Eating Smart on the Go

In a perfect world we would all be so organized that we would prepare most of our meals at home, and pack healthy lunch options daily, right? Well, we don't live in a perfect world, and even the most diligent planners have moments of chaos. We have all found ourselves rushing out the door, forgetting to eat breakfast and end up in the drive-thru line of the nearest fast food restaurant to order something in a pinch. Same thing for lunch... we had great intentions of packing a lunch the night before, but something came up and now we're scrambling to find a quick, easy, and cheap meal on our short lunch break. Don't worry, it's not a bad thing to occasionally have a meal at a fast food restaurant, but we can make better choices when we do. Now, I am not saying that you can never have the burger, fries, and milkshake again, but if that's what you choose most days of the week, that's when it can become a problem. To make your life a little easier, I've come up with my top picks for breakfast and lunch/dinner from some of the more popular chains. Enjoy, and let me know if you find this helpful!

McDonald's

Egg McMuffin

This toasted English Muffin comes with eggs, Canadian bacon, and American cheese for 300 calories and 18 grams of protein. Ask for it without the cheese to lower the calories, saturated fat, and sodium.

Fruit and Maple Oatmeal

This breakfast option comes with 2 servings of whole grain oats with red and green apples, cranberries, and 2 varieties of raisins. This meals weighs in at 310 calories and 5 grams of fiber. Skip the brown sugar to cut down on the amount of added sugar.

McDouble

In the mood for a burger? The McDouble provides 23 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber. Ask for a couple of slices of tomato and pair this with a side salad and you've got your vegetable servings for lunch.

Starbucks

Spinach, Feta and Cage Free Egg White Breakfast Wrap

This vegetarian wrap has a good balance of protein, fiber, and fat; 19 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber to be exact. This is one of the better options I have seen when it comes to breakfast sandwiches. Keep in mind that it does have a good bit of sodium, so be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day.

Reduced-Fat Turkey Bacon & Cage Free Egg White Breakfast Sandwich

If you are someone who needs to have meat at breakfast, then this may be a good option for you. This breakfast sandwich, served on a wheat English muffin, contains 230 calories, 16 grams of protein, and less sodium than the breakfast wrap mentioned above.

Eggs & Cheese Protein Box

This protein box comes with two hardboiled eggs, sliced apples, grapes, and white cheddar cheese with multigrain muesli bread and honey peanut butter. With 23 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, this lunch box is sure to fuel you through the rest of the work day.

Wendy's

Grilled Chicken Sandwich

This sandwich contains an all-white meat chicken breast fillet topped with fresh lettuce and tomato on a multigrain bun. And since grilled foods contain minimal oil, if any, you'll be avoiding a good bit of added fat compared to the fried chicken sandwich.

Power Mediterranean Chicken Salad

This salad is packed with protein and contains grilled chicken, feta cheese, hummus, and sun dried tomato quinoa blend. The half size contains 22 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber. They also offer a version of this salad without chicken if you are looking for a vegetarian option.

Chick-Fil-A

Grilled Nuggets

Choosing the grilled nuggets will save you about 9 grams of fat compared to the regular fried nuggets, making them the better choice if you are eating out a lot. Pair this will a fruit cup or side salad to get in those daily fruit/veggie servings.

Grilled Chicken Cool Wrap

I've been on a wrap kick lately, and this has been one of my go-to's. This yummy wrap contains sliced grilled chicken breast, a mix of green leaf lettuce, shredded red cabbage and carrots on a flaxseed flour flat bread. This wrap does come with cheese (but I always get it without - personal preference), and your choice of dressing on the side. This filling wrap provides 37 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber which is sure to keep you feeling full for a while!