Like many, we did our own share of traveling in December.
Our trip was 7 hours long. We ate lunch before we left and packed fruit, baby carrots, and cut-up veggies for snacks and sandwiches for dinner.
Coming back, we had to eat two meals on the road: we packed one and left the other for spontaneity. Bad call.
Ideally, we would have stopped at a sit-in restaurant since they tend to be somewhat healthier than fast-food. But we wanted a space for our 15 month old toddler to walk (can’t do that outside with 30 F temperature and restaurants have no room to run around). So a rest area–with fast-food–was our only choice.
Since we barely ever have fast-food, I decided to indulge and eat whatever I felt like. Burger King was there, and the whopper sandwich was my choice. My husband ordered the grilled chicken–yes he made a healthier choice!–and we got our son the chicken fingers.
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My son refused the chicken fingers. Terrible taste and dry despite their fat content. Half way through my sandwich, I stopped. It was just bad. And I don’t mean bad-for-your-health bad, it just didn’t taste anything close to good.
So we spent $20 for a nutrition disaster and a bad tasting meal. I wasn’t so proud of my food choice, but I’m happy I stopped half way. It wasn’t worth any single calorie or fat gram I was putting inside my body.
Had it been a delicious sandwich or even a dessert to savor, I would have justified it.
Am I the only one who doesn’t like fast-food? How many people out there agree with me but find themselves eating it “coincidentally” because it’s there; on the highway, on the way home, by work, or in the food court?
My message for you is to rethink your fast-food choices. Do they deserve your love or attention? How can you break-up with them, today?
- At work: pack your lunch. Two slices of toast, with a two slices of turkey, and a slice of low-fat cheese are a simple investment of time. Grab a fruit and a container of yogurt, and lunch is ready.
- On a road trip: have an small ice-box in the back seat or trunk to keep healthy perishables, such as fruit, cheese, yogurt, or sandwiches, from going bad.
- On the way home from work: leave a healthy snack in the car so you won’t feel the need to stop at a fast-food restaurant. Nuts, dried fruits, or whole wheat crackers survive all weathers.
- When running errands: grab a snack on your way out. An apple, nuts, dried fruits, whole grain cereal (shredded wheat), or whole wheat crackers are simple and fast.
- At the mall: make sure you’re really hungry before you hit the food court. Browse what’s available then make a decision. Can you find a grilled sandwich or salad? Can you skip the fries?
- When all measures to avoid fast-food fail: go online now and read the nutrition information of the fast-food restaurants you might end up stopping at. Make a note the healthiest menu item–and write it on a paper or in your smart phone. This way, the healthy decision is made ahead of time.
