Do you have healthy takeout options where you live?

[Deleted]

Question brought to you by my near tears trying to figure out what to eat for lunch while trying to lose weight.

I get so frustrated that it seems that EVERYTHING around here that you don't make yourself is unhealthy. I don't want to cook every single freaking meal, I don't want to heat up a frozen processed meal (since that's not healthy anyway), and it seems impossible to get something like grilled meat and veggies without mayo or some other fatty dressing/cheese/whatever from anywhere that is already prepared.

Is this a Midwestern thing or is this an issue everywhere?

I ended up eating a $10 salad that for some reason was made from yellowish iceberg lettuce (this is not normal for the place I bought it from, I think they were just trying to make me more sad about this lol).   

[pistolshrimp]

We have a local taco place that I consider pretty healthy-ish. You can get the different grilled meats over a huge salad and they have their own house-made dressings that are oil/vinegar-based. It's my go-to place when I don't feel like cooking. And in the colder months they have a couple of soup options that are usually veg based.

ETA: We also have a few places that specialize in veg/vegan and organic, but they are pretty expensive for what you get. The taco place is healthy at regular take-out cost.

[icedcoffee]

We have a lot of healthy options---sushi, salad places, panera. It's pretty easy to tailor stuff to be healthy. Not that I always do....

I live outside a big city though so that may be why it's easier....

[themysteriouswife]

H manges to find low/no fat options often. He request no mayo and subs fries for salads or steamed veggies no seasonings or butter. He has health issues and cannot process fat very well

ETA: we are north of Atlanta.

He eats at places like Chipotle, Pita Pit, Mexican restaurants, local places etc.

[pantsparty]

Surely there's a place with salad/sandwiches/wraps by you? I mean, you can get a wrap from Subway.

[icedcoffee]

Apr 6, 2017 13:48:24 GMT -5 pantsparty said:

Surely there's a place with salad/sandwiches/wraps by you? I mean, you can get a wrap from Subway.

Oh yeah---Subway is my go to when I want a healthy but satisfying lunch on a budget.

[themysteriouswife]

Apr 6, 2017 13:48:24 GMT -5 pantsparty said:

Surely there's a place with salad/sandwiches/wraps by you? I mean, you can get a wrap from Subway.

Or swap it to a salad with low fat dressings.

[Deleted]

Apr 6, 2017 13:48:24 GMT -5 pantsparty said:

Surely there's a place with salad/sandwiches/wraps by you? I mean, you can get a wrap from Subway.

Yeah but truly healthy? Are wraps and sandwiches on thick pieces of bread healthy? And you can get salads, but if you buy something that you're not building yourself, it generally has cheese, fatty dressing, bacon, etc on it.

I don't mean there is not literally 1 healthy thing anywhere you can get, but anywhere you go it seems the options are very, very limited. Is that the case everywhere? 

[gummy]

We have a million places to get salads and sandwiches but salads can be as bad as a cheeseburger and fries if you do it wrong! LOL

[momof2]

I think it depends on what you consider healthy. Since joining WW a month ago, my best bet is to take my lunch. I make up one dish and portion it into 4-6 servings and take it with me along with 2 pieces of fruit.

In my case, I would go to Subway if I had to eat out. I might also be able to go Mediterranean and get a kebab.

[Deleted]

Like for example, I went to the grocery store on Monday to pick up something pre-made for dinner because it was like 8pm and we were starving and didn't want to home and cook. I was hoping for grilled chicken/fish/some other lean meat and some kind of side to go with it, like grilled veggies or potatoes or a salad made from something yummy (like a black bean salad or something). They did have some grilled chicken, but the sides were all things like mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, veggies salads drenched in mayo, etc. You can get a salad from the salad bar, but we eat a lot of salads anyway so I wasn't in the mood for another one. I wanted something hot.

I don't want to eat a turkey sandwich or a salad for every meal. When I'm spending money to buy something already made, I'd like it to actually taste good and be interesting KWIM?

[Deleted]

I live in a small town with not a lot of take out options. But, I mean, sure. Even McDonald's greek salad with grilled chicken is a pretty healthy option. Or the bistro inside Urban Market.

[themysteriouswife]

Apr 6, 2017 13:51:12 GMT -5 @buckybells said:

Apr 6, 2017 13:48:24 GMT -5 pantsparty said:

Surely there's a place with salad/sandwiches/wraps by you? I mean, you can get a wrap from Subway.

Yeah but truly healthy? Are wraps and sandwiches on thick pieces of bread healthy? And you can get salads, but if you buy something that you're not building yourself, it generally has cheese, fatty dressing, bacon, etc on it.

I don't mean there is not literally 1 healthy thing anywhere you can get, but anywhere you go it seems the options are very, very limited. Is that the case everywhere? 

H tells them to leave everything like that off. It's more a matter of voicing your preference than not having options. You are a paying customer just speak up.

[pinkdutchtulips]

Apr 6, 2017 13:51:12 GMT -5 @buckybells said:

Apr 6, 2017 13:48:24 GMT -5 pantsparty said:

Surely there's a place with salad/sandwiches/wraps by you? I mean, you can get a wrap from Subway.

Yeah but truly healthy? Are wraps and sandwiches on thick pieces of bread healthy? And you can get salads, but if you buy something that you're not building yourself, it generally has cheese, fatty dressing, bacon, etc on it.

I don't mean there is not literally 1 healthy thing anywhere you can get, but anywhere you go it seems the options are very, very limited. Is that the case everywhere? 

o no limited options here - everything is customizable bread, meats, cheeses, condiments .. the deli downstairs from me has an enormous salad bar and next to them is a Mexican place w tons of healthy options. Thankfully true junk food (McD's, BK, etc is hard to come by around my ofc.

[Deleted]

Apr 6, 2017 13:52:11 GMT -5 momof2 said:

I think it depends on what you consider healthy. Since joining WW a month ago, my best bet is to take my lunch. I make up one dish and portion it into 4-6 servings and take it with me along with 2 pieces of fruit.

In my case, I would go to Subway if I had to eat out. I might also be able to go Mediterranean and get a kebab.

I'm doing WW so maybe that's part of my frustration lol. I had the same gripe when I did Whole 30 earlier this year. I do pack a lunch most days, but it's nice to be able to have someone else prepare your food 2-3 times a week and that's where I get stuck. 

[miso]

Yes.

[followyourarrow]

We have Panera, Chipolte, McAlisters Deli, Jason's deli, Ingredient, Potbelly has great salads, and an assortment of local delis. Obviously you'll want to customize the salads, but I find them to be good options. Suhi is another semi healthy option if you're not worried about the carbs in the rice. A Japanese grill does take out and delivery here, and I can get just the meat and veggies, while skipping the delicious fried rice.

[illgetthere]

We have been sticking with Chipotle or Mexican lately. There are a few Mexican places near us that have grilled meats or grilled veggies as a side item; they are meant to be in addition to a meal, but we order by themselves

Edit: sides are really the easiest to do. If you get a rotisserie chicken or some other main item, just throw some frozen vegetables in the microwave for a minute and/or put some seasonings on red/sweet potatoes and microwave them.

[pantsparty]

Apr 6, 2017 13:51:12 GMT -5 @buckybells said:

Apr 6, 2017 13:48:24 GMT -5 pantsparty said:

Surely there's a place with salad/sandwiches/wraps by you? I mean, you can get a wrap from Subway.

Yeah but truly healthy? Are wraps and sandwiches on thick pieces of bread healthy? And you can get salads, but if you buy something that you're not building yourself, it generally has cheese, fatty dressing, bacon, etc on it.

I don't mean there is not literally 1 healthy thing anywhere you can get, but anywhere you go it seems the options are very, very limited. Is that the case everywhere? 

I think a wrap is actually more healthy than a salad with lots of dressing. I mean, it all depends on your choices. You can forego dressing, cheese and a lot of things that make a sandwich unhealthy (and tasty).

[momof2]

Apr 6, 2017 13:57:44 GMT -5 @buckybells said:

Apr 6, 2017 13:52:11 GMT -5 momof2 said:

I think it depends on what you consider healthy. Since joining WW a month ago, my best bet is to take my lunch. I make up one dish and portion it into 4-6 servings and take it with me along with 2 pieces of fruit.

In my case, I would go to Subway if I had to eat out. I might also be able to go Mediterranean and get a kebab.

I'm doing WW so maybe that's part of my frustration lol. I had the same gripe when I did Whole 30 earlier this year. I do pack a lunch most days, but it's nice to be able to have someone else prepare your food 2-3 times a week and that's where I get stuck. 

Ok - since I know what you are looking for, I will be honest and say that my nanny actually preps lunch for me.  My husband joined WW with me, and does a lot more eating out (on the road a lot).  He does a lot of Subway.

But, he is also taking lunch on the road with him a LOT more.  We are focusing our meals out on dinner once a week.  We never used to eat at chains, but we are doing more of them now since they have easy ways to calculate WW points.  Bonefish Grill, Cheesecake Factory, Outback, etc.  We don't love it, but it lets us eat out some.

[liverandonions]

Chick-fil-a, chipotle, Wendy's, and most burger places will have protein burger/lettuce wrap options. Jimmy John's isn't my favorite but they have an "unwich" which is lettuce wrapped as well.

[wambam]

Healthy is in the eye of the beholder. If all else fails, I can always get Chipotle which almost always fits within my macro allowances for the day.

[felicity]

What I take away from threads like this is anything could be considered healthy by some, and unhealthy by others.

For example, to me the most unhealthy part of a turkey sandwich is the processed turkey, not the bread, cheese, or mayo.

But, to answer your question, I can find things that I consider reasonably healthy at carryout places by me, but cooking my own food is much healthier.

[pantsparty]

Apr 6, 2017 13:55:01 GMT -5 @buckybells said:

Like for example, I went to the grocery store on Monday to pick up something pre-made for dinner because it was like 8pm and we were starving and didn't want to home and cook. I was hoping for grilled chicken/fish/some other lean meat and some kind of side to go with it, like grilled veggies or potatoes or a salad made from something yummy (like a black bean salad or something). They did have some grilled chicken, but the sides were all things like mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, veggies salads drenched in mayo, etc. You can get a salad from the salad bar, but we eat a lot of salads anyway so I wasn't in the mood for another one. I wanted something hot.

I don't want to eat a turkey sandwich or a salad for every meal. When I'm spending money to buy something already made, I'd like it to actually taste good and be interesting KWIM?

Next time pick up a rotisserie chicken and a can of corn and black beans. Drain and rinse the beans and corn, serve room temp or make some minute rice and mix in the beans/corn until warm.

I feel like you have to do stuff like this to mix it up. Unless you live by Whole Foods, it's hard to find truly healthy hot bar choices.

[tacokick]

A few, there is a local smokery that has smoked seafood, some healthy soul food places, sushi, bento boxes with grill fish etc

[Deleted]

Apr 6, 2017 13:59:24 GMT -5 @licia said:

This thread is interesting in that people are saying - hey have you tried this? and those suggestions are met with, well, yes, but that's not what I'm talking about!

I think it's a pretty universal truth that if you want more calorie-controlled food and healthier options, you have to make it yourself. You may be better suited to do more food-prep (say, on a down day, where you can chop up veg, marinate and cook meats, etc.) and grab those things on the go throughout the week. Budget a meal out on whatever food plan you're on, eat half of something, pull the bread off, etc.

Yeah, it sucks that I can't pull up to any restaurant and get numerous healthy options, but, c'est la vie.

Ha- well, maybe the answer is no, then!

I guess what I want is food that fresh, not overly processed, not laden with sugar, and includes things that are actually good for you. And I don't want to eat a salad every single time I want to pick something up. We do have a good salad place here at work. It just sometimes feels like the ONLY option when I want something fresh that isn't super unhealthy.

Chipotle and Panera are good options that we do have. IDK why we don't go to Panera more. 

[Deleted]

Apr 6, 2017 13:59:22 GMT -5 @littlemoxie said:

Wraps are not on thick pieces of breads, they are on thin wraps.

Bread is not inherently unhealthy.

"interesting" is often going to be cooked in some combo of butter, cream, salt and/or sugar or whatever to make some sauces or what not. All of these "glazes" usually will have orange juice or honey or something else to make it stick.

I think your best bet is just to cook at home in bulk and allow yourself something less than ideal when you're paying for it.

Lol I know I said "wraps and sandwiches on thick pieces of bread". I agree bread is not always unhealthy, but it is something I try to limit. For instance Subway bread may be low calorie, but it's got a zillion ingredients in it that are not healthy, sugar, etc.

I guess I get frustrated because I make interesting, tasty things at home and don't include sugar, butter, cream, etc in most of them. I know the answer is "then cook yourself!" but I don't want to do that for every single meal. I wish more restaurants and easy takeout options were made using healthier ingredients. I feel like it wouldn't be that hard for them to do it if I can at home?

Maybe I'm just being whiney.

[Alwaysabridesmaidf]

I do get frustrated but you have to be willing to ask for things customized. ANY place has something you can customize into a healthy meal. You just need to put a little extra work into it.
Sometimes if my only option is a sandwich, I just eat the meat and veggies off of it and toss the bread. The frozen section always has those steamfresh microwavable veggies. Most times though, I just grill up some chicken on Sunday and stick it in the fridge at work with the frozen steamfresh for when I am in a pinch

[halfpint]

Chipotle, Panera, even Pancheros for bowls as far as chains
Have you tried Bread Garden Market downtown? They are a little spendy, but have a glorious salad bar and hot food bar. Also Heirloom Salad Co. and Trumpet Blossom Cafe (vegan, they have some delicious stuff). I actually think your town is rich with lots of diverse and healthy options, but I get that you can feel a little stuck when you might be kind of just jonesing for something a little unhealthy.
Are you Costco members? They have some nice prepared foods - is TJ's open yet?

[mrssandro]

When we don't want to cook our default is eggs.

But yes we do have some places you can pick up something real quick. The Grocery store has fresh sushi and there is a few new salad places that opened up. I know you will say Chipotle isn't healthy but I think the bowls are okay if you don't get cheese or sour cream.