Keto Fast Foods
A keto diet and fast food may not be the best combination, especially when eating out.
A made-at-home meal is always preferable, but there are times when life exercises its authority, leaving you with very few options.
It is essential to understand that there are not many clean keto fast food options available, especially if you are following a strict, clean keto diet.
Aside from buns and breaded items that are apparent carb sources, numerous fast-food restaurants add wheat, sweeteners, starch, high fructose corn syrup, and preservatives to the safest items, such as poultry or beef.
The following low-carb keto fast food guide will help you find the best keto fast food options, whether traveling, having a hectic schedule, or having a unique requirement.
Do not be afraid to indulge in keto fast food if doing so allows you to remain on course.
7 Keto Diet Fast Food Tips When Eating Out
Keto Fast Foods – 7 Keto Diet Fast Food Tips When Eating Out
A ketogenic diet emphasizes the consumption of fat rather than carbohydrates.
When you follow the diet, your body enters a state of ketosis, in which it begins to burn fat for fuel rather than carbohydrates for energy.
If you are new to the diet plan, taking medication, or have a preexisting health condition, such as diabetes, you should seek the advice of a doctor before embarking on the keto diet (see also Keto Diet for Diabetics).
Additionally, it would be best if you kept in mind that eating fast food is not the healthiest choice, even on a high-fat diet like the ketogenic one.
Besides eating out or passing through a drive-through, you can also create delicious and healthy homemade fast foods quickly and conveniently from the comfort of your kitchen.
Here are the guidelines to follow if you choose keto fast foods.
1. Veggies, Cheese, And Meat (Without Breading) Are All Acceptable Choices.
Even at fast-food restaurants, you can get your hands on some of the essentials of the keto diet.
You might need to make a few adjustments to your meals, but you can always tell if a dish is healthy because you can see what you put in your mouth.
However, you must be careful about some accompaniments, such as sauces containing large amounts of carbs.
2. Look Up Nutrition And Ingredient Information Online.
Check the ingredients and nutritional value of every meal. Some places throw unnecessary and unhealthy carbs into the meals, so it is crucial to be sure.
Fortunately, many fast-food restaurants post their foods with nutritional information on their websites, thus making it easy for you.
3. Avoid The Bun
Even if the bun is an option on the menu, do not eat it. If a keto meal is not available, there is no harm in asking for a sandwich without a bun at any fast food joint.
4. Stay Away From Fried Foods
Request grilled chicken in place of any fried ingredients. Also, do not just go for the meats because you are on a keto diet.
If you overeat protein without adding fats to your fast foods, you might get out of the ketosis state.
5. Ask For “Carb-Free” Extras
When you place your order, insist on carb-free extras. If you order a sandwich without a bun, you may find it is not enough food if you are on a strict keto diet. The most appropriate extras are:
- Banana peppers
- Cucumbers
- Jalapeños
- Lettuce
- Mayonnaise
- Oil & vinegar
- Olives
- Pickles
- Sour cream
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
6. Bring Your Condiments If You Can
While some condiments, such as mayonnaise, are acceptable, many dressings and sauces in fast-food establishments are heavy in sugar.
If you can, make your condiments to have a broader range of options.
7. You Should Always Double-Check Your Order
Despite the growing popularity of low-carbohydrate diets, it is not uncommon for restaurants to overlook the bun or serve fried chicken instead of grilled.
Homemade Keto Fast Foods
Deciding on the best keto fast food selections might be a challenge.
On the other hand, making your own low-carb fast food meals at home will ensure that you are using truly clean foods and have greater control.
Even if they are not nearly as speedy, you can prepare many of them ahead of time and have them available quickly.
Here are some of the best homemade keto fast foods to get you started: If you want to make them, check out our keto fast food recipes article.
1. Keto Bunless Burger
Keto Bunless Burger
There are no buns in this delicious juicy burger. It is nutritious, filling, cost-effective, easy to make, and takes only 15 minutes to be ready. Here is the keto bunless burger recipe.
2. Grilled Cheese Toast
Grilled Cheese Toast
A grilled cheese toast is another homemade keto fast delicacy that you can prepare quickly and easily. It is keto-compatible, and most importantly, it never compromises on taste.
3. Keto Cloud Sandwich
Keto Cloud Sandwich
After making this cloud bread, you can make sandwiches and mini pizzas and toast with it. You can spread butter on it and accompany the sandwich with a cup of coffee.
4. Keto Tacos
Keto Tacos
If prepared correctly, keto tacos will give you zero carbs. They are easy to prepare ahead and take only 10 minutes of prep time.
5. Keto KFC Chicken
Keto KFC Chicken
KFC chicken is a delicacy craved by many people. You can make your own KFC chicken with the same flavor and taste at home.
30 Keto-Friendly Fast Foods
If you do not have the time to cook, you can opt for any of the following places that offer keto-friendly, delicious fast foods.
1. Arby’s Sandwich
Arby’s Sandwich
If you are looking for a sumptuous keto-friendly sandwich, you will never go wrong with Arby’s.
The sandwich joint offers bunless and lettuce-wrapped chicken, beef, and other deli-style sandwiches.
2. Burger King For Sandwiches And Burgers
If you avoid the salads, you can enjoy the most incredible tasting grilled chicken sandwiches and burgers served bunless or on a tray in burger king.
Besides the burgers and chicken, anything else with chicken in the joint is breaded.
3. Burgerville- Deluxe Chicken Sandwich/Burger
Keto Fast Foods – Burgerville- Deluxe Chicken Sandwich/Burger
In Burgerville, you can order a grilled bunless chicken burger or sandwich and a salad option. Avoid their smokey blue cheese, which does not fit the low-carb bill.
4. Carl’s Jr- Grass-Fed Meat Hamburgers
Grass-fed meat, say, keto experts, is the most acceptable. The patties in Carl’s Jr.’s hamburgers are from grass-fed, free-range cattle.
Cheese, lettuce, onion, tomato, pickle, and bacon are the typical burger toppings.
5. Checker’s / Rally’s-Bunless Hot Dogs
Checker’s, a longtime favorite in the Midwest and East Coast, has a classic window walk-up and drive-thru menu and several tasty keto fast food options.
You may have your burgers or hot dogs without buns or lettuce wraps here.
6. Chick-Fil-A-Grilled Club Sandwich
Chick-Fil-A-Grilled Club Sandwich
A keto-friendly bunless grilled chicken club sandwich from this joint with bacon, cheese, and veggies accompaniment is mouthwatering and filling.
7. Chipotle / Charles Schiller-Salad
The two tastiest components at Chipotle, rice and beans, are off-limits.
However, practically everything else you can use in their salad is acceptable. Adding guacamole and using salsa instead of vinaigrette will help you get healthier fats into your diet.
8. Culver’s-Bunless Burger/Sandwich
This fast-food restaurant has a few low-carb alternatives, but you can choose between lettuce-wrapped or bunless burgers and chicken sandwiches.
Steamed broccoli and a side salad are among the meal’s accompaniments.
9. Dairy Queen-Lettuce Wrapped Sandwich
Dairy Queen does not have much to offer for keto fast foods, but you can still get a lettuce-wrapped or bunless burger or sandwich. The joint is more famous for its ice creams.
10. Del Taco-Lettuce Wrapped Burgers
Del Taco-Lettuce Wrapped Burgers
DEL TACO is yet another option for authentic Mexican cuisine. Salads are the most straightforward option.
Exclude the beans and tortilla chips and have a tasty keto-friendly fast food meal. Lettuce-wrapped or bunless burgers and Fresca Bowls without beans and rice are popular options.
11. Five Guys-Burger
It is hard to beat Five Guys’ burgers because they customize them in a way that many other joints do not.
To top the patties, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, grilled onions, and grilled mushrooms and peppers are all you need.
12. Freddie’s-Steak Burger
The fast-food restaurant is famous for its steakburgers, hot dogs, and frozen custard. Hot dogs without buns and lettuce-wrapped steak burgers are both options.
13. Freshii
Freshii is a brand with clean food and an environmentally friendly vibe. They provide a menu tailored to fit diverse dietary preferences, with keto-friendly fast food options available.
14. In-N-Out-Lettuce As A Bun Sandwich
Keto Fast Foods – In-N-Out-Lettuce As A Bun Sandwich
Ask for a Double-Double Protein Style lettuce-as-a-bun sandwich when you place your order. There are no odd components in these slices.
15. Jack-In-The-Box-Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
Here’s how to get the most out of the menu at Jack In The Box: Get the Teriyaki Chicken Bowl without the rice, double the vegetables, and omit the sauce.
16. Jersey Mike’s Subs- Jersey Mike’s Subs-Sub in a Tub
Keto Fast Foods – Jersey Mike’s Subs- Jersey Mike’s Subs-Sub in a Tub
Jersey Mike’s makes it easy to follow a keto diet. You can request a “Sub in a Tub,” including toppings without the bread.
17. Jimmy John’s- Unwich Lettuce Wrapped Sandwich
It’s hard to go wrong with a Jimmy John’s sub sandwich, especially with their fantastic keto option, the Unwich, a lettuce-wrapped sandwich.
18. KFC-Grilled Chicken
Because of the carbs, you must avoid KFC’s original crispy chicken recipe. However, you can indulge in their grilled chicken and green beans as a side dish to round out the keto-friendly dinner.
19. McDonald’s-Bunless burger/Sandwich
McDonald’s is a mainstay of American fast-food culture and is probably the most popular franchise in the country.
It is easier than you think to order a keto McDonald’s meal. You can choose between lettuce-wrapped or bunless burgers and sandwiches.
The grilled salads are also available in two varieties.
20. Moe’s-Carnitas
Keto Fast Foods – Moe’s-Carnitas
Keto-friendly Moe’s southwest bowls are available without rice or beans. Carnitas (slow-cooked pork), steak, chicken, or ground beef can all be great accompaniments to this dish.
21. Panera-Salad
Greek Panera’s Salad is perfectly keto-friendly. Make this a complete dinner by omitting the dressing and sprinkling on some protein.
Order their breakfast sandwich with egg and cheese on top for a more minimalistic approach.
22. Popeye’s- Blackened Chicken Strips
You can’t get your hands on the classic crispy chicken or the famed biscuits at Popeye’s, but you can get the blackened chicken strips so wonderfully seasoned that you will always return for more.
23. Pret A Manger-Egg and Spinach Pot
Egg and spinach pot from Pret A Manger is high-protein but also low-carb and delicious.
This dish has 14 grams of protein and 2 grams of carbohydrates in 2 hard-boiled eggs on top of raw spinach.
24. Q’DOBA- Lifestyle Bowl
Keto Fast Foods – Q’DOBA- Lifestyle Bowl
Locating fantastic keto-friendly fast food options at Q’DOBA, a Mexican fast-food restaurant with a fully customizable menu, is easy. They offer “lifestyle bowls,” which are tacos without the shell.
25. Shake Shack-Bunless Hot Dogs
Shake Shack is a burger joint on the East Coast that serves breakfast, frozen custard, beer, wine, and even dog treats. They also serve bunless burgers and hot dogs.
26. Sonic-Bunless Burritos
Sonic has a cult following thanks to its colorful advertisements and car shop parking. There are different bunless burgers, sandwiches, burritos, and hot dogs.
27. Starbucks- Egg Bites
Keto Fast Foods – Starbucks- Egg Bites
You can’t go wrong with a Starbucks coffee, egg bites, and a low-carb breakfast.
There are three egg omelet flavor options, one of which is a vegetarian alternative. These bite-sized omelets are great for on-the-go breakfasts because they are easy to eat.
28. Subway-Protein Bowl
Subway introduced numerous new protein bowl options that you can easily include in the keto diet. They also offer options for sauce on the side.
29. Taco Bell-Power Bowl
You will not find any taco shells at Taco Bell. A few substitutions make this Power Bowl a keto-friendly dessert. Get rid of the rice and beans.
30. Wendy’s-Lettuce Wrapped Sandwich
This fast-food company offers a wide selection of keto-friendly burgers, poultry, and salads.
Wendy’s low-carb customizing options include lettuce-wrapped sandwiches, sauces, and condiments on the side.
Final Thoughts
The keto diet is one of the most popular eating plans worldwide. However, following the diet can sometimes feel like you do not have many food options because of its high-carb food restriction.
It becomes more of a problem when you are eating out.
Fortunately, today, many drive-through and fast-food restaurants offer keto-friendly meals that will not interfere with your diet.
Furthermore, you can also make several of them at home, as they do not take too much prep time. When eating out, you must ensure that you do not deviate from the keto diet.
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