We have covered a lot of foundational nutrition ground. You should now be able to make informed choices by reading labels at the grocery store. Life often gets so busy that eating out is a necessity at times.
If you must eat fast food, limit it to one meal per week. Make choices that are as nutritious as possible at these joints. Oatmeal is often an option, and though there is usually sugar added-it’s almost always one of your best options. Salads with grilled chicken are also usually readily available. Choose a vinaigrette and try not to eat any junky toppings (ie chip pieces or crispy items). Many places now offer fruit as a side option which is always better than fries or chips. You could also order a grilled chicken sandwich without a bun or take it off the by and have a side salad. Be mindful not to use more than 2 Tbs of dressing. Even better-pour your own dressing into a leakproof container, put into ziploc bag and toss into your bag to take on the road. Always order water instead of soda or tea (or frappes!). If you want coffee, opt for the real thing with cream and sugar instead of the HFCS laden “frappe” versions. As a side note-Starbucks uses higher quality ingredients than mcD’s in their cold coffee drinks as a general rule. Another thing to keep in mind when eating out is that the ketchup at restaurants is most likely the HFCS variety. Stay away from it if you can.
Get in the habit of packing your own snacks when you know you’re going to have a busy day. Here are some ideas for easy to carry snacks:
Nuts
Bananas
Apples
Organic string cheese
Larabars
Homemade nutritious muffins or granola bars
Homemade dried fruit
Homemade fruit or kale chips
It’s cheaper and better for your health to take the time to plan ahead, and make your own pack-ahead meals and snacks. Fast food should be a once-in-a-while occurrence in your life.
Of course the exception to the above is your cheat meal;)! In that case, enjoy the heck out of it!
Life On Purpose 