Our friends at SELF Magazine hit the roads to help real women with their meal choices at rest stops with popular food chains. Here, they give simple swaps that can cut tons of fat, sugar and calories from your next road trip.
- INSTEAD OF THIS: Popeyes chicken breast and mac ‘n’ cheese side (640 calories, 34 grams fat)
- EAT THIS: Naked Tenders, sides of red beans and rice, and green beans (440 calories, 17.5 g fat)
- A chicken breast can be a healthy bet, but Popeyes fries it, which ups the fat content to 27 g. It also has 1,330 milligrams of sodium—nearly 60 percent of the daily recommended limit! Choosing the unbreaded chicken tenders cuts 25 g fat and 780 mg sodium. Beans and greens deliver filling fiber in place of macaroni’s quick-burning carbs.
- YOU SAVE: 200 calories, 16.5 g fat
- INSTEAD OF THIS: Burger King veggie burger, no mayo; garden salad with honey-mustard dressing (720 calories, 38 g fat)
- TRY THIS: Veggie burger sans mayo, side salad with light Italian (480 calories, 20 g fat)
- The burger supplies ample protein (22 g) and veggies, so you don’t need a full-size salad. You should also pick a dressing with less sugar. (Honey-mustard has 14 g; light Italian has 4 g.)
- YOU SAVE: 240 calories, 18 g fat
- INSTEAD OF THIS: Roy Rogers Gold Rush chicken sandwich and fries (953 calories, 48 g fat)
- TRY THIS: Roast beef sandwich, mashed potatoes and gravy (448 calories, 10 g fat)
- The roast beef sammie at Roy Rogers is as hearty as the bacon-and cheese-topped Gold Rush chicken, but it has 8 g more energizing protein and 9 g less saturated fat. And you can still have a side of spuds, but getting them mashed rather than fried shaves about 230 calories.
- YOU SAVE: 505 calories, 38 g fat
Check out the full gallery at SELF. More From SELF:Best of the Worst: Save Cals on Pizza and Apple Pie!3 Fat-Frying Cardio RoutinesSign Up For SELF’s Weekly Recipe Newsletter!
