Making Good Choices

First things first; the check in. I'm still feeling fabulous and hovering right around 10 pounds lost. I still have ridiculous amounts of energy, and I'm so excited because this week I've gotten experimental and made an amazing vegan white pizza! This weekend, I'm making a vegan portobello ravioli with a sun dried tomato sauce. (Hey, I'm broke, I have to wait until payday to go shopping for the ingredients, so it'll happen this weekend.)

One of the questions I've been getting a lot these days is, what do you eat when you go out to a restaurant? I think that's a question that we all face when trying to make healthy choices. For me, personally, it tends to be a lot of veggies! Most restaurants that I've checked out don't use egg or milk in their breads or pastas, sot that opens up a lot of options for me right there. But what about other healthy eaters, not just vegan ones?

Most restaurant meals are overloaded with calories, grease, and unhealthy elements. Why? Because it's a lot cheaper to load up your plate with a 1/2 pound of french fries than a side of fresh fruit.

So, you're in the restaurant, you're looking over the menu, listening to the latest gossip from your friends half heartedly as your eyes skip the nutrition facts. Many restaurants are offering a 'healthy choices' option, usually noted by a little symbol by the 'healthier choices'. That, coupled with your common sense leads you to pick out the best choices....

But does it really? Could we actually be getting derailed by our own mislead thinking?

Subway, you look at the menu. Tuna, you think. Tuna's a fish, it's healthier, lighter. Certainly better than the majority of the menu! But hold up there, friend. The 6 inch tuna sub? Yeah. That's 510 calories. No, really. That roast beef sub over there? Piled high with meat and probably a lot more filling? Only 310.

Wendys, ah the home of the most glorious food combination ever, fries dipped in a Frosty shake. Trying to find something healthy to eat there? You might wander the way of the chicken sandwiches, the chicken club. Healthy right? Whoops, no. That's 620 calories! Get a burger instead, and load it up with all the toppings they have. It's still only going to be 470 calories.

So, what the heck do you eat when you go out to restaurants (or, fast food. Come on, let's be honest!) Here's a quick guide to the healthiest choices out there.

Arby's Melt
Add on a chopped side salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing and you've got a 570-calorie meal.
Burger King BK Broiler Chicken Sandwich
Add on a chunky chicken side salad and a vanilla frozen yogurt (dessert!) and you've got a 519-calorie meal
Chick-Fil-A Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich
With barbecue sauce and a large fruit cup, this meal is 425 calories.
Hardee's Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwich
Order a side of mashed potatoes and gravy, your meal is 390 calories.
KFCs Original Recipe Chicken Strips (order of 3)
Have two sides of mashed potatoes and gravy and baked beans, your meal is 610 calories.
(special note here; stay CLEAR of the coleslaw! That little cup is NOT a vegetable, and is a whopping 210 calories!)

McDonalds Asian Salad
Get the low-fat balsamic vinaigrette and it's 340 calories.
Taco Bell Fresco Bean Burrito
Along with a side of Mexican Rice Fresco, it's 460 calories.
Wendy's Jr. Hamburger

It's 320 calories if you add on a side of mandarin oranges.

So what about vegan and vegetarian options? I'll save you another list but THIS PAGE has a pretty decent list of options at most restaurants, fast food and otherwise. 

Sources:

KOMO News
CNN NEWS
Health Check