Training & Nutrition - Healthy Fast Food

Does such an animal exist? Between full-time school and full-time work, I don't have much time to eat during the day. What I usually do is grab some Subway or Wendy's chicken and salad and eat at my desk. This isn't the best thing ever, but it's better than chowing down Mc D's grease burgers. The problem is I'm starting to get very tired of Subway and salad. What can I do to eat healthy at work? Don't tell me to put food in my desk, because if it's in there, I'll eat it all in a day or two.

I could bring things with me, but I usually forget to make lunch for myself the night before, or accidently leave it at home when I leave in the morning. My other problem with taking lunch with me, is I usually have class in the morning, then go to work. If i bring my lunch, I have no place to store it other than in my bag, which can get hot and spoil some food by the time lunch hits.

What can I eat either at my desk or pick up very quickly, and still be good for me? Calories do count, as I like to go on 30 or mile rides right after work and need the energy, because lunch is usually the first thing I eat. (i'm not a morning person)

Does such an animal exist? Between full-time school and full-time work, I don't have much time to eat during the day. What I usually do is grab some Subway or Wendy's chicken and salad and eat at my desk. This isn't the best thing ever, but it's better than chowing down Mc D's grease burgers. The problem is I'm starting to get very tired of Subway and salad. What can I do to eat healthy at work? Don't tell me to put food in my desk, because if it's in there, I'll eat it all in a day or two.

I could bring things with me, but I usually forget to make lunch for myself the night before, or accidently leave it at home when I leave in the morning. My other problem with taking lunch with me, is I usually have class in the morning, then go to work. If i bring my lunch, I have no place to store it other than in my bag, which can get hot and spoil some food by the time lunch hits.

What can I eat either at my desk or pick up very quickly, and still be good for me? Calories do count, as I like to go on 30 or mile rides right after work and need the energy, because lunch is usually the first thing I eat. (i'm not a morning person)Healthy fast food? Kind of an oxymoron isn't it?

McDonald's used to have a sandwich called a McLean (or something to that effect). It only had 10 grams of fat, which wasn't bad compared to the rest of their lineup. They dropped it a long time ago though. I don't know the reasons. Their new salads are terrible. Lots of fat. I'd rather have the fries and ride more.

I don't blame you for getting sick of salads. Soooo incredibly bland. Rather than keeping food at your desk, why not take in your day's ration each morning? Mix it up a bit - oranges, apples, bananas, etc. If you just can't take it anymore and have to get out of the office and get some fresh air (and get away from the coworkers ;) ) try drinking a quart of water before you go so that you can't fill up on burgers.

Fazoli's might fit the bill, but their portions are measly.

Personally, I am eating so darned much and worrying about money spent on food so I have lately been making the effort to get up early enough and make some food. Today I made pasta, dumped some sauce over it and grated parmesan on it -- it'll be great microwaved, and will keep till noon. I also brought a PBJ for a snack, and a banana, and some grapes. Yet I expect I'll still have to buy something. I'm thinking a berry smoothie with protein powder from the health food cafe. They also have hummus with bagel chips (OOOH, I left some in the fridge last week, I could have those this afternoon!), falafel in a whole wheat pita with veggies, pita pizzas, and other yummy options. There's a bagel cart on campus where I like to get lowfat minestrone and a bagel with hummus. If I have cash I can go to the hospital cafeteria where they have a lovely salad bar. The campus has a Subway too but I don't get there too often. Sometimes I'll indulge in a quesadilla with roasted vegetables from the grill at the student caf. There's a health food grocery store 15 minutes' walk away that has grab and go options like mediterranean dishes and soups and deli foods. I would guess that the regular grocery store isn't more than 15 minutes either, I could get a sushi tray there which would be a nice lunch.

You should also stop going to the chain restaurants. It's a given sometimes you're going to want a burger. One from a Mom and Pop diner (and I'm told they still exist in some places) will be much healthier than some McYuck.

true, something from a local "fast food" place will have more fresh ingredients. But if you must go to a chain, get the grilled chicken if they have it. That's gonna be the lowest cal/fat sandwich you're gonna find unless you go to Backyard Burgers or another place that has a veggie burger.

It's called subway. Get a ft long turkey sub on wheat bread. lots of veggies and stuff but no mayo or oil, instead try musterd or honey musterd.

It's not cheap though, that sandwhich above costs $5.40 without the meal.

[. . .]I could bring things with me, but I usually forget to make lunch for myself the night before, or accidently leave it at home when I leave in the morning.[. . .]
I guess it is true that fast food causes memory loss! :)

In the OP, it seems like you already know all the answers, but you have excuses for everything. Obviously, to acheive your own goals, you must take your lunch to work. No more excuses!

To make it easier, follow the good tips posted here by me and others. Do you have a microwave at work? if not, get one, or have the company provide one, or 5 bucks from each worker will buy one. Make nice lunches on the weekend (pasta, stirfry, burritos, casseroles, soup, etc.). Freeze them in tupperware and reheat in the microwave. Or make sandwiches the night before, freeze them and they will safely thaw by lunchtime. Eat your breakfast! It is not a problem that you "are not a morning person." Anybody can soon get used to enjoying breakfast if they consistently try. (You have never really tried, have you?) Also, since calories are not an issue for you, eat snacks in mid-morning and especially in the afternoon. I would suggest nuts, yougurt, fruit, but maybe you even need a "second lunch"--like a sandwich at your desk--in the afternoon.

Come on, you know how to do this! I feel stupid even writing such simple solutions, when the real problem is your own attitude. :)

Baja Fresh Baby! Yummmm

Baja Fresh Baby! Yummmm

Ooh, I miss them so much! I just got a flashback of corn tortilla with grilled chicken sprinkled with lime...drooolll...

Subway is a good bet if you don't load it with oil and mayo and what not. One thing about the wheat bread at subway . . . i read an article (no idea where it is now) about the whole carb think and fast food. It pointed out that subway's wheat bread is just their white bread that has been artificially colored and dyed to look like wheat, but the actual percentage of wheat is miniscule.

It pointed out that subway's wheat bread is just their white bread that has been artificially colored and dyed to look like wheat, but the actual percentage of wheat is miniscule.

That's true of most commercial "whole wheat" breads. A little bit of the bran gets added back in for color, but most of the stuff in the germ that makes whole wheat good for you is gone forever.

FWIW their Honey Oat has a gram more fiber per 6" than either white or whole wheat, so that's what I usually choose.

I highly recommend Lean Cuisine frozen meals. They are quite tasty, and it's easy to throw one in a bag and take it to work with you. It'll still be partially frozen by lunchtime, then just throw it in the micro. They even have a line of meals now (cafe classics I think) that use whole wheat pasta and brown rice. Throw in an apple for desert.

Before you totally poo-poo McDonald's, take a look at the Egg McMuffin. An egg, slice of cheese, Canadian bacon, and English muffin, no added grease. It's actually not bad. I used to eat them a lot for breakfast when I was on Weight Watchers.

For me eating salad is a chore.

I know you're sick of Subway, but it really is the best option. But there are other meats besides turkey. The roast beef and ham don't have much more fat than the turkey does.

Someone above mentioned hummous and falafel. Delicious and nutritious, but they usually have LOTS of oil, so be careful with that stuff. Hummous is basically chick peas, tahini, and olive oil all mixed together. Tahini is like sesame butter, so that's not exactly low in fat either.

Someone above mentioned hummous and falafel. Delicious and nutritious, but they usually have LOTS of oil, so be careful with that stuff. Hummous is basically chick peas, tahini, and olive oil all mixed together. Tahini is like sesame butter, so that's not exactly low in fat either.

Healthy and low fat don't have to be synonymous though. 50% of the calories in hummus might be from fat, but it's healthy plant fat. At just 100 calories per quarter cup, plus it's got a significant amount of fiber and a reasonable amount of protein, I find that it's a fine munchie. I just had a second meal from a single $2.50 serving of hummus and bagel chips; the dehydrated bagels are low fat and their protein complements the hummus. It's a nice macronutrient balance for something so darned cheap!

it's not whole wheat, it has enriched flour just like the white bread. aka: not really that good for you. also the veggies are certainly not organinc aka: loaded w/ pesticides and what not. subway is crap. fast food is not good for you.

Healthy and low fat don't have to be synonymous though. 50% of the calories in hummus might be from fat, but it's healthy plant fat. At just 100 calories per quarter cup, plus it's got a significant amount of fiber and a reasonable amount of protein, I find that it's a fine munchie. I just had a second meal from a single $2.50 serving of hummus and bagel chips; the dehydrated bagels are low fat and their protein complements the hummus. It's a nice macronutrient balance for something so darned cheap!

Alison have you tried the baked tortia chips with the hummus? YUMMMMMMM!!!!

Alison have you tried the baked tortia chips with the hummus? YUMMMMMMM!!!!

yes - HUMMUS on anything. carrots, cucumbers, fingers.
yes to hummus!

yes - HUMMUS on anything. carrots, cucumbers, fingers.
yes to hummus!

And it's so easy to make! I usually make a big batch at the beginning of the week.

manual_overide: Try to find a health food store like Wild Oats or somethign locally owned. They should have a good selection of ready-to-eat type stuff that is low fat and made with whole ingredients. But get ready to pay for it.

Lots of suggestions to bring my lunch along. That's great except I usually have to go to class all morning before work, and food does not keep well in a hot car or likes to get squashed by books in my bag. I've also tried bringing enough lean cuisine/rice bowls to last a week, but those get old after about a day. I guess I'll have to suck it up for one more year until I'm finished with school, and my schedule gets easier.

Thanks for the tips on healthy grab and go stuff, though. I've been trying to buy natural or organic foods at the grocery if I can help it (if it isn't rediculously more expensive). The hardest to find outside of the wild oats stores and the ilk is the meat. I'm convinced BGH is a major cause, if not the leading cause, of most of the obesity problems in America.

Keep the healthy fast food ideas coming! I know there are a lot of people who are pressed for time and would like to eat better.

I hate fast food but I really like Subway. It's not greasy and they also have a veggie pate sandwich, lots of good salads, and delicious soups. THe best, believe it or not, is cream of broccoli. It sounds gross, but it's great. Everything there is fresh too.

fat has a bad rap that is not earned. well real fats that is not the processed crap. your better off eating real fat thats in meats and veggies and nuts then the processed carby crap that is in most junk food. hell 1/2 the calories of a burger come from the bun and look at the whole meal the bun fries and drink are the worst.
I keep eharing if it is low fat it's ok bull crap.

do you have a blender? How about a drink with 1 cup unsweetned soy milk, or
cow's milk, one scoop Trader Joe's Vanilla protein powder, I banana, and any other
fresh/frozen seasonal fruit? Whirl it all together. UMh umh GOOD!

you could keep a cooler w/ fuits and veggies in your trunk while you're at school. go to work about 20 min. early and prepare your lunch, and throw it in the fridge untill your lunchtime. all you would need is a knife and cutting board that would fit in your cooler w/ the food. just rinse it off in the sink and take it home to wash.

Subways is the better of the fast foods. Otherwise, go to mom & pop places and have them rig up something for you. Otherwise, bring your own fruit.

Roly Poly: anything on their veggie & cheese menu.

Subway: Have them make you a veggie style w/ their wrap.

Amy's Organic's (vegetarian) are good.

I found that Boca's BBQ ch'ckn stays frozen on a 15-20 mile ride.

Of course, if you can't come up with ideas that surpass your excuses, I honestly have no answers for you though:(

Recent drama aside, Wendy's has one of the best menus. Although I cringe as I write it, Wendy's chili, combined with a plain baked potato and a salad w/low fat dressing is one of the all-time best fast food training meals. Put the potato on a plate, cut it up in cubes, and dump chili on top. Added benefit for some people is that salt content is low.

Their salads are usually first rate for drive-by eating.

I know there are some nice regional chains, esp. in the west and SW that have great salad bars. Not too much of that in the east and mid-west.

I tend to east mostly fresh, self-prepared foods, but that is expensive and takes a little time. The Lean Cuizine-type meals have way too much salt for me, as do most prepared pasta sauces.

Bolthouse farms has great veggy, fruit and soy-protein drinks. I usually have a Bolthouse soy chai tea latte drink after riding.

Recent drama aside, Wendy's has one of the best menus. Although I cringe as I write it, Wendy's chili, combined with a plain baked potato and a salad w/low fat dressing is one of the all-time best fast food training meals. Put the potato on a plate, cut it up in cubes, and dump chili on top. Added benefit for some people is that salt content is low.

Their salads are usually first rate for drive-by eating.

I know there are some nice regional chains, esp. in the west and SW that have great salad bars. Not too much of that in the east and mid-west.

I tend to east mostly fresh, self-prepared foods, but that is expensive and takes a little time. The Lean Cuizine-type meals have way too much salt for me, as do most prepared pasta sauces.

Bolthouse farms has great veggy, fruit and soy-protein drinks. I usually have a Bolthouse soy chai tea latte drink after riding.
actually you may want to reconsider eating their chili. The small has .5 grams of trans fat. I think the large has either 1 gram or 1.5 grams.

Havn't been eating much of it recently :rolleyes: Yea, it's not organic soy turkey chili, but compared to other truly fast food alternatives, it's not bad. I'm sure if you loaded the baked potato with their "cheese" topping, the trans-fat level would go thru the roof.

Havn't been eating much of it recently :rolleyes: Yea, it's not organic soy turkey chili, but compared to other truly fast food alternatives, it's not bad. I'm sure if you loaded the baked potato with their "cheese" topping, the trans-fat level would go thru the roof.
What I'm saying is that there are other alternatives that don't have any trans fat

I had a good bookmark for healthy fast foods, but the Men's Health website changes stuff up, seemingly so you can't keep bookmarks (grrr) but I found this:

http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth&channel=nutrition&category=smart.dining.out&conitem=0be8573737af3010VgnVCM100000cfe793cd____

and two more seconds of google:

http://www.askmen.com/sports/foodcourt/22_eating_well.html

Noodles and company if you have one in your area has some reasonably healthy menu, not to mention if youre working out almost everything on their menu has tons of carbs. I prefer getting the buttered noodles and parmesan with no butter and light on the cheese, dont forget the extra seasoning, that **** makes my mouth water!!

If you're looking for organic stuff, Amy's Kitchen makes a whole line of frozen organic vegetarian meals and foods that are really good. Not all of this stuff is necessarily very healthy, but certain items (ones without a lot of cheese) can be pretty good from the health side. They use a lot of spinach which is nice if you can bear eating frozen spinach.

I just keep a cooler in my trunk and throw one of those blue ice things in with whatever food I want for the day. It works well enough so that lunch foo will keep fine for a few hours.

THREE CHEERS FOR HUMMUS.

Subway sandwiches with honey mustard. YUM!!!

http://siebrecht.us/~grant/images/glocktalk/DSC00386.JPG

Awww, that is the cutest thing I've ever seen!

Since I've started eating more healthy, I've given up stops at fast food places and have begun shopping for lunch at grocery stores. I'm on the road quite a bit but have learned that a quick run into the grocery for some fruit, veggies, cheese, nuts, lean deli meat, etc. and the 10 items or less line is quicker, cheaper and healthier than almost ANY fast food option.

Recent drama aside, Wendy's has one of the best menus. Although I cringe as I write it, Wendy's chili, combined with a plain baked potato and a salad w/low fat dressing is one of the all-time best fast food training meals. Put the potato on a plate, cut it up in cubes, and dump chili on top. Added benefit for some people is that salt content is low.

Their salads are usually first rate for drive-by eating.

I know there are some nice regional chains, esp. in the west and SW that have great salad bars. Not too much of that in the east and mid-west.

I tend to east mostly fresh, self-prepared foods, but that is expensive and takes a little time. The Lean Cuizine-type meals have way too much salt for me, as do most prepared pasta sauces.

Bolthouse farms has great veggy, fruit and soy-protein drinks. I usually have a Bolthouse soy chai tea latte drink after riding.

Wendy's - you can get an entire cup of mandarin oranges for 99 cents

Or a large fruit bowl w/yogurt for (I think) $4.99 or cup for $2.99

Their mandarin chicken salad is not bad if you forget (or limit) the dressing (loaded with stuff) and cut the pretzel thingies way down.

Baked potato combined with the chicken from a grilled sandwich with reduced calorie ranch dressing (throw away the bread, keep the tomato and lettuce).

McDonald's just started a fruit bowl, but they had to add candied walnuts! Not near as good as Wendy's.

Get a McD's Sausage McMuffin WITHOUT THE SAUSAGE (egg and cheese only).

McDonalds has a pretty good fruit parfait with low fat yogurt, berries. Forget the granola.

McD's ice cream is low fat, and pretty low in calories.

Since January I have lost 95 or so lbs at this point. I have pretty much given up fast food but if I must a 0.99 side salad at Mickey D's and a Piece of grilled chicken (0.99) to go on it make for a easy 2 dollar meal. If I am really hungry someplace with decent Burritos like Chipotle Mexican Grill will almost always be healthier than most other places I have found.

I looooove Chipotle!!!

I looooove Chipotle!!!

A Chipotle burrito (not Bol) has over 1,000 calories and over 12 grams of saturated fat:

http://www.cspinet.org/new/200309301.html

My favorite healthy and quick foods are casseroles or soups made in the slow-cooker. Simply make a casserole (tuna noode, mmmm) on the weekend and load up the extras into a few reusable plastic containers. Or cook a pot of beans and veggies overnight: high protein, fiber, carbs, nutrients, yum!! The cost is super-low (beans are something like 50-75 cents a pound!), compared to eating out at a fast food joint. I find that these last for 4-5 big meals or keep for a couple of weeks (longer if you freeze the extras).

My latest favorite is an Orthodox Jewish recipe traditionally prepared on the Sabbath, when cooking is forbidden. Perfect for the slow-cooking of a crock-pot!

Veggie Slow-cooker Cholent:

2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh-ground black pepper

* Combine spices together and set aside

2 large onions, chopped
4 large carrots, cut into coins
2-3 stalks celery chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil

* Mix together veggies and oil in bottom of crock pot, cover with 1/2 of spice mixture

1 cup Dry Lima Beans
1 cup Dry Kidney Beans
1 cup Dry Pearl Barley

* Mix together beans and layer over veggies, sprinkle other half of spices over top

1 1/2 - 2 lbs of potatoes

* cut potatoes in half and then in 1 inch slices, layer over top
* cover with 2 inches of water. This fits just right in my 2.5 gallon slow cooker, so adjust according to the size of yours
* cook on the low setting for 8 hours, then refrigerate/freeze extra

You can also add spices, garlic, or meat to this recipe. Cubed beef or chicken would be a good addition.

A Chipotle burrito (not Bol) has over 1,000 calories and over 12 grams of saturated fat:

http://www.cspinet.org/new/200309301.html

I only ever eat the burrito bols, but that's interesting how many calories are in one of the tortillas! Wow. I eat Chipotle every now and then and it's my entire dinner at around 650 cals w. rice, not too bad for a treat. I like that they have free range pork...and the seasonings are so good. Man, this is making me hungry!

Taco Bell has a ton of low fat items, if you order them right. The bean burrito has 9 grams of fat with cheese, so if you dont get cheese im sure itd be like 7 grams.
You can get a lot of their foods under 8 grams of fat if you:
Always go for chicken as the meat.
Order the food as Fresco Style. Fresco style means no cheese, and no sauce. They put tomatoes and onions on instead. Then you can put your own mild sauce and tuff.

check out: http://www.tacobell.com/ and check out the info on fresco.

Taco bell is actually really healthy, if you get chicken. I dont know about the ground beef.

I had the same predicatment when I used to travel - I often just hit the grocery store.

I get a little box of milk, 2-3 apples, a few thick slices of ham from the deli counter, little bag of carrots, cottage cheese, premade wraps, etc etc

Depending on your appetite you can get a wide variety.

A Chipotle burrito (not Bol) has over 1,000 calories and over 12 grams of saturated fat:

http://www.cspinet.org/new/200309301.html
Often one needs the calories. Since I cycle to work, I often get rides to lunch places and co-workers like Chipotle. I usually get some meat burrito, no cheese, sour cream or guac. Without those three items, its likely a bit less than the 1000 calories and less sat. fat, but I still get the carbs & some protein I need.

Al

Recent drama aside, Wendy's has one of the best menus. Although I cringe as I write it, Wendy's chili, combined with a plain baked potato and a salad w/low fat dressing is one of the all-time best fast food training meals. Put the potato on a plate, cut it up in cubes, and dump chili on top. Added benefit for some people is that salt content is low.

I wondered about the salt content of the Chili a year ago and found out that it's pretty high. Or at least it seems to me to be high. The small (8oz) has 780mg of sodium and the large (12oz) has 1170mg. Isn't that considered high? Or is it where cyclists need more sodium because we sweat more? Either way I think it's high. But that doesn't keep me from eating it :D

Wendy's nutritional data (Adobe Acrobat format): http://www.wendys.com/food/US_Nutrition_2003.pdf

Do any of you have a concern with the lunch meat and sodium nitrates found in them??
Until my nutritionist pointed me to some studies, I thought Subway was a good fast food. Ha, at least that's what the commercials told me.
If you research the topic, you can make your own decisions - you might just end up staying away from foods with Sodium Nitrates.

I post this one cite because my father in law died of Pancreatic Cancer this past year.


April 29, 2005


Two different studies, one from the University of Hawaii and the other from the University of Pittsburgh, point to potential cause and cure of one of the most aggressive cancers - pancreatic cancer. With the highest cancer mortality rate (some 80% of all those diagnosed die within one year) pancreatic cancer is now the fourth leading cause of cancer death among men and the fifth among women in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society.



In previous hallmark studies of pancreatic cancer prevention, the consumption of fish and green tea were shown to provide some improvement in the condition of pancreatic cancer patients and contributed to the fight against carcinogens. But in a study released last week by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, the focus was not on a particular food or beverage, but on a spice, capsaicin, the element in hot peppers that make them “hot.”



Sanjay K. Srivastava, Ph.D., lead investigator and assistant professor, department of pharmacology for the university, treated human pancreatic cells in the lab with capsaicin to examine its antioxidative and anti-inflammatory potential. (Antioxidants are known to fight cancer cells.) What they found is that capsaicin induced programmed cell death without affecting normal pancreatic cells, giving this spice chemotherapeutic potential as a novel agent in the fight against pancreatic cancer.



In the Hawaii study, conducted by the University’s Cancer Research Center in Honolulu, these researchers followed 190,000 men and women of five different ethnic groups for seven years. The scientists concluded that those who ate high amounts of processed meats, like hot dogs, and breakfast or dinner sausages, had a 67% increase in the risk of developing pancreatic cancer over those who did not consume the products or consumed very few. The study also indicated that eating pork and red meat increased the risk of pancreatic cancer by 50%.



Those participants who did not consume cured or processed meat but ate chicken, fish, eggs or dairy products did not have increased rates of pancreatic cancer despite their equal or similar levels of natural fat and cholesterol. This led the scientists to believe that it is not the meat itself, or the fat, but the chemical agents, especially the use of sodium nitrates, which can lead to cancer. Sodium nitrates are well known to increase the development of nitrosamines in the body that promote the growth of cancer cells, particularly in the colon and the pancreas.



Once again reaffirming: we are what we eat!

I NEVER get the "lunch meat" at Subway - only the chicken varieties of sandwiches.

Do any of you have a concern with the lunch meat and sodium nitrates found in them??
Until my nutritionist pointed me to some studies, I thought Subway was a good fast food. Ha, at least that's what the commercials told me.
If you research the topic, you can make your own decisions - you might just end up staying away from foods with Sodium Nitrates.

I post this one cite because my father in law died of Pancreatic Cancer this past year.




Once again reaffirming: we are what we eat!

I'm sorry to hear about the death of your father in law - If you have any links you can post - I would like to read more.

GG

You should also stop going to the chain restaurants. It's a given sometimes you're going to want a burger. One from a Mom and Pop diner (and I'm told they still exist in some places) will be much healthier than some McYuck.

ewwwwww. I would never ever buy or even suggest a burger from a Mom and Pop diner.
The health and sanitation ratings on those are usually so bad. I don't eat out period because of health and sanitation reasons but eating at some Mom and Pop diner is almost always a ticket for something worse then what you could get by eating at one of the better burger places.

When I do i usually eat out it's at McDonald's or Subways and this happens once every other month approximately although I think i've aten at Subways 12 times this month, not paying however ;).