Sport Eating out?

Sport Fitness
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hardyb

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So, obviously my goal is to eat as healthy as possible. Most of the time, this requires eating at home, cooking up healthy meals, etc. However, some days, I just end up SOL and have to choose between not eating or eating out. I often will choose Subway, get a 6" turkey with no condiments or cheese and tons of veggies.
Now this isn't a daily thing, mind you. Maybe once a week, or once every other week. Any suggestions as to what I can pick up from chain restaurants that's not too bad?
What do you guys eat when you are in that kind of situation?
 
I take dieting seriously and pretty much never eat anything if its not according to scheduel. But this is a dilemma that faces everyone. And it goes without saying that eating out is better for you than not eating. The problem with fast foods arises when people eat it very regularily. Subway I believe is an excellent choice for eating out. They have large selections and you can really minimize the tiny damages (if any) that you'd do in that one outing. Pillers deli is another excellent choice.

As I'm sure you know, stay away from deep fried food whenever possible. However, if you're hungry, and there isn't ANYTHING else to eat but a chain of deep fried food suppliers, than by all means fill up. Remember, deep fried food isn't the healthiest food, but it certainly isn't poison. It won't kill you if you eat it and it won't bring back all those dreadful bf %'s that you ached to cut off from eating it once.

When in doubt remember:
Its much easier to lose 1lb of fat than gain 1lb of muscle.
 
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Many of the "fast food" chain places have nutrition information on their web sites. Be aware, though, that the common burger places have very few items that are nutritionally reasonable (mainly grilled (not breaded and fried or crispy) chicken based items that are not dripping with calorie-bomb sauces). Note that the sides can be much worse than the main dish (e.g. compare a burger to the fries and soda).

Subway and other delis are generally easier -- pick a lean meat like turkey, on whole wheat bread with all of the vegetables possible, mustard ok. Avoid the cheese, mayonnaise, or dressings.
 
Phate89 said:
If you are forced to eat out, almost every fast food restaurant will offer some kind of Chicken salad.
Click to expand...

But you have to be careful even there -- the chicken salad may have fried carbohydrates mixed in, or the chicken may be breaded and fried (bad carbs + bad (trans) fats). And that packet of salad dressing may have a huge number of empty calories.
 
I'm a HUGE advocate against eating fast food, so I avoid it like the plague. But if I'm on a long road trip or something, Subway is the closest I'll come. What you order is fine - turkey or chicken on wheat with no sauce (mustard's okay, thank goodness) and extra veggies. Now, if you're at a restaurant, I think the best thing to order is fish (broiled, grilled, or baked) with extra veggies. You can't really go wrong with that. But watch the sauces! Those are where the hidden calories lie.

Regarding salad... The best solution I've found is to inquire about the dressings, choose one that's low-calorie or low-fat, and ask for it on the side. Then you can control how much dressing you ingest, since the dressing is usually the calorie-bomb. I've discovered that I usually only need 1/3 of the dressing they give me anyway.
 
Many of those salads have more calories in them then the burgers you are trying to avoid. Look it up and you will be surprised.
I would just avoid that crap all together. Stop at a Deli or even a grocery store. They typically have salad bars, fresh chicken etc that you can choose from.
 
Good thoughts, everyone. Some of those things do have hidden calories that I would never expect. I looked up some QDoba nutrition facts, and turns out only their gumbo is even worth ingesting, and that's without any meat, cheese, or veggies added. Even then, close to 500 calories in that meal, and almost 90% of my daily sodium intake. I think I'll stick with Subway or the deli, should it come down to it. :)
 
Subway is probably the best choice of the places you see everywhere. There are some delis I trust more than Subway, and it's definitely possible to go wrong at Subway, but Subway can at the very least be an option that won't hurt you.

I personally have little problem eating a hamburger. Sure, it's full of saturated fat, but it's also got protein and, being fried in its own fat, is not fried in hydrogenated oil. I would never eat fried chicken unless I know that it wasn't cooked in hydrogenated oil. Even if it isn't, I would still tend to avoid it. I must admit that pizza is my weakness. Some pizza is healthier than other pizza, but most pizza is not the sort of food I should be eating as often as I do. Even so, pizza has more going for it than fries and soda pop.

Always feel free to flavor your food with herbs and spices whenever they are available. Garlic powder (not garlic salt), oregano, cinnamon, chili peppers, etc. are all healthy ways to flavor food up, much better than high-sugar or high-fat ways like sweet sauces or butter. EV olive oil is high in fat, but it's still generally healthier than not having it.

Some Thai and Italian fast food places have low-fat curry options. If you like curry (like I do), it's probably one of the healthiest choices you can make at a restaurant.
 
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