Unavoidable Fast Meals

Yep, yep.  I'm back from vacation.  And guess who took the extra lazy route of enjoying a few meals out in addition to not working?

This girl!

Ah, the evils of dining out. 

Or even worse, the evils of fast food. 

Did you know that a single meal of a double whopper with cheese, a medium order of fries, and an apple pie from Burger King contains more saturated fat than the American Heart Association recommends we consume in two days? 

If only it kept you feeling full for two days as well, right?  Eep!  Fast food is REALLY bad for you.  No wonder why we're facing an obesity epidemic.

The simple solution?  Just don't eat fast food!  Easy, right?

I know, I know - unfortunately, we've all been here...

A million things going on and all the sudden...

So, what to?

Plan ahead.  Pack your own meals.  Avoid eating out.  This is my #1 recommendation.

But there are times when fast food is unavoidable (or in my case I'm on vacation and just plain lazy).  Here are a few options I usually consider:


Subway

You can gorge yourself on a foot long veggie sub and still eat healthier than any of the other options below: just order their basic wheat bread, all the veggies, and toss on some olive oil & vinegar for dressing. 

560 calories, 16 grams of fat, 16 grams of protein
PLUS over 30-50% of your daily allowance for vitamins A & C, calcium, and iron


Wendy's

Broccoli & cheese baked potato with a side of apple slices
480 calories, 14 grams of fat, 16 grams of protein

If your extra hungry, you can add a small chili
180 calories, 5 grams of fat, 13 grams of protein

They also offer salads, but when you factor in the toppings used plus salad dressing... well, not so healthy.  If you can eat without the dressing, maybe not so bad... but I'd still recommend the above instead.


Burger King

Veggie burger with a side of apple slices
440 calories, 16 grams of fat, 21 grams of protein   **even better without mayo

Chicken, apple & cranberry salad
560 calories, 30 grams of fat, 29 grams of protein **dressing not included, and you don't even miss it


McDonalds

Ah, crap.  Literally.

This one is on the bottom of my list for a few reasons.  Mostly, because I just don't do McDonalds and wish other people wouldn't either.  Also because they really don't offer healthy options.  But if you're in a pinch... I'm choosing the option which I'm guessing is the least preserved and disgusting of the bunch:

Premium chicken ranch wrap with a side of apple slices
470 calories, 16 grams of fat, 30 grams of protein   **even better without the ranch dressing




So while I'd like to repeat the best option: plan ahead, pack your own meals, avoid eating out... I know it's not always realistic.  When stuck, some careful menu selections like the above can get you through the occasional fast food stop.

Healthy eating to you!