Want to eat out but don't want to spend a fortune — and worried about the calories? Fast food is often the first choice, but you don't know what to order because you don't want to gain weight. So how can you enjoy fast food with fewer calories, or find options as cheap and convenient? Here's the answer: making any menu a healthier one is in your hands.
For example, iced coffee is a favourite — skip the extra syrup and choose fat-free milk over full-fat, and you needn't give it up. Can't resist chicken sandwiches and wraps? Try an interesting salad instead of chips on the side. The key to a healthier wrap is choosing grilled rather than fried chicken, and lighter sauces like barbecue or mustard over mayonnaise. Enjoyed as suggested, iced coffees, salads and wraps each come in under 500 kcal.
Drinks
An iced latte (no syrup): about 110 kcal, 2 g fat, 18 g carbohydrate, 4 g protein — you can have it in place of one serving of your daily dairy.
Salads
- Grilled chicken salad (with ½ pack of light Italian dressing): 290 cal, 12.5 g fat, 11.5 g carbohydrate, 3 g fibre, 33 g protein.
- Grilled chicken and fruit salad (no dressing): 220 cal, 6 g fat, 22 g carbohydrate, 5 g fibre, 22 g protein.
- Grilled chicken garden salad (no dressing): 180 cal, 6 g fat, 11 g carbohydrate, 4 g fibre, 23 g protein.
- Grilled chicken salad with ½ pack of low-fat balsamic dressing: 265 cal, 10 g fat, 16.5 g carbohydrate, 4 g fibre, 28 g protein.
These salads are ideal for dinner — light, filling and a great ally for your diet.
Sandwiches and wraps
- Veggie burger (no mayo): 340 cal, 8 g fat, 46 g carbohydrate, 7 g fibre, 23 g protein.
- Grilled chicken sandwich (no mayo): 400 cal, 7 g fat, 49 g carbohydrate, 4 g fibre, 36 g protein.
- Spicy chicken wrap: 410 cal, 12 g fat, 45 g carbohydrate, 9 g fibre, 34 g protein.
Enjoy these with ayran [a traditional Turkish yogurt drink] or iced tea at lunch.
Desserts
- Honey-almond oat yogurt parfait: 290 cal, 6 g fat, 53 g carbohydrate, 7 g protein.
- Reduced-fat vanilla ice-cream cone: 150 cal, 3.5 g fat, 24 g carbohydrate, 4 g protein.
- Fruit yogurt parfait: 160 cal, 2 g fat, 31 g carbohydrate, 4 g protein.
- Small banana split: 200 cal, 6 g fat, 35 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein.
Sweet lovers can choose whichever suits their plan, especially as an afternoon snack.
Everyday Foods Worth Reaching For
Yogurt: Its probiotic bacteria support healthy digestion, and being rich in B vitamins, it's good for skin, bones and teeth. Have a bowl of low-fat or fat-free yogurt with meals — vegetable-packed cacık [a yogurt-cucumber dish] and ayran are other lovely options.
Fish, especially salmon: A source of omega-3, salmon matters for a flat stomach. Include it at least two or three times a week.
Hazelnuts and walnuts: Rich in vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant. For those on a plan, 10 hazelnuts a day is enough — it won't hinder weight loss and is plenty for health. Walnuts are also antioxidant-rich and help lower cholesterol; 5 walnuts a day is enough for weight control.
Whole-grain bread: We use “brown bread” for all non-white options — wholemeal, bran, whole-grain, rye. They keep the gut regular, can help lower bad cholesterol, and lower blood sugar and insulin, so they're recommended for people with type 2 diabetes.
Salad, leafy greens, broccoli: Low in calories and rich in vitamins and minerals. Half a bowl of broccoli helps lower high cholesterol, protects your heart, and helps protect the eye's retina from UV damage.
Grapes: A store of potassium and vitamin C, good for digestion, and they support the body's defences. 100 g of grapes is about 65 calories.
Cherries: Rich in calcium, phosphorus and vitamin C, cherries help with water balance and are rich in anthocyanins. They help ease constipation and support the clearing of toxins. 100 g of cherries is about 70 calories.
Watermelon: High in vitamin C and beta-carotene, with plenty of potassium to help regulate heart function and blood pressure, and fibre to keep the gut moving. Fat- and cholesterol-free, 100 g is about 25 calories.