Pizza and Pilates

7 Fast Food Meals Under 350 Calories

July 4th is coming up and along with fireworks and carnivals come road trips. I just completed a 12 hour journey this past weekend and have an 11 hour one coming up this weekend. With three kids in tow not only will I be ready to punch out the Man in the Yellow Hat, but I’ll be full of fast food as well. Luckily the team at Eat This, Not That have come up with 7 fast food meals under 350 calories to help us all be able to step out of the car as lithe as when we stepped in:

“How did Americans get so fat?”

Of all the questions we get, this is by far the most common. There are many reasons: We’ve added extra calories to basic foods, everything from pasta sauce to ketchup. We’re drinking more calories than ever—450 a day, on average. And, of course, we’ve been trained to supersize it. Those “value” meals we order through the clown’s mouth cost us only 17 percent more money, but 73 percent more calories. That’s dummy economics—you wouldn’t buy a new Blu-Ray Disc and then pay the electronics store to throw in some old, worn-out videotapes, would you? And so, everytime we eat out, we add 134 calories to our daily intake.

We understand that life is hectic and fast-food meals are inevitable. That’s why we created the runaway bestseller Eat This, Not That! back in 2007. It’s also why we’ve taken all of the principles we’ve laid out over the past few years and distilled them down to a brand-new, complete nutrition plan: The Eat This, Not That! No-Diet Diet. You can eat all the foods you love, at all the restaurants you love, without condemning yourself to massive portions and coma-inducing calorie counts, and lose tons of weight—without ever dieting again. (Which is why we gave it the “No-Diet Diet!” twist!)

Want proof? Here are 7 fast-food meals with fewer than 350 calories. Next time you’re in a bind, opt for one of these meals and banish excess calories for good.

The Perfect Day of Eating

Everyone knows by now to eat more fruits and vegetables, some lean protein with every meal, drink lots of water over soda and juice, blah, blah, blah. Old news, right? But even if you know the basics, planning three perfectly balanced and nutritious meals a day can be overwhelming. Plus with Ryan Reynolds’ new movie out and Michele Bachmann’s riveting race to the presidency to follow, who has the time? Thankfully the editors of Men’s Health have come to the rescue with one perfect day of meals:

Will this be your best day ever? Or your beastliest? What you put in your mouth will have a lot to do with the answer. Food can help fuel body and mind to ensure that you perform at the peak of your abilities.

Or it can sabotage your best efforts, leaving you panicked, drained, and floundering. Are you eating your way to disaster, or triumph? Let’s go through your daily menu of foods and tasks to help you snack, slurp, and sup your way to success.

Read more at Men’s Health.

This is how I feel after my power yoga class every Tuesday. I’m gonna sleep sooooooooooooooo well tonight.

veganexperience:

Come on everyone knows Chocolate is the playing cards!! (I WISH!)

Here’s another handy reference for helping out with portion control!

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postcollegerunnergirl:

Andy Bernard: I’ve walked two marathons. I’m pretty sure I can handle a 5k. The key is drafting - eliminate wind resistance.

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Eating cheese? Give yourself a thumbs up! Besides being high in calcium (good for bones, nails and hair) the fat to protein ratio in cheese keeps you full longer so you eat less overall. This is full fat cheese, mind you, not the fake stuff. As long as you can control yourself, go for the full fat kind as the benefits outweigh the little bit of fat you save by eating low-fat versions (which you’ll probably eat more in the long run anyway since you’ll be hungrier sooner). Plus they have to pump up fake cheese with loads of artificial ingredients to make it taste better than cardboard.

Now, speaking of controlling yourself and of thumbs up (ready for this, it’s all coming together) hold both of your thumbs up in front of you and hold them together - that is the size of the amount of cheese you should eat! 2 ounces. Nature’s way of giving you portion control tools at your fingertips (pun intended). Brilliant!

Know what else nature provided us? Cheese that is naturally lower in fat than some of its friends! Goat, for example, is lower in fat than it’s cow milk counterparts. Another healthy way to think about cheese is that instead of using it as the main focus of a dish, use a really tasty aged cheese that adds a powerful punch of flavor in a smaller serving size. For example, if you’re craving mac and cheese (as I often do) instead of making a bowl for dinner using regular old cheddar, have just a scoop on the side with a big salad and make it with parmigiano reggiano and herb goat cheese instead.

Read on at Men’s Healthfor some fancy cheese suggestions and more on the health benefits of cheese from people in the know (doctors, cheese mongers, etc.).