The world is becoming a busy place with everyone doing their best to survive in a tough economy.  Unfortunately this has created less time for at home family meals and people are forced to eat out frequently or order in.  It is also tough for those who get 30-60 minutes for lunch and their only option is to hit the food court or the closest place they can get a quick meal.  For those who have this problem, there is a solution and I will outline some great ideas for you to get a healthy meal when forced to eat out.

 Sit Down Restaurants:

 -Avoid the burgers and pasta dishes and go for a sandwich and soup/salad. Also save a few bucks and get water instead of a pop or juice.  A burger is bad enough and filled with saturated fat and starchy carbs from the bun.  Accompany that with fries and it is an easy, but unhealthy choice.  Pasta dishes can also be bad as most places use white pasta and breaded meat or fish as a filler.  If you MUST go for the burger, try throwing out the bun and going for a salad on the side with light dressing.  This will cut your calories considerably but still fill you up.

 My recommendation:  Go for the grilled chicken/fish sandwich but don’t eat the bread.  Side garden salad with light dressing or olive oil and balsamic vinegar!

 Fast Food:

 -First of all, you should avoid these at all costs but there are ways to reduce the damage!

 Subway:  I try not to eat Subway too often, but when I do I go for a 6 inch on whole wheat with double the meat to fill me up.  Add mustard for taste and try to avoid fatty dressings like mayo or salad dressing.

 Burger Joints: I know it is no fun trying to eat healthy when eating at one of these places but it is possible (somewhat).  Go for their grilled chicken salad but pass on the dressing and go for a water to drink.

 Tim Hortons: Go for a sandwich and soup combo with a sandwich that has a lean meat and is not pre-mixed (ie. chicken club, tuna salad).  Try the turkey sandwich on whole wheat hold the mayo with a soup and water.

 Halifax Readers:  Take full advantage of Pete’s Frutique, this place saves me on a regular basis.  If I don’t have time to make lunch I head to Pete’s.  Their salads are fresh and taste great, just make sure you get light dressing or go with the carb free combo of olive oil and balsamic vinegar!  I go with a small spinach salad with a half roast chicken on rye bread which not only fills me up but gives me a quality mix of nutrients that I need!

 Good luck to everyone and I hope this helps.  If you have any questions feel free to contact me!  All the best in 2010

Matt Benvie