Welcome to Dishing Up Nutrition's Ask a Nutritionist.

I am Teresa Wagner.

I am a registered and licensed dietitian with nutritional weight and wellness.

Today we are answering a great question from a listener

who works in home health and spends a lot of time on the road. Her question is, do you have

any suggestions for healthy real foods from fast food or counter-served chains? She knows it's not ideal, but sometimes it's the only option.

We've all been there before. Life doesn't always allow for a perfectly prepped meal. But here's

the good news. With a little know-how, you can make smart, real food choices, even at fast food chains or gas station stops.

When out the go, take a few minutes to think about what you're trying to accomplish.

Do you have some health goals in mind that might motivate you to make a choice that's better

for say your future self? When we're out, it's easy to go for the food that we

are craving or that just sounds really good. Just take a deep breath and think about what you truly

desire. I like to ask the question, will my future self be happy with the choices that I'm making

today? So before you order, think of this as your checklist to build a balanced meal while you're out.

The first thing to think about is protein.

Prioritize the protein.

Choose grilled options like chicken, steak, eggs, or fish, skip the breading, and the

process meats. The reason we want to prioritize this, protein keeps you and stabilizes your

blood sugar. The second thing on the checklist, healthy fats. Look for avocado, guacamole,

nuts, or olive oil-based dressings.

We want to include fat in our meals because it helps to provide energy, and it keeps those cravings away.

The third thing on our checklist is to focus on fiber-rich vegetables, up for salads, veggie cups, bowls with extra veggies. And as a pro tip, at

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