Feeding your children nutritious meals between all your daily
activities can be a challenge. While you zoom back and forth between
soccer practice, the dance recital, the PTA meeting and picking up the
dry cleaning, you’re lucky to find time to grab a meal at the
drive-thru. If you must eat on the go, here are some tips to make fast
food healthier for you and your family members:
- Pass on the “value-size.” When you supersize, the size of your fries isn’t the only thing that gets bigger.
- Skip the sides. Eating a burger or sandwich by itself is often
filling enough. If you do want a side, consider ordering a fruit cup or
side salad. Most fast food restaurants now offer them.
- Avoid double meat and bacon. A serving size of meat is 2-3 ounces —
about the size of a deck of cards. You’re probably getting well over
that with a single meat patty. Bacon is high in calories and fat with
little nutrient content.
- Try the grilled chicken sandwich. Poultry without skin is
significantly leaner than the meats most fast-food companies use in
their burgers.
- Eat your sandwich open-faced. By eating only half the bun, you can eliminate unnecessary calories.
- Try asking for a wheat bun. Some places offer a wheat alternative, some don’t. It never hurts to ask.
- Skip the mayo and other calorie-laden dressings and sauces.
- Drink water, diet soda or low-fat milk. Sodas are loaded with sugars, which have calories you don’t need.