Fast Food On A Diet
Sometimes life is just moving too fast for a home cooked meal, and the fast food drive-thru is the only option (or at least the only option that leaves you with your sanity). But you still want a healthy, well-balanced meal. So how do you find the best options in the middle of the high fat fries and burgers? Take Professional Weight Management’s fast food tips along for the ride:
1) Double Your Value on the Value Meals: Fast food servings are often big enough to make two meals, so if you're eating on the run to someplace with a fridge, then split up your meal. Place half the burger and fries or half the broccoli chicken in the fridge for tonight's dinner or tomorrow's lunch. Just don't microwave the fries as they're much better when reheated in the oven.
2) Go For The Broiled: Lots of fast food restaurants have a broiled chicken sandwich choice so skip the breaded and fried menu and go for the skinnier option.
3) Ask for the Gluten Free Eaters Trick: Many burger restaurants are accustomed to adapting their sandwiches for those who can't eat bread by wrapping the meat in lettuce instead. Try it and you'll lose the carbs while gaining a veggie serving.
4) Be a Kid at Heart and In The Drive-Thru: There's no reason you can't order from the kiddie menu, where the portions are diet-friendly and fruit instead of fries is usually an option. A Happy Meal with a small hamburger, apples slices and bottled water is only 380 calories and 14 grams of protein while a Big Mac value meal is more than 1,000 calories.
5) Don't Go For The Salad Without Doing Your Homework: Have you noticed that some of those salads are HUGE? And stuffed with high fat add-ons like buttery croutons, cheese and bacon. If the drive-thu offers a half salad instead of a whole, make that your pick and keep your lunch calories at an average of 330 calories instead of more than 600.
6) Check the Nutrition: It's easy if your favorite fast food is served at a national chain. You'll find the nutrition numbers at the restaurant's website. Or pick from one of the options we already researched directly from the restaurants' websites:
