Does anyone know at which fast food chains (regretable but sometimes necessary) we vegetarians can get a meal with enough protein that's not all cheese?

Well, here goes...

the only one that comes to mind is Subway!

Now, I am not suggesting you start eating bread! You can get a salad or a wrap, and many Subways carry the "boca burger" or veggie burger patties. Then, just add the veggies as you desire.

Sometimes, when I go to Subway (which is not often), I will have a salad and just take my own dressing. They usually don't put enough veggies on the salad, so I may end up bringing along some fruit to go along with it.

I wonder if there are any other fast food joints that serve those veggie burgers? None that I know of around Wisconsin!

Hello Jennifer,

Burger King serves MorningStar Farms veggie burgers.

http://www.bk.com/#menu=2,42,-1

Good to know! I don't think that there is a Burger King within 40-50 miles of my location.

There is a veggie burger in McDonald's !!!

http://app.mcdonalds.com/bagamcmeal...emID=10104


AM7+

Yes, some Subways have a gardenburger on their menu, but they are specialty items, and not all Subways offer them. Also, when you DO order them, they come out a bit high in carb. Burgerville here in Oregon also offers a Gardenburger.

And, although they are not true fast food places, many chain restaurants are also offering meat alternative burgers.

I'm on the road a lot.

I've had no problem at Subways having them build veggie sandwiches the way I like them: spinach, olives, red onion, Provolone, bell peppers then marinara sauce over this and baked in the oven. Yummy.

Taco Bell, Del Taco, and Pollo Loco don't put lard in the beans. How I love Pollo Loco's BRC burritos with black beans. I live an hour from the Mexican border in CA and found the closer you get to the border, the less chance you have of getting your beans without "manteca" in independent Mexican restaurants. It's almost like a national offense if you object to it. (Same experience asking for brown rice instead of white in Chinese restaurants back in my rice eating days.)

Most McDonalds don't have veggie burgers in my experience. They tried for a while, and most nixed them.

I heard that some KFC's are selling a veggie chicken...I forgot if they're nuggets or in a sandwich. They have gotten a lot of heat from animal rights activists for years, so I think it's far more of a PR move than a profit venture.

Sometimes I just go into a major supermarket and order this and that from the deli: various salads or dips or I have someone make me a veggie sandwich. Then a buy an apple or pear from produce. I finish my meal thinking this is probably the most healthful way to get fast food.

Julli,

Uno's [ Chicago Grill] has some excellent overall offerings - if they are in your area - and they were recently awarded first place by Health Magazine for a menu with nutritious options among "chain" restaruants.

I go there often but I can't honestly remember what the choices might be for a protein source for a vegan.

I do know that there sides of broccoli and cauliflower are fresh and well prepared. Their very large Caesar salad always has crisp fresh romaine. They are happy to serve dressing on the side and when I feel like it and plan in advance have no objection to me bringing my own favorite dressing.

Link to their menu :

http://www.unos.com/




link to article in Health Magazine[ which includes awards for nutritional excellence to other "chains" ]

http://eating.health.com/2008/04/23...o-eat-out/

I've found this article very useful and have printed out a copy and keep it in my car.


E.Wally

Thanks for mentioning Caesar salad. I ordered one at a Wendy's a while back and they put little pieces of a pig corpse all over it (sometimes euphemistically called "Bacon Bits). It was a drive through and I wasn't up for returning, but I'll get on their website and ask they at least keep the dead pig separate.

Virginia,

You're welcome.

Around here the Uno's is across from Wendy's - maybe there's one near you.

E.Wally

Well, several fast food joints are willing to accommodate more than others. I am new to the Zone so all i know is NO BREAD. I'm also a vegetarian so it makes things much more difficult! This is what I do:

BURGER KING: I order the BK Veggie and tell them that I don't want a bun but if they could wrap it in lettuce or give me more lettuce instead. What they do is put it in a side salad tray. Pretty good.

JACK-IN-THE-BOX: I order the BREAKFAST JACK and ask for the same thing as above--more LETTUCE instead of bread. I even ask for a slice of tomato.

Usually, they do not charge extra. Not sure if that is fits the ZONE diet. Can someone tell me if I am going about this the right way? I don't want to make a mistake on this diet. It's new to me.

P.S. Did McDonald's bring back the veggie burger? The last time, they said that it was just a limited time and they didn't carry it anymore. I'm in California, by the way.

I read somewhere that Caesar salads were off the Zone diet list.

Robert,

Whatever you heard about Caesar salads being a Zone No No somehow got misconstrued.

A Caesar salad is one of the best things you can eat.

Romaine lettuce - in contrast to the usual Iceburg - has lots of phytonutrients [ it's DARK AND LEAFY], lots of fiber, no fat, no sugar, low in carbs - correction EXTREMELY LOW in carbs, and, if you look at the nutritional analysis of the brand I purchase it's P 1g, fiber 1g and carbs 3g - in other words is virtually "balanced" out of the bag.

Now - did we mention anything about DRESSINGS ?

Perhaps this is where you heard something about a "Caesar" salad that was not compatible with The Zone. It is fashonable lately for the "fast food" establishments to offer salads and somethimes even a Caesar Salad and most if not all of the dressings are crap.

ONe of the places - can't remember which - has a dressing marked "olive oil" but when you look at the analysis it has a tinsy winsy amount of olive oil and lots of "other" oils.

The dressings on Caesar salads at "regular" restaurants come with an enourmous variety of formulations when it comes right down to it - they taste very similar however.

They "can be" not so good in that they have a LOT of mayonaise -and being a restaurant [ food BUSINESS ] the mayo is made with the least expensive ingredients possible.

Better restaurants will use less dressing and with better ingredients because they have purchased the better fresh Romaine lettuce and want to let it's natural taste come through.

They will even often make their own dressing - out of nice healthy ingredients !

So - 1. If not familiar with the resaurant order the Caesar with the dressing on the side.

Use just enough to flavor to your taste

2. If having at home CAREFULLY select the dressing. They run the full gamut at the super. Most "regular" have crappy oils and lots of sugar added.

The upscale brands almost always use olive oil or canola oil - that's what you want. Compare the sugar content and go for the least amount.


AS I mentioned Uno's has a wonderful Caesar salad as well as many other nutritional options on their menu.

Here's a link [below ]to an article in Health Magazine that evaluated "chain restaurants" from a nutritional pont of view. You will find that if you are going to have lunch at a "chain" versus a "fast food" [ burger place ] and order a salad, for example, when you analyze what you get for what you pay the "chain" item will cost about the same [ per oz.] but be far better for you all the way around - not to mention the pleasant surroundings versus the "cattle car".

for example : compare the Caesar offered at Wendys versus Uno's - the one at Uno's is way bigger. This means you will get lots more of something that is good for you and thereby tend to fill you up and NOT order too much of something else that is NOT good for you - or - simply TOO MUCH in general.

On the surface you think you are "saving" at the "fast food" place when in fact you are saving very little in price but sacrificing your health.

I don't know of a "chain" that doesn't have a lunch menu of inexpensive versions of offered dinner items that almost always offer a variety of items that are "heart healthy" or "Diet Friendly" etc., etc., - this is a plus as usually it means they are moderate in serving size versus the "super size" this or that at the "fast food" place across the street.

I have found that in the end you "save" very little at the "fast food" joint whereas at the "chain" you often save your health.

A very small price to pay.

http://eating.health.com/2008/04/23...o-eat-out/

I've found this article very useful and have printed out a copy and keep it in my car.





The heart and soul of a Caesar salad is the Romaine lettuce which is extremely nutritionally good for you.

There's nothing wrong with Romaine with a vinegar or olive oil and vinegar - both ways about as good for you as it gets.

E.Wally

ewally@verizon.net

Hi Jennifer and Cnelson - Just a heads up - Even though Burger King serves Morningstar, they actually cook it on the same grill as the animal parts grill. So.....

@Margaret, Not sure which BK your eating at but the ones I've been to use a separate grill that hasn't been touched by meat at all. PLUS I worked at BK putting stuff on the broiler so I pretty much know that the veggie patties are all separate from the meat. In the same broiler yes, but on the far end away from the meat there's no way they could touch; I used to watch to make sure lol!
Might be different elsewhere...I guess!

Chipotle is amazing and they have great salads, as well as burritos. You must check it out! I've heard they are considered among the healthiest fast food places.

I often eat at Panera Bread they have vegetarian options. I also like Moe's Southwestern Grill. They have seasoned tofu as a "meat choice" and their nutritional info is on their website, as is Panera's so you can make an informed choice.

Harvey's have veggie burgers.

Best fast food that I have seen is Noodles and Company. Great tofu, and they actually publish in the restaurant nutrition information that is useful. I eat there weekly. I also like Chipotle; the Veggie Bol is great. For those of you who want to splurge with a do I say it hamburger, try Johnny Rockets. All of their burgers can be made with a boca burger.

The best advice I can vegetarians who want to eat out is go ethnic. I never have a problem in an ethnic restaurant finding something vegan that I can conform to a zone like meal.