To Do on Fast Food!

Eating out can be very tricky when eating healthy and dieting. I used to think it was completely impossible to try and eat out on the road and it always made everything so difficult. I would just not eat and wait until whatever time I got home to eat! That is almost just as unhealthy! Well I figured out that it is not terrible to eat out on the road if you absolutely have to because there are some choices that are a lot healthier than what you would have gotten in the past.

Now the emergencies I am talking about is not, "I don't feel like making breakfast so I will just eat this McMuffin Once..." because that is not an excuse! I am talking about when you are out all day long for work or a day in town with your girlfriends and you are hungry and you all plan to go out to eat because that has happened to me so many times!

Most menus at resturants have a section that is healthier than all the rest. For example at Cheddars, this is a picture of the menu I found on their website and they have an awesome section of lower calorie options.
And what is amazing about the internet is, you can easily search the resturant or fast food chains website on your smart phone and it will have the full menu along with nutrition facts right there! This can sometimes be a scary thing, but it has helped me a lot when deciding what to order.

This is Cheddar's "Lighter Side" all under 575 calories! (Garlic Parmesan Sirloin Steak YUM!)

Another great alternative to greasy fast food joints in Chick-Fil-A. They do have a lot of unhealthy fried food, but I have found two delicious entrees that don't leave me feeling guilty afterwards!

This first is this AMAZING 'Chargrilled Chicken Sandwhich' with fresh tomatoes and lettuce.

Nutrition Facts:

310Calories

3.5gFat

4gFiber

10gSugars

29gProtein

This Grilled Market Salad is to die for and the only issue with this is, you might need to choose a light dressing or mix a healthier one up at home, but the light dressings are not bad in calories. It is so good and has grilled chicken, fresh strawberries, blueberries, granola, blue cheese (yuck I get mine without), apples and so much other yumminess! (if that is a word!)

Nutrition Facts:

180Calories

4gFat

4gFiber

8gSugars

25gProtein

There are so many other choices out there, but here are the main things to stay away from when ordering from a restaurant:

1. Always ask what kind of oil the food is cooked in

2. If it comes with cheese no matter how much you want it, take it off it just adds extra unnecessary calories

3. Ask for dressing for a salad on the side. This being you can control how much you put on. A salad at a restaurant can sometimes be just as much as a greasy cheeseburger because of the cheese and dressing!

Now some things to look for at a fast food chain:

1. If there is an option for your meal to be grilled chicken instead of 'breaded' which means fried take it!

2. Also ask for no cheese

3. Also skip out the Mayo, and get mustard instead if you need a condiment on your sandwich.

4. NEVER ORDER FRIES AS A SIDE. I know they seem tempting, but that is just a sin in dieting! (hehe) See what other sides you can get, and most of the time they don't offer another side but you can ask and they can replace the fries for any of their sides. 

5. And lastly, if they have an option for wheat bread on a sandwich or burger opt for the wheat instead of the white, and if you can live without the bread that is even better! My mom always gets grilled chicken sandwiches with no cheese, extra lettuce and tomato, extra mustard and no bun! (I haven't gotten there yet..)

I hope these tips helped and don't worry about eating out once in awhile, you sometimes have to in an emergency situation! Hope everyone is happy and healthy!

P.S. Sorry for the weird lines if they show up!