“Healthy” Fast Food

Hi, guys! Happy Hump Day! Is anyone else ready to be over the hump?!

I was bored-hungry mid-morning, so instead of digging into my lunch early, I sipped on some delicious tea that I found in our office kitchen. The tea was a very special find!

I was psyched to discover that this particular tea actually existed! You see, a couple of years ago, I had a manicure at an Aveda salon/spa where they served me a lovely peppermint tea that I enjoyed quite a lot, but never thought to ask about it. Drinking the tea that I found in the kitchen this morning totally reminded me of that day at the spa, and I am convinced that it is the same tea. The Aveda Comforting Tea is an “herbal infusion of licorice root and peppermint.” It’s gotta be the same one! I’m so happy that I found it!

Lunch

Today’s lunch was half of a leftover vegetarian burrito from one of my favorite “fast food” restaurants: Chipotle. (I ate the other half for dinner last night. It was a HUGE burrito!)

The “innards” of the burrito included black beans, corn, salsa, green peppers, onions, and guacamole.

For dessert, I have a homemade peanut buttery blondie! And for my afternoon snack: French vanilla yogurt and fresh strawberries. I love this yogurt-berry snack! It’s dessert-like, but, at the same time, light and summery.

“Healthy” Fast Food

I received so many comments about “busting” Mal with his Wendy’s fast food dinner the other night. (I still think the whole situation was hilarious! ) Quite a few of you mentioned that you also enjoy fast food from time-to-time. While I don’t indulge in “hard core” fast food (e.g. a burger from McDonald’s), I will occasionally eat a burrito from Chipotle or a small “Frosty” from Wendy’s. In my opinion, eating fast food in moderation is totally fine and can be part of an overall healthy diet. Here are a few of my tips for enjoying fast food in a “healthy” way:

• Drink water with your meal. If you’re going to indulge in fast food, skip the soda all together. There is nothing nutritious about soda!




• Watch portion size. I always order a small size to help reduce unneeded calories and fat. If the “small” is not that small, I will share it with Mal or take the other half home for later.




• Make careful selections. I pay attention to menu descriptions and sometimes ask employees for clarification about a particular menu item, if needed. Seemingly healthy items can be deep-fried, batter-dipped or breaded, which adds extra calories, sodium, and unhealthy fats to the meal. Similarly, if nutritional information is available on-site or on-line, I will check it out before I make my meal decision.




• Nix the extras. For example, if you order a burger, nix the cheese and/or “special” sauce, and eat your burger plain or with healthy toppings like lettuce, tomato, salsa, pickles, etc. Same goes for salads: I order mine without cheese and the dressing on the side.




• Eat mindfully. Savor each bite, chew your food thoroughly, stop eating when you are full, and try to avoid eating on the run.




• Enjoy the splurge! And don’t feel guilty about it! Of course, moderation is key, but if I over-do-it, I just get back on track the very next day with extra healthy meals and some exercise.

Bonus Question of the Day

*For me, fast food includes Chipotle, Subway, Panera, Dunkin’ Donuts, D’Angelo’s, etc.