There is a good chance you will be shopping at a mall in the near future. Shopping always makes me hungry; but what to choose at the food court that won’t mess up your diet? Here are a few tips for making wise choices at the food court:
1. The best thing to do is eat a good breakfast so you are not starving when you get to the food court. When you’re starving you go for the first thing that looks interesting. You can also bring your own snacks to eat. That way you know you have healthy snacks and you save some money.
2. Check out everything there so you know what your choices are (this will also get you some more steps while you walk around). Is there a salad bar? Do any of the vendors have low calorie options? What do the portion sizes look like?
3. Stay away from the high calorie foods like:
- Iced cinnamon rolls
- Meat-topped pizza
- Giant pretzels coated with butter, sugar, icing, or nuts
- Holiday coffee or hot chocolate drinks with whipped cream
- Crispy, fried, or heavily sauced foods
- Jumbo muffins and pastries
- Super-rich ice cream
- Candy, cookies, and brownies
4. Order the smaller portion or side dishes. Side dishes are always small and at times very filling. Have a cup of soup versus a bowl of soup. Eat a 6 inch sub at Subway instead of a 12 inch sub.
5. Eat lean protein dishes. They will stay with you longer and you won’t find yourself at the Cinnabon counter two hours later. By the way a Cinnamon classic cinnamon roll has 880 calories and 36 grams of fat. You would need to workout at a high rate for at least an hour to burn those calories off.
Think ahead on your shopping day to plan what you will eat or bring food with you.
Holly Kouvo is a certified Personal Trainer, Nutrition Specialist, speaker and writer who specializes in helping people lose hundreds of pounds. Learn more at www.FittingFitnessIn.com.