We’ve all been there – you are on the go, heading home from work, going to visit your brother, whatever, and you’re starving. Maybe you have a special event or don’t want to cook, so you choose to go out. But wait – you’re trying to eat healthy! You’re cutting calories, watching your waistline, or maybe you just always want to make sure you’re consuming good foods and not overdoing it. How do you put the two together to remain healthy on the go?
There are many options for how to stop for food – some quick, some not – that don’t have to break the calorie bank, so to speak. I have grabbed suggestions from friends and online communities, along with a few of my own, and compiled them here so that you may have a resource for such events. Being hungry on the go doesn’t mean you have to be unhealthy.
Just a heads up, this post contains some affiliate links.
Strategies
Look up the restaurant before you go and have a plan for what you’re going to order.
Plan your meal by their nutrition facts – most big-name places have them readily available now. Just stick with it once you get there, and if you’re comfortable doing so share your goals with the people you’re with. That way, they can hopefully be sensitive to ordering unhealthy appetizers for the table or a pitcher of beer to share.
Going out for happy hour snacks with friends? Ask for cut veggies.
Usually, you can get carrots and celery because they have it for wings, but some places have more options, like cucumber and peppers. If you’re lucky they might have hummus you can order as well. This will help you skip any worse food choices that may come up.
Ask your server to bag half of the portion before it even gets to the table.
Or do this yourself! It feels a little awkward the first time you do it, but you can simply bring your own container and pack away the extra. Maybe that even sounds less awkward to you, since you don’t have to explain anything to the server. Plus, it is much more eco-friendly! I love stainless steel containers for this, as they won’t break if you shove them in your bag on your way out the door!
Always have water when you’re out!
Thirst can disguise itself as hunger, so drink some first and determine if you’re actually hungry after about 20 minutes. You may also be able to fake yourself out and feel full enough to get home where (hopefully) the healthy snacks are.
Not related to eating healthy on the go, but it’s really important to keep water in your car in case of an emergency. Climate notwithstanding, water is often one of the most important things for survival. Keep a gallon container, like this stainless steel one, full and rolling around in the back, just in case.
Use a health app to check nutritional value in real-time for foods you might grab.
Sometimes the health value (or lack thereof) of your chosen road snack can surprise you! You may find something unsuspecting that you actually can eat, or you may learn your go-to “healthy” road snack really isn’t.
A few suggestions:
- My Fitness Pal
- Samsung Health
- Map My Fitness
- Apple Health
Keep healthy, non-perishable snacks in your car.
Need Ideas?
- Protein bars
- Squeeze pouches of fruit puree (A lot of these are marketed towards kids, but they are good for adults, too. Still, if you prefer an adult brand, check out this superfood blend!)
- Re-sealable or single-serve bags of granola, pretzels, Goldfish, etc.
- 100-calorie packs – assorted varieties
- Dried fruit (watch out for added sugar, though!)
- Trail mix
Places
Chipotle
If you’re watching carbs, skip the rice, beans, wrap, and taco shells, but the bowls and salads can be super diet friendly.
They use healthy, whole ingredients, locally sourced as much as they can.
Panera
Almost all of their sandwiches are a bad choice, but if a half sandwich is enough to fill you up they are typically okay.
Most of their salads are pretty safe, just try not to get one with a really heavy dressing or rich toppings. The worst is the Southwest Chili Ranch with Chicken, and it’s still only 650 calories.
Almost all of their soups are lower calorie, but don’t get them in a bread bowl! Broth-based soups are typically safe in general, so those are your best choices, and the clam chowder is your worst.
Fruit cups are a fairly safe snack.
Other than that, avoid the bread. I know it’s a bread shop, but that’s what will push you over.
Subway
Get a six-inch sub to save on the bread, and fill it with vegetables. Skip the heavy sauces. For meat, chicken or turkey will be some of your leanest options, but in moderation most of them are fine.
They usually have their nutrition facts posted, so making an informed decision is easy.
Taco Bell
The best lunch option I have found is a power menu bowl. This is high in protein and starts out at 460 calories. It is highly customizable, and especially easy to do if you’re using their website or app. It will even update the nutrition facts for you as you modify.
One crunchy taco only has 150 calories, so two or three of those can also be a filling lunch. Making it supreme (tomatoes and sour cream) only adds 30 calories, so if it’s worth it to you – splurge!
Wawa
They always have good choices – veggies, salads, etc. Way more than a typical gas station!
Ordering from their hot menu makes it a little harder to be healthy, but they typically have a cooler in the middle with salads, hard-boiled eggs, carrots and dressing, fruit, cheese, you name it! I always look for a Wawa to stop at when I’m on the road.
McDonald’s
For breakfast you can get an Egg McMuffin with only the Canadian bacon (no egg and no cheese); that takes it from almost 400 calories to about 170. I’m told it’s quite filling that way. You could also opt for the fruit and maple oatmeal or fruit ‘n yogurt parfait; great for breakfast or a filling snack.
For meals later in the day, keep it to the basic hamburger. Even if you need two to be full, it’s only 250 calories. If you need more than two, though, I’d say go with something else. There are 440 calories in the grilled chicken ranch BLT sandwich, or if they still have salads at your location get the corresponding salad.
Skip the fries altogether if you can help it. Even though the small is a manageable 230 calories, they are the definition of empty.
Hibachi
Get scallops, shrimp, fish, or even chicken for lower-calorie options. You can also order an extra side of vegetables instead of rice or noodles.
Sushi
There is often a cucumber roll substitute so you could avoid the rice! Any of the plain raw fish (or seafood) options that are not in rolls can help you avoid the rice as well. Once again, skip creamy sauces and especially those that you don’t know what they’re made of. Soy sauce is fine if you aren’t watching sodium.
Grocery store
Grab some grilled chicken from the deli counter; save fat by not eating the skin. If they have prepared foods you can often get fish and steamed vegetables, just watch out for them being breaded, fried, or covered in a creamy/buttery sauce.
I would love to read some of your suggestions in the comments, maybe I’ll add them to this post in the future!
