Being on a campus as big as Ohio State, it’s hard not to get caught up in eating out. There is such a vast amount of restaurants to choose from. When your friends are all going out for a bite, you don’t want to discard their invitation just in the hopes of making the healthy choice. Well, now you don’t have to!
Eating at Jimmy John’s doesn’t have to break your diet focus. Jimmy John’s does have some sandwich items that range from 700-1000 calories; however, if you choose correctly, some sandwiches are only 400-800 calories. Choosing a “slim” sandwich or an 8” sandwich is the way to go! However, be careful about what you are adding to your sub; adding a regular serving of cheese to your sub adds 100 calories and 7 grams of fat.
Also, when ordering Jimmy John’s, be wary of adding sides. A bag of chips is about 150 calories and 8 grams of fat, while a cookie is 400 calories and contains 20 grams of fat. If you are craving a side, stick with adding a pickle–it’s only 20 calories and 0 grams of fat!
Panera Bread may serve a lot of carb-filled foods, but don’t worry–there are healthy options too. When it comes to bagels, stick with the whole grain ones versus bagels like cinnamon crunch. The whole grain bagel is only 340 calories with 2.5 grams of fat, while the cinnamon crunch one is 420 calories with 6 grams of fat.
Bagels aside, Panera Bread has some really nice non-breakfast foods as well. Trying the classic salad is only 170 calories with 11 grams of fat. All the fat comes from the vinaigrette dressing. The vegetarian black bean soup and garden vegetable soup with pesto are two great and healthy soup options. The soups contain 260 calories with only 3 grams of fat, and 150 calories with 5 grams of fat, respectively. A small rigatoni san marzano is a pasta that may be worth trying; it only contains 320 calories with 12 grams of fat.
Chipotle has options for almost every individual. A person with a gluten-free diet, a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle, or more common eating habits is able to enjoy their incredibly delicious food. Everything is gluten-free, with the exception of the flour tortillas. All of their grains and vegetables are either organic or locally bought – some are both. The only thing to be careful about is the servings. Chipotle tends to give us more than we actually need for one serving (and we love them for it), but think twice before eating the whole serving. The amount of food they give you is surely enough for at least two meals!