Monday it was McDonalds. Tuesday there was a splurge at
Applebee’s. Wednesday you tried that new little Mexican place down
the street. Sure, it all sounds tasty, but it certainly doesn’t
sound like a good financial plan.
Monday it was McDonalds. Tuesday there was a splurge at Applebee’s. Wednesday you tried that new little Mexican place down the street. Sure, it all sounds tasty, but it certainly doesn’t sound like a good financial plan.
Packing a lunch isn’t just a healthier alternative to eating out, it’s one for which your wallet will thank you. The average fast food meal (main entree, fries and a drink) costs around $6 to $8 these days.
Multiply that times five days a week and it’s a frightening enough number before you even begin to think about the amount spent on Starbucks lattes and morning bagels, or that afternoon run someone made for sweets.
Besides, the average Starbucks coffee drink is around 300 calories, with some of the chief offenders topping out at whopping amounts like the 480 calories and 25 grams of fat in a Grande Mocha Valencia or the 600 calories and 23 grams of fat in a Grande Berries and Cream Frappuccino.
Each one of these drinks will cost coffee nuts $3 to $5 a piece, compared to around $4 for a can of regular coffee and $5 or $6 for a tin of International Delights instant flavored coffee mix, both of which contain dozens of servings with far fewer calories.
Thinking that you’re still being relatively good is a mistake if you eat a homemade lunch but stop at McDonalds for breakfast.
The Egg McMuffins are only 290 calories a piece – not so bad for a complete meal – but watch out if you’re ordering a specialty sandwich.
The Sausage, Egg and Cheese McGriddle holds 560 calories, which means more than a quarter of your daily caloric intake will be spent on what, for Americans, is the smallest meal of the day.
The Spanish Omelet Bagel tips the scales at 710 calories, according to company data. What’s worse, almost all of the breakfast items contain more than 1,000 milligrams of sodium. Some contain nearly 2,000. The total recommended daily allowance of sodium is just 2,400 milligrams.
If you’re looking to cut down on calories, go for a fowl. Chicken is a dense, low-fat protein that, unlike fish, will keep well in the fridge and on the way to work.
It’s also easy to customize. Frozen chicken pieces are available to suit almost every taste – breasts, wings, thighs, legs, tenders, etc. – and are easy to prepare as well (no gooey chicken mess when they’re frozen solid). The frozen pieces can go directly into the oven for cooks who don’t want to wait out the defrosting cycle and each brand will print the directions for this on the back of the package.
For an easy, yet tasty supply, place four to five chicken breasts in a large Tupperware, pour in 1/4 cup of barbecue sauce (preferably an original or mesquite flavor, but nothing sweet) and cover chicken breasts with water.
Shake the Tupperware to dilute the barbecue sauce and marinate overnight.
Arrange chicken in a covered pan and pour in enough of the “marinade” to fill the pan 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Additional onion or Tobasco may be added for extra spice. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, turning part way thorough until chicken is done throughout.
Remove from heat and place immediately in individual plastic containers.
More advice from healthy living comes from the California “Eat 5 A Day” program, which encourages residents to increase their intake of fresh fruits and vegetables during the lunch hour and throughout the day.
Here are a few suggestions.
Snack Foods
Bite-sized goodies, aside from being filling, are also easy to eat at the desk … just like those fries that you’re used to.
Five A Day recommends replacing cookies and fries with fresh items like baby carrots, bananas, apples or grapes. Trail mix and popcorn are also tasty snacks that, while filling, are high in fiber and protein. Just be sure to watch their calorie count.
Fruits and veggies won’t necessarily get you a savings at the grocery store (they’re about the same cost for the week as candy bars and chips), but your waist line will thank you.
Beverages
Give soda the boot, advises Carol Capozza, nutritional consultant for Excel to Health, Inc. in Gilroy.
“You should be looking for low-cal beverages, low-sugar beverages,” she said.
Flavored sparkling waters are a good option, but be sure to check their sugar content and serving size. Many bottles contain more than one serving, sneakily delivering 35g of sugar or more. Another flavorful, but low-cal beverage is iced tea.
Salads
Not only can salad be served along with just about any meal, the leafy greens pack a punch when it comes to fiber and eyesight-preserving vitamins.
Dressing options are incredibly varied and can match nearly any taste preference from sweet to tangy, creamy to vinegared and everything in between. For delicious low-fat or fat-free dressings, look for items bearing those labels from a brand called Ken’s Steak House.
Their Vidalia Onion is great over spinach and their Greek tastes homemade.
A quick tip for packing your salads: To keep them crisp, place the salad in your Tupperware, cover it with a folded paper towel and invert the container in the refrigerator.
This will create a better seal to keep salad from becoming brown and will also absorb much of the moisture that would otherwise cause your salad to wither.
Keep dressing separately (Glad makes perfectly sized disposable containers for dressings and dipping sauces.)
A large bag of Ready Pac salad mix will only run around $5 (salad for a day at Micky D’s) and will be far, far lower in fat.
Most McDonalds’ salads actually contain more fat than their hamburgers – as much as 18 grams a serving.
By making healthier choices about toppings you can control the fat content of your own salads, reducing that level precipitously. Just remember to read nutritional information carefully – the calories in your toppings and dressings can sneak up on you.
Mix-Ins
Adding fruits and veggies to the foods you already eat can help you to work in those extra fruits and veggies with hardly any extra effort, and it might just spice up some of the “same old, same old” bland things in your lunch sack.
Try adding a little bit of minced red onion to your tuna mix along with a diced apple and a handful of golden raisins.
If you’re getting tired of the same old salad, mix things up a bit by adding novel ingredients – mandarin oranges, pears, strawberries (great with balsamic vinaigrette) or other summery fruits.
In winter, throw in chopped broccoli and minced red onion along with celery bits and chunks of fresh tomato and carrot.
For more nutritional information as well as recipes, visit www.Ca5ADay.com or call (888) EAT-FIVE.
