Eating Out

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DawnBeckom
DawnBeckom Posts: 7
in Food and Nutrition
I am wondering are there really any "healthy" places to eat out? I have improved tremendously in taking my breakfast & lunch to work & cooking at home (this has been like a "moving mountains" or "walking on water" type miracle:smile: ) , but there are the few occasions where I haven't made it to the grocery store, or we've had something that night where cooking doesn't seem like an option, or the simple fact that I never get out the door on time & from time to time forget to pack breakfast/lunch or I even pack it & walk out without it. I try to do Subway on these occasions, but I get conflicting "opinions" on the health of Subway, not to mention sometimes I just want something other than a sandwich. Keep in mind, I live in a small town where it's pretty much all fast food and a few sit down restaurants. Any help is much appreciated! :happy:

Replies

  • RNmomto4
    RNmomto4 Posts: 143
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    I live in a small rural area as well..lots of pizza places, fast food, and just a few sit down places. Not really any big chains.

    I have heard conflicting things with subway as well..mainly with the sodium.

    At sit down restaurants, I typically do salads-avoiding all the extra toppings that are added-and getting whatever fat free or low cal dressing they have on the side.

    I also do chicken breasts if thats an option, with veggies. Sometimes a baked potato too.

    This weekend DH and I went out and I got the walleye with veggies and a lettuce salad. No dessert, and a small glass of red wine.
  • MissMollieD
    MissMollieD Posts: 130
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    Applebees has a light menu. At Red Robin you can get a chicken sandwich without the bun and a side salad, it's good. Otherwise, I go for sushi. The rice is bad, but you can't eat out and win at everything. Same goes for Subway. I can pretty much eat anywhere, but I order special (i.e. ordering an omelet "naked", salad with dressing on the side, etc).
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    If you are going to eat fast food, I think you can find sensible-calorie options on just about every menu. I don't think you can call anything from Wendy's, McDonald's, or Taco Bell "healthy" (just my opinion!) but they all have things that are lower calorie.

    If I'm not eating at home, I try to go to places like Chipotle or Moe's, where I can control the ingredients going into my meal. Also, both chains advertise that they use some organic or hormone-free ingredients.

    A lot of sit-down type restaurants have lower calorie options - like Applebee's Under 550 Calorie menu (I've had a meal from that menu - it wasn't too bad!).

    Just be aware that anything you consume in a restaurant or fast food place is likely to have higher levels of sodium than food you would make at home. So, it might be worth decreasing your sodium intake for the rest of that day if you know you won't be eating at home that day.
  • chelleann777
    chelleann777 Posts: 94 Member
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    I have been thinking the same thing. There are some days where cooking is not an easy option. The one place I really like is Chick-fil-A. They have grilled sandwiches, fruit, yogurt, soup, salads- all of which are not bad on the fat or calories and are DELICIOUS! Try going on to the website of whichever fastfood chain you are thinking about, so you can see the nutrition information and pre-plan for a more healthy meal. Not sure if it helps. I don't really think there are too many healthy fast food options:(
  • RNmomto4
    RNmomto4 Posts: 143
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    I typically dont eat the fast food, but if you do, could you order just a cheeseburger, from mcdonalds-burger king-etc.and then add apples instead of fries? I know a lot of fast food places offer some healthy sides...yogurt, parfaits, fruit, etc.

    That way you can still eat out, but just opt for healthier sides?
  • kylee_marie
    kylee_marie Posts: 299 Member
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    i work at TGI fridays and while the set menu is horrifying i have learned that as long as a restaurant has the ingredients, they can make you something healthy. for example, sat. night i had 6 dry grilled shrimp (no oil)...side of roasted veg (no oil), and cherry tomato and mozzarella "salad"... it was delicious, filling and around 350 calories
  • freeasharold
    freeasharold Posts: 133 Member
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    Cheesecake factory also has a "skinny menu" with items under 490 and 590 calories. I like their beet burger!
  • Shawnjay75
    Shawnjay75 Posts: 81 Member
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    Outback has a 500 calorie menu selection....Qdoba has a calorie calculator on thier website, you can plan what you'd like to eat based on the calories before you go.
  • RNmomto4
    RNmomto4 Posts: 143
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    Outback has a 500 calorie menu selection....Qdoba has a calorie calculator on thier website, you can plan what you'd like to eat based on the calories before you go.

    I love using the Qdoba calorie counter!
  • GameBoiye
    GameBoiye Posts: 15 Member
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    I think that most fast food places aren't necessarily healthy, but there are options to eat healthier depending on what you order.

    For instance, take Carl's Jr. (or Hardees depending on where you live) sure if you went there and ordered a large super star combo you're looking at 1500+ calories not including a drink, but at the same time you could get something like their hand-breaded chicken sandwich with no mayo, no sides, and a glass of water for a much healthier 500-600 calorie meal. Of course it's still not completely hearlthy as it's high on sodium but you can't win everything everytime.

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