On the Go Food Options

Being busy- or not home much should not ever be a reason to eat poorly. Every day more and more large chain restaurants are realizing the necessity of adding healthier selections to their menu. Below are a few of my current favorites- that help me make good decisions when I don't have time to pre-plan.
I'm going to admit something big. I KIND OF like Subway. I have always been a major Subway hater. I have called their sandwiches many names over the years- including gross, fake, and just plain nasty. And while I'm not ready to give them a gold star in sandwich making- I have decided to accept them as an occasional low cal lunch option.
Today I had a 6 inch Turkey on wheat bread, with lots of veggies- spinach, pickles, olives, bell peppers, cucumbers, AND I got cheese (40 additional cals), lite mayo (60 additional cals) and mustard. Total calories in sandwich= 370. It was filling, tasted decent, and for only $4.35- seemed like a pretty good deal.
Rubios is my all time favorite for a quick & healthy lunch. Street Tacos! Chicken or Carnitas on a corn tortilla with guacamole & chopped onions & cilantro for only 100 calories each! The Carne Asada option comes in at 120. I usually have two with a side of their great pinto beans (no lard added) for 110. Total= 310 for a great protein filled lunch. They also have a Health Mex menu including burritos & tacos for other options.
Jamba Juice has recently added some great menu items, including some California Flatbreads that fall in the 300 calorie range. They are fairly small, but good- kind of like a personal pizza. I tried the Smokehouse Chicken which was great for only 300 cals. I also really recommend their Organic Steel Cut Oatmeal for breakfast- the Blueberry & Blackberry topped version is my favorite with 290 calories.
Starbucks are pretty much on every corner. My favorite option there (food wise) is the Protein Plate. It's in the pre-package deli section and consists of: A hard boiled egg (with packets of salt & pepper) grapes, sliced apples, two slices of cheese, a mini bagel & a packet of peanut butter. I buy this one and use it as my snacks for the day and it definitely keeps me going. Total cals 380- but if you skip the peanut butter it goes under 300.
Even though it's great to see chain restaurants taking the hint and creating some healthier options- it's still always best (and lowest cal) to make your food at home. For example- my breakfast this morning. I made an egg white omelet with reduced fat cheddar cheese & chives and had it with a side of cinnamon raisin Ezekiel toast. With it I had 6 oz of Greens Juice that I talked about yesterday. Filling and delicious & a total of 185 calories! You could have ALL that or about 1/3 of a scone from Starbucks. And honestly it took me probably 5 minutes top to make. I'm now trying to remember if that 5 minutes included washing the pan or if I left that in the sink... now I will try and beat Chris home today :)
XO
Chel
Ps- Good news for yesterday- I stuck to the exact menu I blogged about & finished the day at only 1190 calories- with a big salad & stuffed pork chop for dinner! And Chris & I ran a 5k after work- we are signed up for a 10k in March so the training begins now!

Lunchtime...

I struggle with lunch- probably more than other meals. Prior to bootcamp I was a Lean Cuisine type of girl- I would eat one every day and feel pretty darn good about it. SINCE bootcamp, I have now learned that #1 They are made of processed, unhealthy ingredients & full of sodium (makes you bloated) and #2 They're not even all that low-cal! So- where to go from there...
I'm still figuring it out, but below are a few that I've found I like. The key to this for me is thinking ahead and taking the time in the morning to actually pack a lunch. Again- trying to keep the lunchtime meal around 300-350 calories.
Egg White Salad Pitas. Ok by now you must think I am sponsored by Egg Whites or something... I realize I talk about them a lot! BUT- Trader Joes has these AMAZING egg white salads that are so low-cal I literally always read the label twice. The spicy mexican one is my FAVORITE and if you can see past the neon green color, the Chive one is pretty good too. Each has only 50 CALORIES in a half of a container. So- to make this simple lunch meal I:
-Cut a Whole wheat pita in half and toast both sides. (160)
-Once it's toasted, spread half of a Laughing Cow lite Cheese on the inside of each half. (35)
-Stuff it with half a container of the TJ's Egg Salad flavor of your choice. (50)
-Stuff it with lettuce. (10)
For this entire thing which is a filling meal it's only 255 Calories! Or eat half for a snack. I really feel like I'm getting a deal on this one :). You can also add onion or tomato or any other veggie.
Another thing I like to put in a pita is a Morning Star Farms tomato & basil pizza burger. These are found in the frozen section at TJs (and I think some mainstream grocery stores). Each patty has 120 calories and they are very filling. I add lettuce, onion, ketchup (my spelling is improving!) and they are really good.
Turkey & Cheese sandwich. Find some whole wheat bread, lean turkey and light cheese and you can still enjoy this classic sandwich. Make sure to skip the mayo, but feel free to add mustard and veggie toppings. The key to keeping this meal low cal is by finding a lower calorie bread, or making it an open face sandwich, with one slice of bread on the bottom and lettuce on top.
Leftovers are another great lunch food. If you make a chicken salad for dinner the night before- make a little extra and only put dressing on the portion you plan to eat. By making just a little bit more the night before you can stretch one meal into two, saving both money and time.
And if you really struggle with planning ahead and frozen meals seem like the only option for you- stick to healthier brands like Kashi, Amys or other ones found at Whole Foods or Trader Joes. Just be sure to check the calorie count.
For Fast Food Options check out my post from 8/13 called Fast Food Doesn't Have to Be Evil... with a little creativity & knowledge you can actually eat a decent meal from a drive through.
Have a great (& healthy) lunch!
Chel
Oh and PS- got an amazing massage yesterday! It's a great fix for sore muscles, I'm feeling totally relaxed and ready for bootcamp this afternoon.