Loaded bowls seem to be popping up everywhere. They are labeled as a healthier alternative to traditional fast food meals. Tim Hortons is the latest to join the group. They are certainly more healthy than some of the other meal options available, but can you make the loaded bowls keto?
Tim Hortons – the Loaded Bowls
Tim Hortons has three loaded bowls available. The first is the chicken habanero. It comes with chicken, of course, rice, quinoa, cucumber, tomatoes, and lettuce. It also has slices of jalapeno and Habanero sauce. This bad boy comes in at a whopping 44 grams of carbs, 5 of which are sugar.
The second kind of loaded bowl is chicken cilantro lime. It has all the same ingredients as above, except it has crispy onions and cilantro and lime sauce instead of the jalapenos and Habanero sauce. I absolutely hate cilantro, so this one would not be for me, even if it was keto. And it is not keto. It has 46 grams of carbs, 5 grams of which are sugar.
The third loaded bowl is the veggie Habanero with cheese. It hosts the same ingredients as the chicken habanero, except it does not have chicken. This one tips the scales at 60 grams of net carbs – 7 grams of which is sugar. That’s 3 days worth of carbs for me!
Tim Hortons – Making the Loaded Bowls Keto
The chicken is either crispy or slow-cooked. The slow-cooked chicken doesn’t have breading on it, so it is more keto friendly. Obviously, there is rice and quinoa in the bowls, so that part is not keto friendly. But, can you just get the bowl with a lettuce base? According to the mobile app, you cannot. It makes you choose the rice, a protein, and vegetables.
Now, I haven’t gone in and asked, but my assumption is that the bowls are pretty standard and the servers just add the extra ingredients to keep it fresh. Added to this the shortage of lettuce right now, and I think you are out of luck for a loaded bowl at Tim Hortons if you are keto.
Are Subway Loaded Bowls Keto?
Subway is another fast food option that has recently added loaded bowls to their menu. These bowls come in crispy chicken bacon, green Goddess veggie, Southwest steak and avocado, and sweet onion chicken teriyaki. I looked hard at the stead and avocado. Made with a lettuce base, this could be an amazing fast food option for me. Unfortunately, the app again doesn’t let me choose no rice.
I would love to see if anyone has taken the time to go into either Subway or Tim Hortons to order a loaded bowl without the rice. Personally, I’m usually in a rush if I have to do a fast food option, so I haven’t taken the time to go in and ask too many questions. Let me know if there are other choices that aren’t listed on the apps!
The Burrito Bowl at BarBURRITO
I’ve done a blog already about my favourite fast food option – a burrito bowl at BarBURRITO. We can choose in the mobile app no rice and no beans. We put in the comments that we would like lettuce as a base. They come through for us every time!
Bill likes the spicy chicken bowl, with sour cream and guacamole. I enjoy the steak bowl. I get it with no sauce, and then put some G Hughes sugar free BBQ sauce on it. We use the mobile ordering system and it’s ready for pick up in 10 minutes – no waiting in line and no explaining why we are ordering low carb options.
Are Loaded Bowls Keto?
They are not, as long as you have to have rice, beans, and/or quinoa. Are they healthier? Well, yes, I’m sure they are healthier than many of the options out there. So, if you are trying to live a healthier lifestyle, this could work. Although, try going to Tim Hortons and ordering a meal without getting a donut for dessert – I dare you!
Wendy
