When ordering take out food from fast food chains, it’s good to know how to choose healthier options. I know that this can be a difficult thing when you are talking about fast food but consider the following options.
Burger Restaurants
When ordering take out food from burger chains, choose any one of these to ensure that you are getting a healthier option:
1. Regular, single-patty hamburger without mayo or cheese and skip the bun unless it’s whole wheat.
2. Grilled chicken sandwich and skip the bun unless it’s whole wheat.
3. Veggie burger and skip the bun unless it’s whole wheat.
4. Garden salad with grilled chicken and low-fat dressing.
5. Egg on a muffin if it’s a whole wheat muffin.
6. Baked potato.
7. Side salad.
8. Grilled chicken strips.
With any of the above choices limit cheese, mayo, and special sauces unless you’re doing a high protein diet.
Fried Chicken Restaurants
When you decided to drop by a fried chicken chain restaurant go for these foods:
1. Skinless chicken breast without breading.
2. Honey BBQ chicken sandwich.
3. Garden salad.
4. Mashed potatoes.
Avoid breading and fried items. Limit gravy and sauces.
Mexican Restaurants
When your choices are Mexican restaurant chains, the following foods are your best choices:
1. Grilled chicken soft taco.
2. Black beans.
3. Shrimp ensalada.
4. Grilled “fresco” style steak burrito.
5. Veggie and bean burrito.
Avoid flour tortillas unless they’re whole wheat and definitely don’t choose breaded and fried items. Limit sour cream and cheese unless your doing a high protein diet.
Sandwich Restaurants
When you decide to go for a sandwich restaurant try the following healthier choices:
1. Six-inch sub instead of twelve-inch.
2. Fill your sandwich with lean meat (roast beef, chicken breast, lean ham) or veggies.
3. One or two slices of lower-fat cheese such as Swiss or mozzarella.
4. Add low-fat dressing or mustard instead of mayo.
5. Add extra veggie toppings.
6. Choose whole-grain bread and take the top slice off your sub sandwich and eat it open-faced.
Asian Restaurants
When you choose an Asian chain restaurant select foods that include the following:
1. Egg drop, miso, wonton, or hot & sour soup.
2. Stir-fried, steamed, roasted or broiled entrees (shrimp chow mein, chop suey).
3. Steamed or baked tofu.
4. Sauces such as ponzu, rice-wine vinegar, wasabi, ginger, and low-sodium soy sauce.
5. Steamed brown rice.
6. Edamame, cucumber salad, stir-fried veggies
Avoid sweet and sour as these contain sugar. Avoid deep fried.
Italian Restaurants
Italian fast foods are likewise on the rise and can be a great choice when you want to eat healthy.
1. Thin-crust pizza with half the cheese and extra veggies.
2. Grilled (“griglia”) dishes.
3. Antipasto with vegetables.
4. Substitute grilled or steamed veggies for the pasta.
5. Order an entrée with a side of veggies.
Avoid breaded and fried items.
So you see that when you’re ordering take out food you can choose to be healthy. There’s no reason to compromise your health with foods that are not nutritious. For a convenient way to order food online, check out vellka.com.
