Fast Food Hacks For Lifters

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What are your fast food hacks as a lifter? Not everything is equal with fast food. Some choices are much better than others. Some items can be modified to make them acceptable.

I’ll give a few examples of things I’ve done or do:

Arby’s 2 for $7 french dip and swiss. Put the contents of one sandwich into the other, throw away the bun. I figure it is around 65 grams of protein and ~750 calories.

Chipolte double chicken bowl. This one is expensive, but if you do it correctly this one isn’t too far off from a body building meal. If cutting removal of cheese and sour cream helps a lot (but makes me sad).

Leanne chin / panda express - Both offer grilled chicken options. Getting both items as the grilled chicken provides a lot of protein. Both places offer steamed veggies as a side, or white rice instead of noodles / fried rice.

Jimmy Johns / 5 guys both offer lettuce wraps. One of my powerlifting buddies would get two 5 guys burgers (they are double burgers) in lettuce wraps. Expensive, but I think that clocked in at over 100 grams of protein.

Wendy’s - Chili is offered as a substitute to fries. A lot less on calories and a lot higher on protein.

McDonald’s - used to make quad burgers out of McDoubles when they were a dollar. Haven’t done this in a long time with the price increase.

Taco bell - Chicken chipolte melt is 180 calories with 12 grams of protein. Can buy two or three and put them in one tortilla. Tastes better than the original. I figure the tortilla is about 60-80 calories.

Culvers - the plate meals like the chopped steak or the pot roast are pretty good. Can get things like steamed broccoli or a side salad as side options.

There are some obvious ones like never getting regular soda. Fries are also pretty bad for the diet and I never get those either (by never I mean I do sometimes, but like a few times a year).

Hopefully this thread can provide some useful info. I am looking for ideas as well. I think cooking at home is best, but sometimes I give into convenience. When that happens I’d prefer to eat to my goals as close as possible.

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None. When it comes to nutrition I put my big boy pants on one leg at time. No cheating! Bring a cooler with your food if you’re traveling. Seriously though, these are great ideas.

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Chic-Fil-A nuggies are where its at.
Macros on a 30-count nugget:

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You can also get them grilled, but for only 1k cals, im just gonna go hard on the nuggies.

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That’s gotta do some damage to the wallet. Not bad though for 950 calories and 100 grams of protein.

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$20 for the 30 count and its enough food to last me like 8 hours before feeling actually hungry again (i usually split them into 2 ‘servings’) Id call that a win.

I also only do this one once every 2 weeks, and on school nights where I’m not coming home until 11pm.

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I try to accept that the combo of cheap, convenient (fast food), and healthy (in this context, good for lifting) is a unicorn. I try to tell myself that it is worth spending more to get something that fits my goals.

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Are kebab shops big in America? For the Brits, always go for chicken shish over any other chicken or doner meat.

Sometimes it’s better to go for 2 burgers over burger & fries. 2 burgers are more filling, already have a ton of carbs, and way more protein. Of course this is dependent on cheese/sauces etc.

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Not really.

Depending on goals using one bun for two burgers or two double burgers works pretty well.

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No, but they ought to be. I would buy a lot of chicken on a stick.

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I don’t go to Chinese buffets often, but when I do, I get lots of the chicken skewers.

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It is a little crazy how they aren’t. Some cities in the UK probably have hundreds. I live in a super small town and there are 3 within about 100 meters of each other.

I must add though, the British takeaway does tend to bastardize a lot of what you’d expect it to be. Our chineses are nothing like most people would imagine, but we love them all the same.

EDIT: Also well-done guys, I’m getting a takeaway tonight now.

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I don’t eat fast food very often, so when I do, I fully indulge in the experience and throw any concepts of health or gains out the window for that meal. It’s better that way.

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You can buy a gallon of milk at McDonalds

Some hot tips from Matt Reynolds and company

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The advice Dave Tate got from JM Blakely

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Joe DeFranco and Co discuss gaining mass for skinny dudes

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JM Blakely discusses the finer points of “hyperpalatability”

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I don’t have trouble gaining weight haha, so most of my strategies are opposite of Dave Tate while still going to those same places.

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In fairness, this is gaining weight from 275 to 308, which is QUITE a different animal. But an interesting one none the less!

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What do you mean? Getting to 308 is easy…

I don’t know actually want to know what I could get to if I started trying. I am guessing I could hit 350 without much trouble.