Life’s busy so we all find ourselves grabbing fast food. Here’s some simple suggestions to keep your healthy choices on track:
Subway:
- 6” whole wheat sub (ask them to hollow out the bread) toasted with double the turkey breast, NO CHEESE, honey mustard, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, green pepper and have it toasted. 1 Grain, 1 Protein, Veggies
- Egg white wrap with cheese. 1 Grain, 1 Protein, 1 Cheese
Sushi:
- 1 order Edamame.
- 1 California roll with brown rice if it’s available or California roll combo with Shrimp Sushi and Salmon Sushi. 1 Grain, 1 Protein, Veggie, 1 Fat
Pizza:
- Pizza trick! Order whole wheat or spelt Thin crust pizza with “light” cheese; this means ask them to use ½ the normal amount of cheese and also add grilled chicken, mushrooms, green or red peppers or other veggies. 2 Slices= 2 grain, 1 Protein, Veggie and Fat. Leave the crusts for the birds!
Tim Horton’s:
- Fruit and Yogurt Parfait. 1 snack size Protein , 1 Fruit
- ½ whole grain bagel (ask them to hollow it out and toast it)with 1 Tablespoon low fat cream cheese. 1 Grain, 1 Cheese
- ½ whole grain bun (ask them to hollow it out) with mustard (not the dressing they routinely use) and turkey breast with lettuce, tomato. 1 Grain, 1 Protein, Veggie
Licks’s/ Hero Burger/ South Street Burger:
- Whole-wheat bun with grilled chicken breast or veggie burger, lettuce, tomato, mustard, BBQ sauce or ketchup, onion or other veggie such as guacamole or pickles. ** try to eat only half the bun . 1 Grain, 1 Protein, Veggie and 1 Fat (guacamole)
Freshi:
- Brown rice bowl (ask them to only scoop ½ cup of rice and add more veggies such as edamame, broccoli, peppers, cucumber, cilantro and Grilled Salmon, small dab of asian sauce. 1 Grain, 1 Protein, 1 Fat, Veggie
Harvey’s/ Swiss Chalet:
- Salad with grilled chicken, 1 T balsamic dressing. Veggie and 1 Protein.
- ¼ chicken white meat(no skin), grilled veggies and salad with 1 T dressing. 1 Protein, Veggie, 1 Fat.
Mr. Greek:
- Greek salad with 1 T dressing, few olives, dash of feta cheese, 1 brochette of grilled chicken breast. 1 Protein, Veggie and 1 Fat
Teriyaki Express:
- Brown rice Veggie and Shrimp or Chicken Bowl(try to keep it to ½ cup cooked) and add lots of steamed veggies and either cooked shrimp or chicken. 1 Protein, 1-2 Grain, 1 Fat, Veggie
McDonalds: (if you must)
- Yogurt Parfait (don’t eat the granola) – 1 protein and 1 fruit
- Egg McMuffin (hold the cheese and try to not eat both half of the muffin if you want to save the grain). 1 Grain, 1 Fat, 1 Protein
- Grilled Chicken Snack Wrap (hold the cheese). 1 Grain, 1 Protein, Veggie
At The Movies:
The truth about movie theatre popcorn:
1 small unbuttered popcorn can be anywhere from 360-500 calories with 13 grams of saturated fat and up to 740 mg of sodium! Not to mention that it is an additional grain/carbohydrate that can contribute to belly fat storage!
Healthier alternatives:
- 40 unsalted or lightly salted pistachios
- 1 1/8 cup steamed edamame with shells
Life is busy, and take out is necessary sometimes.
But when time allows, cooking from home has far more benefits than just higher quality ingredients and more control over what your family eats. It provides a sense of gratification and fulfilment, improves stress levels, is an outlet for creativity, and increases our self-esteem.
Cooking at home also means leftovers which is especially helpful when we anticipate a busy week ahead of us.
If you’re still looking for more tips for making healthier choices while at a restaurant, check out our article Eating Out: Mindful Tips for Eating Out
