Healthy Eating On-the-Go

I'd wanted to post ideas about how to eat healthy when you don't have much time, or when you're on vacation before everyone went traveling for labor day, but it just didn't happen! Hopefully this will still help any of you who are still traveling, or trying to get out of the "just got back from a trip and don't want to cook" rut!
I hope I let everyone know well enough that you can still get your weekly point for following the menu/healthy eating as long as you're improving and making healthy choices when you're forced to eat food you didn't prepare. Obviously, you don't want to be eating fast food all the time, and it's always more beneficial to try to cook as healthy as possible at home where you know exactly how much of every ingredient is in your food, but we all get into situations from time to time where we can't cook at home, and you don't need to be afraid of it! So, here it is,

How to Eat "Healthy" When Eating Fast Food

Get Informed
Knowing the difference between a healthier option on the fast food menu and an unhealthy option can mean the difference of hundreds, and dare I even say, thousands of calories. I've made a list of some of my favorite fast food places and the healthiest foods on their menus that are under 300 calories.
McDonald's:
Despite the flack McDonald's still seems to get, they've definitely come a long way since their "Super Size Me" days! They even list their calorie amounts on the drive thru menu. I'm sure any real nutritionist/health guru will cringe to hear it, but, I am a fan of McDonald's!

Subway
It seems like Subway kind of gets off on being the "healthy fast food option".  In my research, calorie wise, you need to be just as careful as you do at any other fast food chain. Especially, watch dressings! 2 oz of their ranch is 320 calories!!

Taco Bell
I was COMPLETELY surprised by Taco Bell's nutrition facts! I can't figure out the rhyme or reason to the ridiculous amounts of calories in seemingly innocent favorites! Carbs in the tortillas maybe? Anyway, this is really about all I could find for decent calories at Taco Bell. Look up one of your favorites, it might shock you!

Panda Express
I usually feel like I'm sacrificing a whole day's worth of calories to eat there! Actually, I usually am if I get my usual meal! An order of orange chicken is 540 Calories! Pair it with even brown rice and you're over 900! However, when I looked up their nutrition facts, I was pleasantly surprised!  They actually have quite a few options on their menu that are under 300 calories.

 Here are the menu items at each place I mentioned that I usually try to get:

Check the Facts
These are just a few of the places that offer healthier options. If you have a favorite place to eat and you haven't already, look up their nutrition facts. You may end up finding out that by substituting a few options, you don't have to feel so guilty eating there if the need or craving strikes.

Use What You Know
If you end up going somewhere unexpected, or seeing something tempting but you have no idea where it falls on the scale of acceptable vs. might kill you, use what you've learned and common sense!

1. Avoid carbs! Most burger place's calories lie in their breads and buns instead of the meat.
2. Be weary of sauces. As I said earlier, in 2 oz. of Subway's ranch, there's almost 300 calories, and that's not even close to the worst of them! Don't work hard to build a healthy meal, and then crash it by getting a calorie and fat packed sauce!
3. Stay away from anything fried!! I think that's pretty self explanatory!
4. Don't order "meals". I outlined some healthier options above, but keep in mind, those are single servings of entrees. Most of them come with sides and a sugary drink. Again, don't sabotage a good effort by ordering unhealthy sides!
5. Cut it in half! If you just have to have one of your favorite meals, use the old trick you've probably heard before. Get a to-go box at the beginning of the meal and put half away as soon as you get your meal. It's obvious, but sometimes overlooked, that that will save you HALF the calories!

Our little town only has about 5 fast food options and I was sad to see that if I want to try to eat healthy, more than half aren't options (Arby's, Dairy Queen and Sonic). But, that's not to say I'm not going to splurge on a Blizzard every once in a while, or veto In-N-Out if I ever travel anywhere where there's one nearby!


If you're traveling, try these few things:

Pack Snacks You Can't Wait to Dig Into

If you have convenient and healthy options that you can look forward to, you may find yourself much more likely to go for those options instead if you have to go too long between food breaks. I seem to keep running into a problem lately, where in my haste to get the kids ready and get out the door, I forget that it's been a few hours since we've all eaten and we end up adding a fast food stop to our errands.  I finally wised up the other day and stocked our car with some convenient, healthy options.

Sadly, cars don't have refrigerators, so anything fresh wasn't an option to keep in the car. I know Costco sells REALLY good fruit leather and fruit cups, which are other good options.  Baked crackers, pretzels, trailmix, nuts, jerky and dried fruit are other things I'd like to add, but this was what the grocery store I visited had to offer and at least this will prevent us from being so starved that we're dying to grab a candy bar to start off every grocery trip! Staying full on healthy snacks may be just what you need to avoid a crash and burn later in the day.

Try to still be Active


There are a lot of ways to do this that you may not think about. Try parking farther from your destination so you have to walk. If you're going to visit family or friends, try to plan something active as part of your visit. My husband rarely sees his friends without setting up a frisbee or raquetball game. My sisters-in-law always seem to go for morning walks or runs when our whole family gets together. If your family tends to be like mine, where the focus of the gathering tends to be sitting around visiting and eating food, be the instigator to get something going! Remember your "I AM" statements! Those shouldn't change when you're around other people! Help them see you the way you want to be seen!

Hopefully this post will help you feel like you know a little bit about staying healthy on-the-go as well! Does anyone else have any ideas/go-to meals that you feel like keep you on track while traveling?