Healthiest and most filling fast / quick food joints?

[fuzzybabybunny]

What are the healthiest but also the most satisfying quick food joints?

I have to say Chipotle.

Burrito bowl with meat, brown rice, black beans, fajita onions and peppers, and then load it with chunky tomato and corn salsa, topped with a ton of lettuce.

You've got a lot of complex carbs, lots of veggies, fiber, and good proteins. And not loaded with grease or cheese like more authentic Mexican places.

All for about $8. $10 if you get double meat.

People say Panera Bread, but I don't like it. Too many simple carbs with their white breads, salads in general are not very satisfying nor filling for me, and the $8 meal only gets you half a sandwich, a small bowl of soup, and an apple. $8 at Chipotle feels much more filling than $8 at Panera.

I'd like to stay away from the sandwich category of restaurants. The closer to an actual plate of assorted food, the better IMO.

 

[Vic Vega]

I try to eat local but have nothing specific against Chipotle. When I have eaten there the food was good.

I'm a big fan of local mom and pop quick hibachi places. Walk up with no seating or limited seating preferred. I usually do chicken, shrimp and veggies - with of course, brown rice. If you're going for healthy avoid the white sauce but damn it's good.

I have a place a mile or so from my house which will do a basic chicken hibachi for like $5 with rice and loads of veggies! Hard to beat. You can go full bore with chicken, steak and shrimp + veggies and rice for around $8.25. Probably my favorite quit food joints.

 

[PowerYoga]

Chipotle is not good for you at all with the amount of sodium in the food, but you can cut out a lot of the bad stuff by not getting cheese, sour cream and putting the stuff in a bowl.

Depending on your sense of "satisfying", salads at places like cosi, panera, etc etc are probably all way more healthier with a low fat vinegarette dressing. Cosis gives you a big piece of bread too.

 

[Vic Vega]

I can't bring myself to get salad at Panera. It's a bakery and I always get some fresh bread. Good stuff. That said, Panera is expensive for what you get.

 

[rh71]

*sigh*... fast food for $8.

 

[Vic Vega]

My other addiction for quick food is food trucks, but they are all over here. Not healthy per say but fill the cheap and satisfying requirements. A local taco truck is a staple at the office, $1.50 tacos and they are fantastic.

 

[RossMAN]

Uh oh this isn't good.

http://www.brandeating.com/2013/05/news-panera-2013-featured-summer-menu.html

New Chilled Shrimp & Soba Noodle Salad - Organic soba noodles, napa cabbage blend, peanut orange sauce, baby spinach, and orange miso dressing, topped with white shrimp and sesame seeds.

Nutritional Info
Calories - 700 (from Fat - 200)
Fat - 22g (Saturated Fat - 3.5g)
Sodium - 1730mg
Carbs - 88g (Sugar - 14g)
Protein - 38g

 

[ThatsABigOne]

Burger King.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Subway, anything else is far from healthy, not that Subway is super healthy but at least there's some vegetables involved.

 

[Leros]

Subway, anything else is far from healthy, not that Subway is super healthy but at least there's some vegetables involved.

I like Jimmy Johns. It seems like real food.

 

[darkswordsman17]

Actually I bet Chipotle is nowhere close to as healthy as you think it is.

Actually checking, what you put yeah its pretty decent. You could get something comparable to that at Subway or other sub/sandwich shop.

Panera really isn't that healthy, I love their food but its not especially healthy, and it doesn't fill me up that well.

Wow, just checked my crunchy veggie tacos I usually get at Chipotle, 725 calories for 3, and I usually get 4 since 3 isn't filling, is tasty though. Black beans, white rice, cheese, lettuce, and guac.

 

[dighn]

subway ain't bad in terms of healthiness. i don't think it's the best food or anything but a ham sandwich loaded with veggies and some low fat dressing like mustard isn't bad at all. it is pretty loaded with sodium i believe and probably nitrates, but we are talking fast food here.

 

[dbk]

subway?

 

[Anonemous]

subway

 

[JimmiG]

Subway I guess, but it's not as filling as a good Bacon Cheeseburger. Too many carbs and not enough fat.

Sushi is of course the most healthy, but you might as well eat water with chopsticks.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Rice is also good, if you're hungry to eat ten thousand of something.

 

[LookBehindYou]

I like Jimmy Johns. It seems like real food.

I've heard a bunch of people say the same thing about Jimmy Johns but I'm not seeing it. I've been to one down the road from work a couple times, but it doesnt seem any different than subway. That's not a bad thing, as I don't mind subway at all, but I don't think its any better though. I guess I'm just not seeing why it is considered better.

 

[MarkXIX]

Rice is also good, if you're hungry to eat ten thousand of something.

R.I.P. Mitch.

 

[xanis]

Subway is decent if you're smart about the toppings. Wheat/Honey Oat bread + no cheese + no shitty sauces (go for Sweet Onion or something else that's low-cal) + water. Runs me around $6.50 here.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

My vote is subway

 

[surfsatwerk]

Subway? Better off eating a McDouble.

 

[RedRooster]

I like BadAssJacks, their rice bowls and wraps are fantastic and make me feel like I'm eating better than a hamburger at least.

 

[Crono]

Footlong veggie delight from Subway. Flatbread or 9-grain, BBQ sauce, no cheese. With a bottle of water and a bag of plain chips.

One the very few fast food items I eat anymore. Filling and just about as healthy as any national chain fast food restaurant can be.
Chipotle isn't fast food. It might be a chain restaurant or "fast-casual", but it's not typical fast food. But it probably is the healthiest option among those kinds of restaurants if you don't like sandwiches.

 

[Thebobo]

Two double quarter pounders with cheese stacked on top of each other. And a diet coke.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Footlong veggie delight from Subway. Flatbread or 9-grain, BBQ sauce, no cheese. With a bottle of water and a bag of plain chips.

One the very few fast food items I eat anymore. Filling and just about as healthy as any national chain fast food restaurant can be.
Chipotle isn't fast food. It might be a chain restaurant or "fast-casual", but it's not typical fast food.

I used to get the veggie pattie they offer on the veggie delight....very filling sandwich. They would slightly heat the pattie and then toast the bread...not too bad if you don't think about what you're eating.

I have to say, I'm not a huge Subway fan though. The burrito joints seem to be healthy as long as you skip dairy and go for smaller portion sizes.