Making Healthy Fast Food Choices – Side-Stepping The Servo
It’s mid morning, mid afternoon or mid something and you are on the road. At some point you might need to fuel the car or perhaps even yourself. Options are limited, especially if you are in the city outskirts or the back of beyond. As you pass the sign for the next service station, you know that this is your chance to stop for a break and to shake your tired body into alertness.
Swinging by the servo during a workday can be the ultimate double-edged sword. Your energy and motivation levels are flagging from being behind the wheel and it seems the easy solution is a fuelling pit stop.
Is Healthy Fast Food Even Possible?
Standing in front of the bain-marie windows that are glistening from steam and oil splashes, it can be very hard to make a healthy choice. A choice that doesn’t supply enough calories for a small country and one that is low in fat and sugar and will fuel your body and brain for long hours on the road or even behind a desk.
This decision becomes even more important if most of your workday involves sitting and burning up very little energy. Some foods at the servo can be deceptively high in fat and/or sugar, which you can see below.
Oh, The Dilemma
I get it. It’s too easy to get paralysis by analysis when having to make a healthy food choice, especially when the options seem limited.
The best scenario of course, is one in which you pack your own meals or snacks for the road. This will not only save you money but also decrease the likelihood of making an unhealthy food choice. However, if you find yourself without reserves on hand, look carefully and there are some healthy fast food options available.
Try these healthy fast food snack ideas:
- 200g tub of low fat yoghurt and a piece of fruit or tub of fruit
- Fruit or cereal based muesli bar
- Snack pack portion of dried fruit and nuts
- Tub or tin of fruit
- Snack pack of cracker biscuits with individual portion of cheese
If you are looking for something a little more substantial:
- Ham/chicken/egg and salad sandwich, roll or wrap (wholegrain or wholemeal if possible)
- Toasted sandwich (unbuttered) with ham and cheese
- Poached eggs on wholemeal/grain toast (unbuttered)
- Tin of salt reduced spaghetti or baked beans
- Small portion of stir-fried meat/chicken and vegetables with noodles or steamed rice
A back-up plan can be your saviour for long days on the road, so think about keeping some provisions like water, trail mix, long life reduced flavoured milk, fruit or cereal based muesli bars on hand in the car – just in case.
When you pull over at the servo, don’t forget to take a moment to make your best fast food choice and be rewarded by an increase in energy and not in weight.
If the servo is not your problem but other chains are, you can check out the best and worst ones here.
