Skip to main content

4 diet-busting fast-food lunches to skip (and what to order instead)


by The Editors of EatingWell Magazine, on Tue Jul 6, 2010 12:15pm PDT

I recently blogged about fast-food breakfasts that sound healthy, but aren’t—ones that duped even me, a registered dietitian—and I received dozens of (passionate!) responses on EatingWell’s Facebook page. Some readers commented on how fast food can’t possibly be healthy.

I’m debunking that myth: sometimes fast food can be healthy. Here are 4 diet-busting fast-food lunches to skip—plus lighter options to order or make at home and bring along. Because sometimes we don’t want to—or don’t have time to—make three meals a day at home, I'm offering healthier takeout options.

Salads
As much as we wish they did, the words “salad” and “healthy” don’t always go hand-in-hand.

* Diet-Busting Salad: Wendy’s Southwest Taco Salad, 680 calories, 39 grams fat, 1,620 mg sodium.
* Lighter Option to Order: Wendy’s Mandarin Chicken Salad, 570 calories, 25 grams fat, 1,370 mg sodium.
Savings: 110 calories, 14 grams fat, 250 mg sodium.
* Better Option to Make at Home and Bring Along: EatingWell's Taco Salad, 361 calories, 16 grams fat, 583 mg sodium. Plus you’ll get 10 grams of fiber and vitamins A and C, folate, iron and potassium.
Total Savings vs. Diet-Busting Salad: 319 calories, 23 grams fat, 1,037 mg sodium.


Soup
Soup can be a great, low-calorie lunch or a filling addition to a meal. In fact, studies show that soup produces greater feelings of satiety than other types of food. But beware—even smaller servings of soups can pack more calories and fat than you bargain for.

* Diet-Busting Soup: D’Angelo’s Lobster Bisque (small, 1 cup), 360 calories, 29 grams of fat, 820 mg sodium.
* Lighter Option to Order: D’Angelo’s Broccoli & Cheddar Soup (small, 1 cup), 250 calories, 19 grams fat, 840 mg sodium.
Savings: For a little extra sodium (20 mg), you’ll save 110 calories and 10 grams fat.
* Better Option to Make at Home and Bring Along: Crab Bisque with Avocado, Tomato & Corn Relish (1 cup soup, ¼ cup relish), 230 calories, 7 grams fat, 441 mg sodium.
Total Savings vs. Diet-Busting Soup: 130 calories, 22 grams fat, 379 mg sodium.


Turkey Sandwich
Who knew a sandwich made with turkey, a lean source of protein, could reach upwards of 1,000 calories and 50 grams of fat?

* Diet-Busting Turkey Sandwich: Panera’s Sierra Turkey Sandwich, 970 calories, 51 grams of fat.
* Lighter Option to Order: Panera’s Smoked Turkey Sandwich, 560 calories, 15 grams fat.
Savings: 410 calories, 36 grams fat.
* Better Option to Make at Home and Bring Along: Turkey & Tomato Panini, 272 calories, 4 grams fat.
Total Savings vs. Diet-Busting Turkey Sandwich: 698 calories, 47 grams fat.


Burritos
Despite being packed with veggies, lean meat and on a whole-wheat tortilla, burritos can offer an exceptionally high number of calories and fat.

* Diet-Busting Burrito: Moe’s Homewrecker, original size with chicken and on a whole-wheat tortilla, 925 calories, 38 grams fat.
* Lighter Option to Order: Moe’s Art Vandalay, original size, 775 calories, 29 grams of fat. Or order the Junior size on a whole-grain tortilla for 283 calories and 7 grams fat.
Savings if you order the Junior: 642 calories, 31 grams fat.
* Better Option to Make at Home and Bring Along: Barbecued Chicken Burritos, 353 calories, 9 grams fat. Plus you’ll get some fiber and iron.
Total Savings vs. Diet-Busting Burrito: 572 calories and 29 grams of fat.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Best scents to help you relax and stay alert

By: Allie Firestone, 10/15/08 3:03 PM Fall is chock-full of scents, and that’s one of the reasons I love it. Picking up on the huge variety of smells—whether it’s pumpkin pie, freshly-baked cookies, or spiced apple cider—is something I recently realized that I take for granted. Scientists say that humans can distinguish over 10,000 different odor molecules. Turns out, while it doesn’t require any conscious thought, our ability to pick up on a scent involves a sensitive and complex function that has powerful effects on our memory and behavior. How else can I explain how one whiff of pumpkin immediately conjures up thoughts of trick-or-treating and holiday gatherings? Scientists dedicated to tracking the complex relationship between smells, our behavior, and our moods have found that certain scents trigger feelings, including those that help us relax and fall asleep and those that perk us up and keep us alert and focused. Sleep and Relaxation Looks like I’m not the only one tossing and t
2 comments
Read more

Anti-cancer foods

Posted by: Zap Mon, Sep 29, 2008, 1:44 pm PDT Source: Yahoo Health It turns out that a healthy diet can help to override any cancer-prone genes you might have at work in your body. "Nutrition has a bigger influence on cancer than inherited genes, which means you could significantly reduce your odds of the disease through diet alone," explains Joel Fuhrman, M.D., author of Eat for Health (Gift of Health Press). OK, OK. I know what you're thinking right about now: She's going to tell me I have to eat kale at every meal. Not so! I mean, for the record, you should always eat as many fruits and veggies as possible, because they will dramatically lower your odds of ever hearing the dreaded diagnosis. But there are many other, less rabbity ways to eat away at your cancer risk. Add whole grains to your diet. My two faves, aside from a thick piece of freshly baked whole-grain bread? Oatmeal with a pinch of cinnamon for breakfast, or brown rice with a chicken and veggie stir-f
1 comment
Read more

Heart Healthy Fish - Health Benefits of Fish

July 6, 2010 Do fears about mercury keep you from reeling in the health benefits of fish? If so, you could be missing the love-your-heart boat. For most people, the healthy fats in fish provide a huge benefit to your heart and overall health -- even with a little mercury. Skeptical? Get this: Eating one to two 6-ounce servings of omega-3-rich fish each week reduces your risk of dying from heart disease by 36 percent! And your all-cause mortality rate drops by 17 percent. Soon-to-be or currently breastfeeding moms need to be especially careful to avoid excess mercury. Still, most people can do their heart and body right by eating one or two servings a week of omega-3-rich fish that is relatively low in mercury. Unfortunately, most fish contain some mercury, thanks to industrial processing. But the less time fish spend simply living in a mercury-laden environment or eating other fish containing mercury, the lower the contamination levels will be. So for low-mercury fish, we're talkin
1 comment
Read more