As someone who works in retail, fast food is not only my friend, but worse enemy. However, tis relationship with convenient food for those on the go can easily become more of a friend than a foe. Here are my fast food tips for the dieter
1.) COUNT CALORIES. Panera Bread is the best place for this because they have their calories on their menu so you can be cautious about what you are eating. I like to either get a half sandwich and soup there for half sandwich and salad (the sandwich will keep you full for longer) and I usually splurge a little on the sandwich and opt for the lightest soup or salad and manage to keep it around or under 500 calories thanks to the calorie counter! ALSO, make sure the sides you are eating are counted into your calorie count. Panera lets you chose an apple, baguette, or chips.. be smart and chose the apple, I always do :)
2.) OPT FOR WATER. Not only will this be a huge money saver (many places will allow you to get a cup of water for free) but it will save you empty calories. Not to mention, it is scientifically proven that those that drink only water versus other choices *diet soda included* lose the most weight
3.) AVOID PLACES YOU CRAVE. I absolutely love Chipotle and conveniently enough, my place of employment is right around the corner from this death on a plate. When I want Chipotle I find it really difficult for myself to deny myself the toppings I know that are going to kill me and convince myself it is okay to get "light cheese, light sour cream" and that somehow makes up for the fact that I'm eating a ton of rice and Barbacoa. WRONG. That death in a bowl is NOT ok and I know myself well enough to know that once I'm in the building I'll convince myself that everything I want is going to be somehow "ok" for my waistline.
4.) WATCH OUT FOR FATTENING SALADS: A pile of lettuce does not denote low fat.. under any circumstances. Creamy dressing, bacon bits, fried protein, and cheese can make a salad absolutely horrible for you. Sometimes it may even be better to opt for something else that has a more pleasant sounding calorie count. However, if you want a sald, make sure your protein is baked and not over seasoned and ask for oil and vinegar instead of ranch. ALSO, having a few of the "bad" toppings is not always bad. Instead of getting the bacon AND cheese, chose one or the other.
5.) EAT LIKE A VEGETARIAN. Whenever I go to subway I get the Veggie Delight (do not get the veggie pattie because it is full of fat) and I get the Italian bread, lettuce, tomato, spinach, provelone (It adds flavor even though it would be better without), olives, green peppers, red onion, lots of bananna peppers, salt, pepper, oregano, yellow mustard (0 calories!), vinegar, and a little bit of mayo. The sandwich is full of flavor but under 400 calories even with the mayo and cheese!
What are your fast food rules?
-Chrissy Yimei Ching
