Healthy Habit Highlight for Friday

Let's face it. You don't always have time to cook healthy meals at home. Sometimes you just have to eat out and even if you're trying to lose weight, you can be successful eating out while losing weight at the same time! So today, I'm going to highlight some of my favorite places where I've been able to eat out successfully.

Fast Food
Chick-fil-a:
One of my favorite places to grab a quick meal, Chick-fil-a has several healthy options. Some of my favorites include the Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich (290 calories, only 4 grams of fat, and 7 Weight Watchers points), the 8-count Chicken Nuggets (260 calories and 7 WW points), the Chargrilled Chicken Garden Salad (only 160 calories, 4 grams of fiber, and only 5 WW points...pair it with 2 tbsp of their Light Italian dressing for 0 WW points), and the Large Chicken Soup (220 calories and 6 WW points). Now what would Chick-fil-a be without Waffle Fries? A small Waffle Fries is 300 calories, 16 grams of fat, and 7 WW points, but as long as you budget for them, go for it! But all in moderation. *smile*

Subway:
What would the world be without the myriad of Subways that line our streets? I love Subway! There are so many healthy options and ways to get in your fruits and veggies. My go to subs are the 6-inch Black Forest Ham on 9-grain Wheat (221 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, and 7 WW points), the 6-inch Turkey Breast on 9-grain Wheat (221 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, and 7 WW points), and the 6-inch Turkey Breast and Black Forest Ham on 9-grain Wheat (221 calories, 4 grams of fat, and 7 WW points). Add cheese to any of these for only 1 WW point, and LOAD UP ON THE VEGGIES. Stay away from the mayo, vinegar and oil, ranch, etc., and opt for spicy brown mustard instead.

Cafe Style
Panera:
Panera is full of delicious breads and pastries, yes, but they also have several healthy salad and soup options. Also, you can get an apple as a side instead of chips or bread. There are so many options to choose from, that I'll only highlight one. Try a You Pick Two combo with All Natural Low Fat Chicken Noodle Soup and a Greek Salad with dressing for a total of 380 calories and 11 WW points.

Dine In
Ruby Tuesday:
On top of their fantastic, fresh Garden Bar (just avoid fatty dressings and pasta salads, etc) that comes with most of their meals, Ruby Tuesday has several meals 500 calories or less! Called their "Fit and Trim Choices", their are vegetarian, seafood, chicken, and steak options. I had the Spaghetti Squash Marinara, which was delicious and filling. I was only able to eat half of my dish, along with a salad from the Garden Bar, so I had healthy leftovers for lunch the next day! And the whole dish was only 6 WW points! Win, win!

It is entirely possible to eat well when you eat out. By making smart choices, checking nutritional information on a restaurant's website beforehand (if possible), and having a game plan/strategy before you step foot in the restaurant, you can enjoy a meal out without blowing your diet!