Eating Out On A Budget by Zorn

(8 year Ketogenic Veteran) #1

I am on a tight budget.

I’d recommend keeping it simple. When I go out for fast food, I usually go to McDonald’s. Here in Minnesota their McDouble is only $1.49, and it has two patties with a slice of cheese IN THE MIDDLE. This is KEY as then it is easy to take off the bun. I normally order 4. Yes, FOUR. Four McDoubles are approximately 68 grams of protein, 67 grams of fat, and the cheese is 6 grams carbohydrate. (1.5 grams per slice cheese). It’ll fill you up, trust me.
If you get braver, see if your McDonald’s will sell meat patties separately. Mine does. I buy quarter pounder meat patties for $1.29 each!! But I never order patties separate at the drive thru. I go inside when they are not busy because they find the order challenging. Be ready to explain.

The other cheap “fast food” is Chipotle. Get the burrito bowl (no tortilla), skip the rice, beans and corn salsa, and load up on everything else.

Perkins has real butter if you ask, and at least 5 low carb sides to choose from with their dinners such as green beans with bacon, grilled asparagus, a side salad, broccoli, or sautéed spinach.
(I get the pork chop, salmon, or tilapia dinner).
Any restaurant that serves breakfast will be cheap and low carb. See if you can negotiate an extra egg or bacon for leaving off the potato or bread. Most will. A loaded omelette always works too.

I have many more suggestions. I’ve been doing this keto thing for over three solid years now :zornface:

I am beginning to think this is impossible for me
(Tom Seest) #2

I’d give you all my bacons and money cept the government wanted it.

(Dustin Cade) #3

I wish we had in and out burgers in the Midwest!

(Jo Lo) #4

We rarely go out, except to steak houses (decline the bread basket) and Brazillian barbecues for special occasions (after epic exercise sessions, like a marathon or 5 days of backpacking). It’s probably not grass-fed meat, but these places are as close as you can get to Paradise in the commercial world!

(8 year Ketogenic Veteran) #5

I had to giggle. Steak houses and Brazilian barbecues are FAR from budget friendly!

I hit steak houses whenever possible (last night because the Ewers were in town) but have not tried the Brazilian barbecue yet.

Check out @Kassie’s podcast.

(James storie) #6

There is a McDonald’s on my regular route that I stop in from time to time. They have triple cheeseburgers on a 2 for 5 menu. I always get 2 without ketchup. 3 patties with 2 pieces of cheese, just remove the bun and inhale!

#7

OK, I’m so doing this. The McDs here is great at getting my order right, but while traveling it’s a real challenge. And I’m paying $5 usually for a double quarter pounder with cheese (no pickles, onions, bun). It would be SO MUCH easier and cheaper if I tossed the buns myself—and I’d get more food!

(John) #8

I tell them no bun and they put them all in a pancake tray with fork and knife, that way I can get 2 McDoubles. My BK knows low carb so you just tell them what you want and low carb and they do the rest, they even know to leave off or ask about sauces.

Steak and Shake is pretty cost effective as well. We have a Flying Burrito which is like Moe’s a lot of places, you can get a taco salad loaded with what you want and you tell them no shell and they put it on a bed of lettuce.

As some have mentioned before, be careful at breakfast joints, Denny’s for example uses pancake batter in their omelets.

#9

our McDs puts them in a bowl. But other places seem to do just whatever. I find the pancake tray hard to eat off of while in a car with 2 puppies and a toddler…lol

(Becky) #10

I love McDs since starting keto! Their burgers without the bun are awesome! My local drive thru knows my order. I try to say it the same way, in the same sequence every time. If someone new is at the register, I hear the whisper and suddenly the correct order shows up on screen. (I try not to imagine what is being whispered…Lol) Use the app for 1 dollar breakfast sandwiches and coffee incentives.

20 cent wings night at the local dive bar with the mandatory drink, which for me is diet Pepsi and I’ve got dinner for less then five bucks. Buffalo Wild Wings also has half off wings on Tuesdays. I’ve heard TGIF endless apps is a cheap keto option.

(fitnsgrl7) #11

I think that McDonalds meat is so unhealthy. . Im sorry, but I dont see the point going through the worst fast food place in America. Why not buy your own meat and make burgers for the whole week? Maybe its just me… I dunno… :smirk:

(Dustin Cade) #12

Which app at TGIF is keto friendly?

(Sam Marcos) #13

I agree. McDonalds is NASTY stuff. At least get Five Guys or something a little more like real meat than that “pink slime” patty ewww lol

(G. Andrew Duthie) #14

Plenty of room in keto world for different preferences.

For some it may be convenience, for others, perhaps they’re traveling and don’t have the option to make burgers for the week. And some folks may even like the McD’s burgers. Either way, we should step carefully when looking down on what others choose to eat, especially when it’s still worlds better than the SAD.

There’s a thread on the forums that covers this notion in greater depth, and is worth reviewing:

I do eat grass-fed meats when I can, both for the better fatty-acid profile, and because I like the flavor. But I’d rather see people eating corn-fed frozen beef than eating the bun. :slight_smile:

(G. Andrew Duthie) #15

I love me some Five Guys, but the title of this thread is “Eating Out On a Budget”. Five Guys is a budget-buster, big time. The last two times I took my family there, it cost between $40-50. That is simply nuts for burgers.

(8 year Ketogenic Veteran) #16

Yep.

It’s your preference and that is fine. You do what you are comfortable with. Keto isn’t about food sources so McDonald’s fits.
KCKO

(8 year Ketogenic Veteran) #17

By the way, do your research. McDonald’s beef patties are 100% beef, and I see no point in spreading incorrect rumor @thebaconator. That is not not kind OR helpful here.

Remember what this forum is for. The ketogenic diet. That’s it.

(Jessica) #18

This is so useful when traveling or in a rush. I was already making plans for what I’m going to eat when on vacation.
Of course you can fast, but where’s the fun?

If one wanted a salad aside, any suggestions? Last time I saw, that the vinegar/oil dressing packets they had, had 10% sugar. That’s ridiculous!

(James storie) #19

I do do that, but as a truck driver. The convenience of a McDonald’s attached to a truck stop is great! And mighty tasty!

(fitnsgrl7) #20

I guess its a personal preference. :slight_smile: