Eating Healthy When Eating On the Go
- Feb 10, 2016
- 4 min read
We all have those moments. We’re too tired to cook, let alone make something healthy from scratch. We want something fast. We want something tasty. And if you are watching your weight, going through the drive thru of a fast food chain was, until recently, NOT an option! But today, fast food restaurants across the country are (finally) heeding the cries of those who want to live a healthier lifestyle!
If you do find that going through the drive thru is your ONLY option, relax. There are healthy options – you just need to know what to look for. When it comes to fast food, “healthy” basically means food that offers you a decent combination of macronutrients, without going overboard on calories or potentially harmful things (like sugar or sodium, for people who have high blood pressure). The key here is moderation, with some benefits if possible. So keep the following in mind when choosing:
• Low in calories: For lunch, that means about 500 calories or less. • Protein, to help you build muscles: Each of these meals has at least 10 grams of protein (ideally more!). • Low in sodium (or at least not HIGH in sodium): We aimed for less than 1,000 milligrams of sodium per meal (which is high already, yes). Unfortunately some of the options are a bit higher than that — for anyone with high blood pressure, these are definitely not ideal. • Low in sugar (or at least not HIGH in sugar): Each of these meals has less than 20 grams of sugar. • No trans fat: Trans fats are related to heart disease, so each of these meals comes with 0 grams trans fat.
Top Fast Food Chains and Their Healthier Options:
McDonald’s – They do offer a few salads that all come in under 500 calories, but the dressings that go with them bring the sodium totals up well above 1,000 milligrams. It’s really a personal call whether you’d rather eat more veggies and more sodium, or less veggies and less sodium when dining here.
Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich
360 calories
32 g protein
6 g fat (1.5 g saturated, 0 g trans)
930 mg sodium
43 g carbohydrates (3 g fiber, 11 g sugars)
Chicken McNuggets (6 piece) With Honey Mustard Sauce (1 package)
340 calories
13 g protein
22 g fat (3.5 g saturated, 0 g trans)
655 mg sodium
24 g carbohydrates (2 g fiber, 5 g sugars)
Taco Bell – Yes, even THEY have healthy options! Taco Bell has some items that keep the serving sizes in check, but the thing you should watch out for is the sodium content.
Shredded Chicken Burrito
400 calories
16 g protein
18 g fat (4.5 g saturated, 0 g trans)
960 mg sodium
45 g carbohydrates (3 g fiber, 3 g sugar)
Cantina Power Burrito — Veggie* (vegetarian)
430 calories
15 g protein
19 g fat (7 g saturated, 0 g trans)
940 mg sodium
52 g carbohydrates (9 g fiber, 5 g sugar)
Burger King – A few things to look out for: A lot of their burgers come with trans fats (and any amount of trans fats are not good). And the salads are pretty reasonable, although some of them come with a LOT of sodium.
BK VEGGIE Burger* (vegetarian)
390 calories
21 g protein
16 g fat (2.5 g saturated, 0 g trans)
900 mg sodium
44 g carbohydrates (5 g fiber, 9 g sugar)
Chicken BLT Garden Fresh Salad with TENDERGRILL and dressing
440 calories
33 g protein
29 g fat (8 g saturated, 0 g trans)
1,080 mg sodium
11 g carbohydrates (3 g fiber, 5 g sugar)
Starbucks - Starbucks has some excellent box options and some healthy wraps, both with meat and also vegetarian, but it can get pricey.
Protein Bistro Box* (vegetarian)
380 calories
13 g protein
19 g fat (6 g saturated, 0 g trans)
470 mg sodium
37 g carbohydrates (5 g fiber, 19 g sugar)
Edamame Hummus Wrap* (vegetarian)
490 calories
12 g protein
27 g fat (5 g saturated)
970 mg sodium
47 g carbohydrates (6 g fiber, 6 g sugar)
Quizno’s - If you have high blood pressure or are worried about your sodium intake, it’s going to be a bit difficult to eat healthy here — there are very few options that come with less than 1,000 mg of sodium.
Small Honey Bourbon Chicken Sub
360 calories
23 g protein
6 g fat (6 g saturated, 0 g trans)
1,000 mg sodium
51 g carbohydrates (2 g fiber, 13 g sugar)
Small Veggie Guacamole “Classic”* (vegetarian)
450 calories
13 g protein
25 g fat (8 g saturated, 0 g trans)
940 mg sodium
44 g carbohydrates (3 g fiber, 5 g sugar)
Can fast food really be healthy(ier)?
The truth is that it’s extremely difficult to follow a healthy diet if you eat regularly at fast food restaurants. Fast food restaurants typically use the cheapest ingredients possible in order to keep costs down. That means that foods that otherwise could be considered healthy may not be when ordered from a fast food chain. Cheese can be a good source of protein and calcium, but the cheese topping your burger or covering your pizza is most likely heavily processed, made from non-dairy ingredients. The same goes for meat, chicken, and eggs. Fast food is also typically high in tran
s fat, unhealthy saturated fat, hidden sugar, sodium, and calories. At the same time, it tends to be low in nutrients and almost totally lacking in fruits, vegetables, and fiber.
That doesn’t mean you have to avoid fast food entirely. It’s OK to indulge a craving every once in a while, but to stay healthy you can’t make it a regular habit. The key is moderation—both in how often you frequent fast food chains and what you order once you’re there. There are always choices you can make that are healthier than others. Just remember that even the healthiest fast food options often have nutritional drawbacks so try to keep fast food to the occasional treat.
If you have questions or concerns about this topic or would like to see an issue addressed in a future blog, feel free to contact us at terrifoxfitness@gmail.com.For more information about our services, visit www.terrifoxfitness.com.
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