Saturday, October 15, 2011

Quick and Easy Fast Food Alternatives

Question:

I work very late hours and rarely have time to cook. I know that eating out all the time isn't healthy, but it's so much more convenient to pick up pizza, Chinese, or burgers. What other options do I have?

Answer:

Plenty! Sounds like you'd benefit from preparing meals ahead of time and then storing them in the fridge or freezer — all you'd have to do when you get home is reheat the food. At the grocery store, always look for quick-prep side items. For example, plain frozen veggies can be steamed in the microwave in less than 10 minutes, as can instant brown rice.

You can also pick up some prepared foods from the deli counter, such as roasted turkey and rotisserie chicken (just avoid the fatty skin of the poultry, as well as mayo-laden pasta salads). Homemade veggie pizza is something you can whip up in a jiffy. Simply spread low-sodium tomato sauce on a premade whole-wheat pizza crust, add some healthy toppings (such as broccoli, spinach, fresh tomatoes, black olives, and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese), and pop it in the oven for a few minutes!

When eating takeout is truly unavoidable (try not to let this happen more than once a week!), go for healthier options, like steamed shrimp and vegetables (with sauce on the side) from your local Chinese restaurant, a grilled chicken sandwich or a single-patty hamburger, minus the cheese, from the neighborhood burger joint, or veggie-loaded grilled steak or chicken fajitas (without fatty extras like sour cream) from the nearby Mexican chain. Enjoy!

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