugar intakes for diabetes sufferers but no diet can help with how much ones pancreas works. Type 2 diabetics usually have something that is keeping their sugars high and very rarely is it completely a food related issue.

Kathy

1/20/2016 04:08:56 pm

Keto diet was the go to diet before meds came out in the 1920s for diabetes. Their may not be a cure for diabetes however my sugar keeps going lower the more I stick with low carb. Soon I will be off my meds all together. No I'm not a dr I can only tell you my body is healing by going low carb.

Bette

3/7/2016 07:08:56 pm

Thank you. I am type 2 and I worry about people reading misleading regarding diabetes cures. Type 1 diabetics are unable to produce insulin that naturally processes the sugars for your body to use. Type 2's still produce some insulin but my body is no longer sensitive to my insulin so it can't do the job. The keto diet might help control your glucose levels but be careful not to let it get too low, that can be very dangerous. And controlling diabetic glucose is not the same as a cure. If a nondiabetic does a one time cheat with a big piece of pizza washed down with a soda, their glucose will spike but mine will spike possibly twice as high which is also very dangerous. And there currently is no cure for that.

Miriam

3/17/2016 01:42:48 pm

A ketogenic diet may not be a "cure" for type 2 diabetes, however, it is a way to get your glucose under good control and eliminate the need for medications as long as you adhere to the diet. I am a type 2 diabetic and with a keto diet I got my A1C to a 5.3 (non-diabetic level) and lost 20 lbs in about 4 months without ever feeling hungry.

When you eliminate carbs to under 20 grams spread throughout the day your blood glucose levels stay very stable and low. It was an amazing diet. I had to stop because I got pregnant and haven't had the organization to get back on since the baby, but it was wonderful!

It was also very helpful in understanding carb exchanges for when I had to go back on insulin with the baby and was able to keep my sugars under very tight control the whole pregnancy, I credit Keto for helping me grow my healthy baby!

Lisa link

3/30/2016 06:00:43 pm

not my web page but full of phenomenal info on low carb lifestyle. and choosing a low carb lifestyle can eliminate the need for insulin. go to the very beginning of the website and work ur way forward..

Jen

7/14/2016 08:29:21 pm

Not true if you go on low carb diet you lose weight and blood sugar stabalizes

Marie

3/30/2016 02:21:32 am

There is no cure for diabetes! Please do your research and stop posting wrong info!

Pat Kremer link

6/22/2015 02:55:16 pm

Wanted to add - at Wendy's I ask for extra lettuce, tomato, onion (no charge) & I get a free senior drink (55 plus) for a total of $1.08. (We ALL know organic food, home cooking is better, but not always what we can do) Their Ceasar salad is under $2. The Ceasar dressing packet is 2 carbs. I throw away the bun, add the veggies & meat to the salad. Under $3.00.

Madgirl

7/22/2015 04:48:23 am

Jimmy johns will wrap anything in lettace.

Diane Pratt

8/17/2015 12:41:39 am

Jersey Mikes will make any sub into a "tub" . With freshly sliced meat and crispy shredded cheese lettuce. It's a little pricey but fast and delicious.

pam link

10/2/2015 08:04:38 am

Thank you for all the low carb infr

Windward

10/2/2015 07:09:02 pm

I have been on low carb for two weeks and am getting diarrhea after every meal, even if it's only a burger or grilled chic minus any lettuce. Any suggestions?

fred

10/11/2015 03:19:24 am

There is about a three week period of adjustment wit low carb where you will have diarrhea. After that, you need to drink a lot of water and make sure your carbs are not refined to get enough fiber, or you might be constipated.

Aislinn

10/16/2015 09:20:38 am

You need to add fiber to your diet, that help with the diarrhea. I use Benefiber.

Lesli

10/11/2015 04:02:07 pm

Your pancreas has to adjust its output of digestive enzymes to your new diet, it will, stick with keto!

Chels

10/12/2015 02:07:53 pm

Wendy's Baconator no bun.....AMAZING!!!!!!

Fprwston

10/13/2015 01:41:13 pm

I have a question what about McDonald's grilled chicken snack wrap? Is it too high in carbs?

Lance

10/8/2016 06:20:35 pm

The tortilla it's wrapped in is high in carbs, the filling is probably okay unless the chicken is breaded, which I don't know.

prheitz

10/16/2015 04:13:21 pm

When I go to Chipotle, I order a bowl, hold the rice and add double beans to the meat choice. It is perfect for me

Carolyn

10/25/2015 06:45:03 pm

dont the beans have a lot of carbs?

Geneva

11/25/2015 09:01:29 pm

Yes...about 16 net carbs in 1/2 cup. Black beans and pinto beans are almost the same...only 1 carb difference

Marie

3/30/2016 02:23:55 am

Beans are NOT low Carb!

Ravi

5/13/2016 08:10:56 pm

Careful. Beans is almost as high in carbs as rice. The fiber might be high in beans, but doing double beans is basically overkill. One serving of beans has 14g net carbs and thats not anywhere in keto range.

Heather

10/22/2018 07:52:48 pm

One serving is listed as 21g, even if you reduce that to get net carbs (minus 10 g fiber), that’s 11 grams/serving. Double that takes you out of ketosis with lettuce.

Jen

11/2/2015 07:18:16 pm

Chick-fil-A will let you order their breakfast burritos in a bowl. Add extra sides of sausage and egg and cheese and the bowl gets bigger and better. Yum!

Barbara

12/21/2015 11:02:23 pm

I tried a carb diet and gain weight.i can't figure out what went wrong

Charles

12/28/2015 02:00:23 pm

Also Jersey Mikes offers their entire menu in a bowl.

1/12/2016 08:38:35 pm

Can someone please tell me how many carbs a 5'5 210lb person needs to eat per day to loose weight?

Angeligion

1/19/2016 06:15:58 pm

Regardless of height or weight, the recommended staring carb limit is 20 for the first two weeks.
After that you can try adding 5 more carbs per day, for another week and see if weight loss continues.

Albert H

2/26/2016 12:56:27 pm

Just a quick tip for a last resort .McDonald's has an option for an extra grilled chicken patty for only 1 dollar more . It's not advertised anywhere but it's really cost effective. Tons of filling protein for only 6 bucks . I'm not a mcd fan but when you're short on time it works

D. Medley

3/31/2016 08:12:45 pm

Braums will do a bunless burger, no problem.

Debra perez link

4/2/2016 11:14:15 am

I love a side salad from mc Donald with a grilled chicken only 3 dollars

Christina

4/4/2016 09:25:05 am

Jenny

4/8/2016 01:16:02 pm

We were charged $2.00 extra at Subway for asking for salad form of sandwich!! Jimmy Johns is fast delivery and their Unwhich is great.

Elle

4/10/2016 11:47:58 am

Just order a sandwich. Get double meat and extra veg if you want. Ask for a knife and fork. Nor keep a stash of plastic cutlery in your car. No arguing needed.

Michael

5/17/2016 01:45:33 pm

Jimmy John's has an unwich, which is any sandwich on the menu wrapped in lettuce. Very tasty.

Kathylee link

5/20/2016 06:45:28 am

Great info . Thank you. I just started low carb.....

Amysue

5/29/2016 06:21:45 am

I often order a grilled chicken patty (that's how it is listed in their computer) at McDonald's. It is $2 and two of them fill me up.

Lance Batchelder

10/8/2016 06:17:02 pm

Krystal's low carb breakfast bowl is awesome! Exceptionally good. I get the sausage but you can also order bacon. Carl's Jr. is Hardees in the eastern USA.

Arnold McLean link

12/6/2020 09:59:25 pm

Great post thank yyou

Top 10 Low Carb Fast Food Options

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