Today sub shops and pizza restaurants are plentiful and frequented as often as fast food burger and fries chains. By implementing a few strategies to control fat, minimize portions and eat more vegetables you can eat healthier meals in or from restaurants focused on sub sandwiches and pizza.  

• Take advantage of those 6" subs. That's portion control at work. Pair that sub with a healthy bowl of soup (broth-based or bean-based). 
• Subs are made to order. That’s good news. Use it to your advantage. Watch the preparer carefully and tell them what you want piled high and what you want left out. For example: Leave off mayonnaise, oil, dressing. Add on more lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, peppers, vinegar and/or mustard.
• Split that bag of chips. Better yet, order a side salad.
• Pizza - go heavy on the healthier vegetable toppings. Go light on the meat and extra cheese topping. Then stop at 2 to 3 pieces. 
• Get a salad with pizza to fill you up.

To learn more about all aspects of healthy restaurant eating, including much more about healthy eating at fast food restaurants, get a copy of my book: Eat Out, Eat Well – The Guide to Eating Healthy in Any Restaurant.  Consider downloading the free companion app Eat Out Well – Restaurant Nutrition Finder to your mobile device.

Fast-food meals are generally higher in calories, fat, saturated fat and sodium. They’re also lower in healthier sources of carbohydrate than desirable – light on vegetables unless you have a salad as a main course or side, fruit is missing in action (as in most restaurants) and there are no whole grains to speak of. Despite this handful of positive changes and the fact that you can eat healthier fast food meals if you try, the truth is that it’s tough to eat a healthy fast food meal. 

Test out a few of these tips for healthier fast food meals:

• Order a kid’s meal. They don't card you to make sure you're under a certain age. Often the size of the servings and portions are just right. Today these meals come with a vegetable instead of fries and may even get you a serving of fruit as apple slices or a clementine.
• Go for the small or regular size sandwiches. Don't order large, extra large, super, or jumbo. It's too much food. Unless you plan to split and share. 
• Don't be taken in by offers for more food or less money. That’s those two for one offers or meal deals. 
• Split a small or medium order of fries. Think about it. You’ll likely be satisfied with just a few bites of those crisp and crunchy fries.
• If a salad is available, order it. Today entrée, half entrée and side salads are available at most fast food restaurants. This is great. You can crunch on something not fried and chock up a vegetables serving or two. Do be careful with the salad dressing. Drizzle lightly or just dip your greens lightly. 

Read my Washington Post Nutrition Q&A column (3/15) Fast Food Doesn’t Have to Be a Diet Killer to learn more.

To learn more about all aspects of healthy restaurant eating, including much more about healthy eating at fast food restaurants, get a copy of my book: Eat Out, Eat Well – The Guide to Eating Healthy in Any Restaurant.  Consider downloading the free companion app Eat Out Well – Restaurant Nutrition Finder to your mobile device.

Yes, you read this question correctly. There are aspects about fast food restaurant that actually - if you make healthier choices - help you eat less!!

• Reason 1: No nibbles are at the table as you wait for your food. Thus, no food to resist.
• Reason 2: There's no wait for your food. It's order and eat.
• Reason 3: Small portions are available; you just have to order them. There aren't a variety of portion sizes in most sit down restaurants - are there?

Read my Washington Post Nutrition Q&A column (3/15) Fast Food Doesn’t Have to Be a Diet Killer to learn more.

To learn more about all aspects of healthy restaurant eating, including much more about healthy eating at fast food restaurants, get a copy of my book: Eat Out, Eat Well – The Guide to Eating Healthy in Any Restaurant.  Consider downloading the free companion app Eat Out Well – Restaurant Nutrition Finder to your mobile device.

Over the last few decades, fast food chains, those walk up and order type of restaurants, have made moves to satisfy the desire for healthier options. Today you can order salads with lower calorie dressings, grilled chicken sandwiches, baked potatoes and six inch subs on whole grain breads. And healthier beverages are available. Read more about drinking healthier non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages in restaurants. 

Another plus, kid’s meals today are healthier too with healthier sides and served with low fat milk, unless you ask for a different drink.

Despite this handful of positive changes and the fact that you can eat healthier fast food meals if you try, the truth is that fast-food meals are generally high in calories, fat, saturated fat and sodium. They’re also lower in healthier sources of carbohydrate than desirable – light on vegetables unless you have a salad as a main course or side, fruit is missing in action (as in most restaurants) and there are no whole grains to speak of. 

But fast food restaurants actually can make healthy restaurant eating easier than at sit down restaurants. No foods are set before you at your table before you order. Thus no food to resist! You don’t have to wait for your food. It’s order and eat. You can order food in various portion sizes, from kid’s to small to jumbo. Plus, the nutrition information for fast food restaurant foods is readily available. Learn more about the nutrition information currently available from restaurants today [link to this Q in section 1 – the Q about nutrition information.  Another convenient source for fast food nutritional info is Eat Out Eat Well’s [link] free companion app Eat Out Well – Restaurant Nutrition Finder [link] which you can download to your mobile device.

Here’s a few tips to put into action:

Minimize Fried Foods. Better yet, skip them all together: Offset one fried food with a grilled or non-fried item. For example, opt for a small order of French fries (or share a medium order) with a no-frills hamburger or a grilled chicken sandwich.

Don’t let the fat sneak in: Be mindful of all the ways fat can sneak into your meal. In fast food restaurants minimize or avoid cheese, bacon, mayonnaise and “special sauce” (which are often mayonnaise-based.

Limit Sodium: Fast-food meals can send your sodium count skyrocketing. The sodium count ticks up as foods are coated in salty batters or as pickles, special sauces, bacon, cheese, and salad dressing are added. Not to mention the salt shaker used on French fries or salt on bags of chips and other crunchy snack foods. 

Have a Plan: The fine art of preplanning is a bit easier in fast-food restaurants. You aren’t greeted with a menu to peruse and tempt your taste buds. You know only too well what’s on the menu board. A healthy practice is to decide what you’ll order before you cross the threshold or hit the drive-thru speaker. 

Control Your Portions: The portions can be small as long as you order using the words small, regular, junior, small, or single. Skirt around the words that mean large portions: giant, super, jumbo, double, triple, big, and extra-large. A single hamburger has between two and three ounces of meat, just about the right portion for lunch or dinner. 

Eat Mindfully: Monitor your pace of eating. Make sure you take at least 15-20 minutes for a meal. Avoid drive-thru windows – they partner eating and driving. Not a good combination for your weight or your safety. 

Read my Washington Post Nutrition Q&A column (3/15) Fast Food Doesn’t Have to Be a Diet Killer to learn more.

To learn more about all aspects of healthy restaurant eating, including much more about healthy eating at fast food restaurants, get a copy of my book: Eat Out, Eat Well – The Guide to Eating Healthy in Any Restaurant. Consider downloading the free companion app Eat Out Well – Restaurant Nutrition Finder to your mobile device.