In a little more than three weeks, my kids go back to school. I’m sure you will be able to hear the shouts of joy all the way from wherever you may be. At just about the same time, fall sports begin. Cue the panic and the terror, because at any one time, I might have three or more places to be, often at the same time or back to back – followed by yet another school meeting/class night/yadda yadda. You know the drill, I’m sure.
There are lots of nights when I stutter around at 5:15, knowing that we’ve got to leave for boxing class in five minutes, then take someone to soccer and then pick up a cross country runner – how, exactly, will dinner happen?
You know, of course, that you SHOULD plan ahead, have groceries ready in the house to make a split-second, eat-on-the-fly healthy dinner – but sometimes LIFE intervenes and you just don’t have the right food in the house. So, you might have to make a stop at a fast-food place while you are out, and that can play serious havoc on the diet.
What are some healthy choices you can make if you find yourself zipping through the drive through before you are late to practice? Keeping in mind that you will want to keep your meal choice around 350-450 calories, with an ample amount of protein and plenty of veggies, here are some great choices:
- Subway offers 7 sandwiches that have under 6 grams of fat. Tops on this list is the Veggie Delight.
- Wendy’s Grilled Chicken Sandwich has 300 calories. Paired with a small salad, hold the dressing!, it is a filling meal.
- Wendy’s also offers chili, which has a mere 277 calories.
- At Taco Bell, you can order many of the food items “Fresco Style“, which replaces the cheese with fiesta salsa.
- Many restaurants now offer fruit choices – apples slices, fruit salad, mandarin oranges, and even bananas. Fruit fills you up with a very small calorie count.
- Instead of grabbing a jumbo soda, choose water. It quenches the thirst and doesn’t add to the calorie count.
Eating on the run doesn’t have to mean a diet of burgers, fried fish and french fries. Take a little time to scope out the offerings and decide ahead of time what you’ll order. And then enjoy!
Drive-thru image via Flickr user biofriendly.