Healthier Fast Food Choices

Considering a busy schedule, fast food is sometimes the quickest way to get a meal in during a hectic day. Below are some tips for making healthier choices when fast food is the only option for a meal.

Healthy Fast Food Tips

• Choose deli-style; Mediterranean; or Mexican/Southwestern fast food options
• Order regular portions, avoid large and super-size options
• Choose grilled or broiled instead of fried
• Pick leaner meats, like chicken, turkey or shrimp
• Choose the salad bar when available
• Use olive oil, vinaigrette or mustard, instead of mayo and creamy sauces
• Drink water or seltzer instead of juices, soft drinks and other sweetened beverages
• Choose a salad or some pickles instead of French fries
• Choose the whole grain option

For example: a healthy burrito- ask for a whole grain tortilla, brown rice, beans, salad and vegetables, chicken and a little bit of cheese! Or skip the tortilla and order the above as a burrito bowl.

And how about for the kids?

Here are some tips from the Harvard Health Letter:

• Don’t let kids drink their calories. Order water, seltzer or fat-free milk instead of a soft drink, juice, milkshake, frappe, or smoothie
• Watch the side dishes. Get a side salad or baked potato if possible instead of French fries and onion rings, which can be laden with saturated fat
• Don’t super-size. Instead, order smaller portions, such as items on the snack menu
• Choose grilled or broiled foods instead of fried foods
• Hold the cheese. This eliminates extra calories and fat
• Use mustard and ketchup instead of the “special sauce”
• Model good eating behaviors. That means following all of the rules yourself

Read here on how to think fast when kids want fast food!

Do you want to know more about healthy fast food? Read more here…
Tips for Choosing Healthier Fast Food Options

Holidays and Dining Out

Holiday time can be hectic and filled with tempting treats! Follow these tips to keep off unwanted holiday weight gain and unnecessary calories. Remember, a brisk walk during a holiday event can be a fun and bonding tradition with family and friends.

Holiday specific eating tips from Harvard Medical School

Check out these healthy holiday recipes!

Develop a “sugar strategy” for healthy holiday eating

Going out for lunch or dinner?

Use the following tips when you order:

Beverages:

• Drink plenty of water- still or sparkling. Ask for lemons and limes for extra flavor.
• Try a glass of wine instead of a beer.
• Avoid empty calories from sodas and other sugary beverages.

Appetizers:

• Fresh salads help to fill you up. Avoid bacon and mayonnaise-based items (macaroni salad, tuna salad, potato salad) and go easy on cheese and croutons.
• Go for filling, healthy items like extra virgin olive oil, olives, nuts and seeds.
• Skip creamy and artificial salad dressings and ask for olive oil with vinegar, balsamic or lemon juice. Add a dash of salt and some pepper to taste.
• Don’t fill up on bread. Limit yourself to one slice and choose whole grain options. Ask for olive oil or hummus to dip your bread, instead of butter.
• Choose vegetable, chicken, seafood or bean soups and pass on cream-based soups and bisques.
• Look for grilled, broiled or raw seafood with lemon/olive oil or cocktail sauce.

Entrees:

• Look for grilled, broiled, baked, or roasted poultry or seafood.
• If choosing red meat, choose a smaller, leaner cut and get vegetables or salad, rather than a potato.
• Avoid fried, breaded, crispy, tempura, creamed, or buttered items.
• Use healthier condiments such as olive oil, lemon, mustard, pickles or salsa, instead of mayonnaise, butter, cheese- or cream-based sauces.
• If having pasta, choose a tomato, vegetable or seafood-based dished instead of a cream-based or red meat sauce.
• Consider a healthy vegetarian entree cooked in olive oil.
• Sides:
• Instead of French fries, choose vegetables, salads, hummus, vegetable/bean soup, or fresh fruit.
• Be assertive and ask for substitutions.
• Desserts:
• If available, order berries or fruit.
• Try to get some quality food in your sweets: choices that contain dark chocolate with nuts or Greek yogurt with honey and walnuts for example.
• Split a rich dessert with the whole table.
• Skip dessert and have a coffee or tea.

Healthy Eating for Kids

Download the Kid’s Healthy Eating Plate Guide

Learn more about how much physical activity that children need

Healthy Snacks

Choosing healthy snacks between meals can be made easier by preparing snacks ahead of time. Keep a stash of healthy snacks at work, to avoid eating junk food in a pinch.

Healthy Snack List

• Whole wheat toast with extra virgin olive oil and tomato
• Whole wheat toast with peanut/almond butter (choose nut butters that are sugar and additive free)
• Fresh whole fruits
• Oatmeal with almonds
• Mozzarella cheese with tomato and basil
• Plain Greek yogurt with berries
• Celery sticks and baby carrots with hummus
• Nuts, preferably raw and unsalted
• Whole grain cracker with spread light cheese and avocado

Resources

More Mediterranean Diet Resources:

• Mediterranean Living
• Mediterranean Living Free e-book!
• Healthy Drinks by the Harvard Nutrition Source
• Firefighter Functional Fitness
• Click here for Mediterranean food planning
• Click here for the Kid’s Healthy Eating Plate
• Click here to view Harvard Chan School of Public Health’s Nutrition Source
• Choose MyPlate Super Tracker
• Mediterranean Diet Plan Book
• Today’s Dietitian News
• Olive Tomato Blog
• Passion for Pasta’s Recipe Builder
• Is eating healthy too expensive?
• Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. chan School of Public Health and author of Always Hungry? Conquer Cravings, Retrain Your Fat Cells & Lose Weight Permanently
• Mayo Clinic Mediterranean Diet Summary
• Hosting a Healthy Meeting