Bad Food Better Than No Food?

[tall_drinka_h20]

I recently got stuck at work late and hadn't brought my dinner. Being out in the middle of no where, the only place to get food was a McDonalds... which I don't do. But I went in, figuring I could get something from the "Healthy Choices" menu that wouldn't offend my system.
I ordered a chicken salad. It was textbook confusion. The kid had to ask the manager what to do, apparently the "Healthy Choices" menu isn't too hot for them!
Anyway, after much ado at the cash and in the kitchen, I get a bunch of wilted lettuce with a breaded chicken breast cut up on top, dripping with oil, and a cherry tomatoe. I ate the tomatoe, took a bite of the chicken and tossed it in the garbage... then went and got a 1/4 pounder with cheese.
My question is, would i be better off skipping a meal rather than eatting crap? It was my sixth meal of the day,

[Cynic]

Just eat. A one time fling with McD's is not going to shorten your life span 10 years nor widen your waist four inches. Just don't make it a habit.

[kfisherx]

I agree just eat. That said there are probably better choices than a cheeseburger. I think the roasted chicken sandwhiches at McDonalds are not so horrible macro-wise. Also whereever there is a McDonalds a Subway is not far away and that is a much better choice for fast food in general. Taco Bell has a good deal of healthier foods as well. Check our their website for macro information. If you order chicken tacos fressco style they are pretty good for you. (I think the sodium content is high but so what) You can eat fast food fairly cleanly if you educate yourself a little bit about what is out there.

[Libellula]

when I eat out, i go for salads, at taco bell i get the bowls with no rice and extra beans, and minus the nasty baja sauce. it's tasty.

[Lost Dog]

I'm surprised. I've never had wilted lettuce at McDonalds, so you should have complained and gotten a new one. And you're supposed to order the chicken grilled, not crispy. The Light Balsamic dressing is very low calorie and pretty tasty.

All that stuff on the menu and your fallback is a Quarter Pounder with Cheese? It's not that a burger is that bad, but it's hardly a step up from a breaded chicken salad.

On the menu, there's grilled chicken sandwiches, too.

Whether those other places are healthier choices or not is dependent on how you eat. What's your normal diet like?

BTW, you indicate you're doing a hypertrophy routine. If you're trying to grow, then you're need to eat. A meal of lesser quality that still gives you protein and calories is far better than no food.

[tall_drinka_h20]

Originally Posted by Lost Dog

All that stuff on the menu and your fallback is a Quarter Pounder with Cheese? It's not that a burger is that bad, but it's hardly a step up from a breaded chicken salad.

Ya, I think I just got to the 'shut-up and eat' stage with myself... which was my question... should I nit-pick over one meal, or just eat! I am definitely one of those people that gets aggro when I miss a meal, and I stop making good decisions if I don't have easy, good food around.

[cappuccino]

I had a salad at mcdonalds a few years ago and felt like I was eating a salt fest with processed tasting chicken and dressing with more sugar and crappy oil.

[RobLL]

My claim over the years is that fast food is not essentially bad food. It is just too much for the most part. If your body handles carbs OK (mine doesn't) a hamburger is good for you. I think a Big n' Tastey is under 600 calories, meat, carbs (43?), and almost a serving of veggies. Now add fries and sugar drink and it gets to be something else.

[Frank.S]

Just avoid getting into that situation. At all times im carrying trail mix, a protein shake and a couple cans of tuna that doesnt need a can opener.

if its important to you, your not going to miss meals and be stuck eating 1/4 pounders.

[RedLefty]

If you're looking to put on some muscle, and already hit most of your basic protein/healthy fat goals, what's the harm of some extra calories in one meal?

I had pizza (twice), ice cream and cheesecake at various points last weekend. I'm still leaner and stronger than I was a month ago. The big picture is what counts.

[Frank.S]

well, the harm is added fat gain...

depends on your goals and how fast you want to reach them, if you want to be at 8% bodyfat or whatever, you probally cant eat a big surplus of calories a couple tims per week.

Also, depends on the person. If I just eat the things i want, ill loose weight like crazy.. because a couple bowls of frosted flakes for breakfast, pizza for lunch and steak for dinner is not enough cals for me with the amount of training i do.

[tall_drinka_h20]

I can actually get away with eatting crappy food weight wise, just hate the cholesterol and salt - I find that fast food tastes pretty sub-par... and its a slippery slope, once you let yourself cheat a couple times you start to convince yourself it's ok to do all the time, and before you know it your fat and have clogged arteries and the remote control for the tv is fused to your hand.

[Brian A.]

There wasn't even a gas station around? Being on the road a lot, I find that gas stations can provide a decent meal if you can piece it together: Trail Mix or mixed nuts, some have decent protein bars, some even have fruit hidden up by the register - yea it's not organic but it works.

[ATM]

My gas station meals usually consist of jerkey and pork rhinds. Maybe a small pack of cashews or almonds, if I can find unsmoked and unsugared almonds. It usually costs 7 bucks for all that, but I feel it's closer to whole/clean foods than fast food is.

[LisaS]

just learn from it. stock the desk drawer with tuna and nuts and then you won't be stranded if/when you forget to bring that day's food.

[RobLL]

When I travel, I take nuts and lowcarb jerky (yes, you have to watch, they always are adding tons of sugar to it) with me. And in fact I often use them for my lunch.

[Lost Dog]

A lot of convenience stores have hardboiled eggs and cheese, too.

[Terry Monk]

McDonalds on the healthy (eh, somewhat) = grilled chicken sandwich sans the mayo extra lettuce and tomato. Diet Coke. Two sandwiches if you're nasty.

[Fulmen]

Like the guys have previously said, it depends on your goals. Obviously, you should eat because you don't want to be stuck in a catabolic state. In defense of fast food, I eat triple whoppers all the time. I want to be as massive as possible, and a triple whopper is a godsend. Getting in around 4k to 5k of calories is not easy, and without fast food it would be an even harder thing to do.

That does not mean I live on fast food. I'm not going to munc