Eating on the Road
Below are some tips to help salvage your diet while away from home. Fast Food Chains
Fast foods typically supply a generous helping of fat, calories and sodium for nutrients contributed. However, most fast food establishments now offer a few healthy alternatives such as salad bars, baked potatoes, roasted or grilled chicken sandwiches and skim milk. Tips for eating fast:
- Choose charbroiled or roasted sandwiches.
- Get lettuce, tomato, mustard, ketchup, relish and/ or onion on your sandwich and hold the mayo.
- Try just hamburger instead of cheeseburger.
- Order a regular hamburger instead of a jumbo.
- Avoid adding cheese and fatty dressings to salad.
- Dress up your baked potato with salsa, low-fat butter substitute or pepper, rather than margarine, sour cream or cheese.
- Drink skim milk or juice as a beverage instead of whole milk, milk shakes or soda.
- Have pizza plain or with vegetables. If you want meat, try Canadian bacon instead of pepperoni, sausage or hamburger.
Restaurants
Dining in a restaurant does not mean that you must surrender yourself to rich, high-fat foods and loads of calories. As a customer, you have the right to question how items are prepared and even request modifications in the preparation when feasible.
When ordering, you should:
- Choose broiled, baked, steamed or poached instead of fried, au Gratin or scalloped foods.
- Request that gravies, salad dressings, toppings and sauces be omitted or served on the side so you can decide how much to use.
- Choose regular bread or buns, bread sticks, English muffins or bagels rather than biscuits, cornbread or croissants.
- Ask for (or bring your own) diet dressing and low-fat butter substitute.
- Many restaurant servings are so large they provide the calories for two meals. Eat only about half of the meal and request a take-out container for the remaining portion. It might be less tempting to have your server do this before you even get your food.
B.Y.O.
The best way to assure that your road meal is in line with your diet is to pack your own food. Just be sure to bring items that won’t spoil during the trip unless you can take a cooler or an insulated lunch container with an ice pack to keep the contents cold.
Source: David Rath, MA, RD, LD – Worksite Wellness, Arkansas Department of Health and Human Services |
