Road Rules for Healthy Eating
by Joy Bauer, RD
Just about now you're probably planning your summer getaway. Vacation is the time to kick back and take it easy, but making wise food choices while you're at it is hard. You'll be glad to know it is possible to have something other than salad without arriving home with extra "baggage." Use my guide to navigate chain restaurants, rest stops, mini-marts and more.
Best Bets At Chain Restaurants
Whether you're pulling off the highway or running through the airport, it's pretty easy these days to find meals that taste good, include nutritious ingredients and won't eat up your entire day's worth of calories. Here are some of my top picks:
McDonald's
Fruit & Maple Oatmeal: (ask for the kind without the brown sugar; add just 1 tsp on your own) 260 calories, 4.5 grams total fat, 2 grams saturated fat
Egg McMuffin: 300 calories, 12 grams total fat, 5 grams saturated fat
Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait: 160 calories, 2 grams total fat, 1 gram saturated fat
Premium Grilled Chicken Classic sandwich (no mayo): 370 calories, 4.5 grams total fat, 1 gram saturated fat
Hamburger: 250 calories, 9 grams total fat, 3.5 grams saturated fat
Cheeseburger: 300 calories, 12 grams total fat, 6 grams saturated fat
Vanilla Reduced Fat Ice Cream Cone: 150 calories, 3.5 grams total fat, 2 grams saturated fat (dessert)
Small Strawberry Banana Smoothie: 210 calories, 0.5 grams total fat, 0 grams saturated fat (dessert)
Small Iced Latte: 80 calories, 4 grams total fat, 2.5 grams saturated fat (drink)
Photo: Woman's Day
Olive Garden
Venetian Apricot Chicken: 380 calories, 4 grams total fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat
Linguine alla Marinara: 430 calories, 6 grams total fat, 1 gram saturated fat
Seafood Brodetto: 480 calories, 16 grams total fat, 3 grams saturated fat
Minestrone Soup: 100 calories, 1 gram total fat, 0 grams saturated fat (side)
Love pasta? Try lightened-up versions of your favorite recipes.
Applebee's
Grilled Shrimp & Island Rice: 370 calories, 4.5 grams total fat, 1 gram saturated fat
Teriyaki Shrimp Pasta: 440 calories, 8 grams total fat, 2 grams saturated fat
Teriyaki Chicken Pasta: 450 calories, 8 grams total fat, 2 grams saturated fat
Fresh fruit: 90 calories, 0 grams fat (side)
Subway
Egg & Cheese Muffin Melt: 170 calories, 6 grams total fat, 2 grams saturated fat
Bacon, Egg White and Cheese Muffin Melt: 180 calories, 5 grams total fat, 2 grams saturated fat 6"
Turkey with veggies (no cheese) on a 9-Grain Wheat roll: 280 calories, 3.5 grams total fat, 1 gram saturated fat 6"
Ham with veggies on a 9-Grain Wheat roll: 290 calories, 4.5 grams total fat, 1 gram saturated fat 6"
Roast Beef with veggies on a 9-Grain Wheat roll: 320 calories, 4.5 grams total fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat
Veggie Delite Salad with fat-free Italian Dressing: 85 calories, 1 gram total fat, 0 grams saturated fat (side)
Photo: Woman's Day
Build a healthier sandwich at home by following these six tips.
KFC
Grilled Chicken Breast: 210 calories, 8 grams total fat, 2.5 grams saturated fat
Grilled Filet Sandwich without sauce: 340 calories, 8 grams total fat, 3.5 grams saturated fat
Tender Roast Sandwich (slow-roasted white-meat fillet) without sauce: 300 calories, 4 grams total fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat
Three Bean Salad: 70 calories, 0 grams fat (side)
Pizza Hut
Enjoy 2 slices of the following:
12" "Fit 'n Delicious" Green Pepper, Red Onion & Diced Red Tomato: 1 slice = 150 calories, 4 grams total fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat
12" "Fit 'n Delicious" Diced Red Tomato, Mushroom & Jalapeno: 1 slice = 150 calories, 4 grams total fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat
12" "Fit 'n Delicious" Ham, Red Onion & Mushroom: 1 slice = 160 calories, 4.5 grams total fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat
Satisfy your fast-food cravings-minus some of the guilt!
Arby's
Regular Roast Beef Sandwich: 360 calories, 14 grams total fat, 6 grams saturated fat
Roast Chicken Sandwich: 400 calories, 16 grams total fat, 3 grams saturated fat
Ham & Swiss Melt: 300 calories, 8 grams total fat, 3.5 grams saturated fat
Chopped Side Salad (no cheese) with 1/2 serving Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing: 135 calories, 11 grams total fat, 4 grams saturated fat (side)
Photo: Woman's Day
Starbucks
Perfect Oatmeal with Dried Fruit: 240 calories, 2.5 grams total fat, 0.5 grams saturated fat
Egg White, Spinach & Feta Wrap: 280 calories, 10 grams total fat, 3.5 grams saturated fat
Chicken on Flatbread with Hummus Artisan Snack Plate: 250 calories, 9 grams total fat, 0 grams saturated fat
Picnic Pasta Salad: 320 calories, 5 grams total fat, 0 grams saturated fat
Roasted Vegetable Panini: 350 calories, 12 grams total fat, 4.5 grams saturated fat
Tall (12 oz) Iced Skinny Latte: 70 calories, 0 grams fat (drink)
Tall (12 oz) Coffee Frappuccino Light: 110 calories, 0 grams fat (drink)
Unsweetened Tazo Shaken Iced Passion Tea: 0 calories, 0 grams fat (drink)
Grande Skim Latte: 130 calories, 0 grams fat (drink)
Grande Skim Cappuccino: 80 calories, 0 grams fat (drink)
Tall Cocoa Cappuccino (hot or iced): 120 calories, 1.5 grams total fat, 1 gram saturated fat (drink)
Photo: Woman's Day
Discover nine things you didn't know about Starbucks.
Taco Bell
Drive-Thru Diet Menu Fresco Grilled Steak Soft Taco: 150 calories, 4 grams total fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat (order 2 for a complete meal)
Drive-Thru Diet Menu Fresco Burrito Supreme Chicken: 350 calories, 8 grams total fat, 2.5 grams saturated fat
Chicken Ranch Taco Salad: 240 calories, 6 grams total fat, 1 gram saturated fat
Photo: Woman's Day
Dunkin' Donuts
Egg White Turkey Sausage Wake-Up Wrap: 150 calories, 5 grams total fat, 2.5 grams saturated fat
Egg White Veggie Wake-Up Wrap: 150 calories, 6 grams total fat, 3 grams saturated fat
Egg White Turkey Sausage Flatbread: 280 calories, 8 grams total fat, 3 grams saturated fat
Small Latte Lite or Iced Latte Lite: 80 calories, 0 grams fat (drink)
Clever Combos
When you're on the go, you don't always have time for a full meal-but that's OK . If you start the day with a good breakfast, a few well-chosen snack combos can power you through till dinner. The key is to choose items that provide you with protein, fiber and carbs. Try:
• Small bag of soy crisps or baked potato chips + baby carrots + 6-oz container nonfat yogurt (nonfat Greek yogurt is a bonus, with twice as much protein as traditional yogurts)
• Packet of peanut butter whole-grain sandwich crackers (such as Lance) + 8-oz container skim or 1% milk
• Small bag or sleeve of nuts (no more than 2 oz) + an apple, banana, orange or other piece of whole fruit
• Small container nonfat yogurt or cottage cheese + a banana + a mini-box of cereal (ideally choose a brand with 3 grams fiber). Buy a large cup at a minimart, and make your own parfait!
• Small bag or sleeve of nuts + a small box of raisins + a mini-box of cereal. Combine to make your own trail mix.
• Turkey Jerky (stick with 1 to 2 oz because of the high salt content) + small frozen yogurt, topped with fresh fruit (optional)
• Piece of whole fruit + 2 oz sunflower seeds (ideally unsalted). The seeds have 6 grams fiber and 11 grams protein!
• Smartfood Reduced Fat White Cheddar Cheese Flavored Popcorn + 8-oz carton lowfat chocolate milk
• An apple + 1 or 2 lowfat string cheeses or Laughing Cow Light triangles + small bag SunChips
• Granola or nutrition bar (I like Nature Valley, Kind, Clif, Luna, Lärabar) + medium or large skim latte or cappuccino
Photo: Shutterstock and Thinkstock
Snack Attack!
Here are a few of my newest discoveries that are low in saturated fat, contain no artificial ingredients, and have reasonable amounts of sugar and salt. Stash them in your car and be prepared when cravings come calling.
Seapoint Farms Roasted Edamame (regular and wasabi): These roasted and lightly salted crunchy green soybeans have 14 grams protein and 7 to 8 grams fiber per 1/4-cup serving.
Food Should Taste Good Sweet Potato Chips and multigrain chips: About 12 chips, or 1 ounce, has 140 calories, 3 grams fiber and only 80 milligrams sodium.
Snyder's of Hanover Organic hone y Whole wheat Sticks: These are made from 100% whole grains-a rare find. A 1-ounce serving (9 pretzels) has 110 calories.
Cabot individually wrapped reduced -fat cheese squares: One square (3⁄4 ounce) is just 45 to 50 calories.
Joy Bauer, RD, is the nutrition expert for the Today show and the bestselling author of Your Inner Skinny. For more info, go to JoyBauer.com.
Original article appeared on WomansDay.com.
You Might Also Like:
10 "Healthy" Foods That Aren't
