Good Lifestyle

In a perfect world, you would eat aWell rounded breakfast And spend through your purchases without ever walking in the food court. (In fact, when I contacted the R & D for this gathering on what to order at these staples of the food court, I could almost hear a collective groan, as if they wanted to answer "D. None of these Answers ... Just pack a healthy snack! They were soldiers, however, and obliged!)

The reality is the reality of the menus of the courts. Made that your teen indoor: fat burgers, grass pizzas, fries and shakes disguised as "smoothies". Our dietitian experts were largely concerned about the amount of sodium in the orders of these fast food restaurants (or fast casual). Quick Reminder: When you take too much sodium, your body retains water, which can make the task of your heart and blood vessels more difficult. For optimal heart health, the American Heart Association says you should aim to eat more than 1,500 milligrams a day.

But we get it: long holiday shopping lines + being flexible on what to get your aunt who hasall May mean that you will find yourself at the mall for once in Fa-la-la-la-la-longest than expected. So that's what you should eat and what you should avoid on 12 of the most popular restaurants in the kitchen. Check them and discover them then20 things you did not know about fast food!

Panda Express

For non-initiates, Panda Express is one of those places where you go through a line of buffets of sords, ordering sides and main meals. Not fret, however, becauseJennifer Glockner, RDN and author ofTeddy tries a veggie, will walk through the whole line. First, a word of caution: the service sizes in Panda Express are larger than the recommended portions, she says. "You may want to share with a friend or family member or take the house of stay," she says.

Panda Express APRINZERS

Eat this: Potticker Pan-Seared Chicken

Starting with the aperitifs, your best option possible is thePanticker Pan-Sear Chicken. It contains chicken, cabbage and onions. You may want to eat filling and limiting some of the dough, suggests Glockner. These pursitickets have 160 calories, 6 grams of total fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 250 milligrams of sodium, 2 grams of sugar, 6 grams protein.

Not that!: Crispy shrimp

Most of the appetizers of this menu are fries, so it is better to jump them completely, says Glockner. But the worst of the worst is theCrispy shrimp With 260 calories, 13 total fat grams, 2 g saturated grease, 800 milligrams of sodium, 2 grams of sugar and 9 grams protein. Glockner is worried about the high sodium content and the fact that it is fried. "In addition, 260 calories are excessive for a simple aperitif," she says.

Panda Express Sides

Eat this: mixed vegetables

Move on the sides, your best option is theMixed vegetables, which has only 80 calories. But be on the sodium watch: they have 540 milligrams. "Vegetables contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibers. This dish has 3 grams of fiber, which will keep you longer," she says. If you are looking for a grain, choose theBrown rice steamedBut just get half of a servition, "she suggests. "A regular portion is 1/2 cup but Panda Express serves 10.5 ounces, which is a little more than a cup," she says. "The steam brown rice has more fibers and protein than steamed white rice, which has no fiber at all," says Glockner. "The fiber will keep you longer."

Not that!: Chow Mein

Jump theChow Mein, which is loaded with 510 calories, 22 grams of total fat, 4 grams saturated fats, 980 milligrams of sodium, 9 grams of sugar, 13 grams protein. "Nutrition information looks like an entire meal rather than a dish of accompaniment. This dish is caloric and high in sodium, fat and sugar," said Glockner.

Panda Express Enterres

Eat this: rope bean chicken breast

Your best meal option is theCORVURE chicken breast, Glocker said, with 190 calories, 9 g of total fat, 2 g saturated grease, 590 milligrams of sodium, 4 grams of sugar, 14 grams of protein. "This entrance is not fried and contains a chicken breast, a better option than dark meat," she says. "Even if it's a reasonably good choice, it is rich in sodium."

Not that!: Sweetfire chicken breast

The worst choice of entries is theSweetfire chicken breast, which has 27 grams of sugar. With regard to sugar content, new food guidelines recommend limiting added sugar to less than 10% of daily calories, Glockner emphasizes. (These limits do not limit the natural sugars found in fruits and milk, "she explains). It is not described how much the sugar is added to the Sweetfire chicken breast, but the amount exceeds more than the daily allowance for many people, especially those that are overweight or obese or have a diabetes, says GLOCKNER. A little sound like these35 food restaurants with crazy sugar quantities.

Metro

Fresh eating? Well, of course, you have sandwich options to work! But beware, salads can be a bit sneaky ...

Eat this: Chicken sandwich at the roasting room of 6 "

Opt for aChicken sandwich with six-inch roaster on whole grain bread loaded with vegetables such as lettuce, tomato, cucumbers and green peppers, saysChristy Brissette, Rd and president of80 Twenty Nutrition. "For condiments, I try to stay down on empty calories and nutrition and flavor with mustard, hot sauce and lawyer, if they have it." Stimulate the choice? "I like to know that the chicken is raised without antibiotics and is all the white meat. All this for 350 calories, 5 grams of fibers and 29 grams of protein to keep me purer." You can also opt for other nitrate non-nitrate protein options, such as Turkey's chest, carved turkey or roasted oven chicken suggests britette. "Nitrates are additives used in some cold cuts and are linked to a higher risk of cancer," she says.

Not that!:Chicken and bacon fusion salad

"There is nothing I hate more than a salad pretending in good health when it's really the opposite. My clients will try to make a healthier choice by choosing a salad on a sandwich, not realizing that everything concerns the ingredients. " Clearly, pick the chicken and bacon Ranch Mlt makes you no favor, but you put everything on a lettuce bed not suitable for you. Before getting dressed, he commits to 330 calories, 17 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat and 890 milligrams of sodium.

As soon as you add a Ranch vinaigrette, you put an additional calorie 220, 23 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated grease and 400 milligrams of sodium. "This salad has the same amount of fat as eating a footlong marinara meatball and a third of your friend's 6-inch meatball!" Brissette says. Try to bring calories and fat with a lighter dressing like honey or sweet onion mustard? Not so fast! "The compromise is that you add 11 to 16 grams of sugar," says Brissette. "It's like a piling 3 to 4 teaspoons of sugar on your salad!" For more ridiculous salads to avoid, consult theseThe 20 worst restaurant salads in America.

Johnny Rockets

Back to the 1950s in this retro style dinner. Now, if only the sizes of portions were as they were back, then!

Eat this: Grilled chicken sandwich

It's only 420 calories, saysKeri Gans, RDN and author ofThe little change of change. But it's if you order it without Mayo. "Compared to other menu items, it is lower in calories and fat," says Gans. Believe it or not, it's one of the lowest sodium options at 1,280 mg, she says.

Not that!: BBQ chicken bacon

"Honestly, I can not even believe it's on the menu!" Gans said. It packs 1,090 calories, 40 grams of fat, 13 grams of saturated fouling greases of the artery and less than 3,310 milligrams of sodium, she says.Ouch!

Cinabon

How about a commercial competition: When you are in the shopping center, do you first feel colology outside Abercrombie & Fitch or Cinnabon's sweet and sweet aroma?

Eat this: Churro

You could have a churro for 280 calories, saysIlyse Schapiro, Rd and co-author ofShould I scooper my bagel? The good cake with cinnamon and sugar has 11 grams of fat and only 2 grams of saturated fat.

Not that!: Caramel Pecan Bouignon

It packs 1,080 calories, 51 grams of fat, 146 carbohydrates and 75 grams of sugar, explains Schapiro. We all know that sugar is bad for us for a myriad of reasons, including weight gain and calories. But a study published in JAMA's internal medicine found that a high sugar diet can increase your risk of dying of heart disease, even if you are not overweight. Are you a sugar addict? Do not miss these30 easy ways to stop eating so much sugar!

Ms. Fields

Okay, the monsters of the cookie, here is the Scoop: Ms. Fields Cookies should certainly be considered a special treatment rather than a routine choice every time you do at the mall, explains Glockner. The ingredients of the cookie are only to fear: enriched bleached flour, instead of whole grain flours; conservatives; artificial colors and flavors; and some hydrogenated fats, which are not healthy in the heart.

Eat this: Cookies of peanut butter size cookies

On the rise, peanut butter is a plant-based protein with sound monounsaturated and healthy greases, Glockner says. At the disadvantage, this cookie contains hydrogenated oils, which are not healthy cardiac, she says. It has 170 calories, 9 grams of total fat, 2 grams saturated fats, 180 milligrams of sodium and 10 grams of sugar. "The reason I chose this as the best option is that it has the lowest quantity of calories and sugar," says Glockner. "Some of the other cookies have up to 29 grams of sugar." The sodium content is also high for a sweet cake, something to conscience if you also eat lunch in the food court, Glockner warns you. "The service size is 3 cookie cookies. Perhaps eating one or two trickers and sharing the rest," she recommends.

Not that!: White chunk coated macadamia cookie

Although the nuts are generally healthy cardiac because of their mono and polyunsaturated greases, the macadamia nuts are one of the most calorically dense nuts and have a large amount of saturated fats, says Glockner. A cookie has 330 calories, 19 grams of total fat, 10 saturated grams, 170 milligrams of sodium and 29 grams of sugar. "This coated cookie is plunged, which makes it higher in sugar," she says. "Twenty-nine grams of sugar are translated into about 7 teaspoons of sugar, which is more than the daily amount of added sugar allowed for most people." On a similar note, one of these14 Starbucks holiday drinks with tons of sugar Is equal to an entire box of candy canes!

Sbarro

No matter how much you touch your pizza with a towel towel; It is impossible to transform greasy pizza to food cooking into a good meal. But on the healthy end of the menu of this pizza seal, at least there are salads. Carry the other end of the ladder, however, are carbon and calorie pasta.

Eat this: Garden salad

"Sbarro has actually salads!" Schapiro rejoices. You can have garden salad for only 130 calories, 7 grams of carbohydrates and 5 grams of sugar. "I would paid this with one side of meatballs for 110 calories, 9 grams of fat, 4 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of sugar," she says.

Not that!: The vesuvio with chicken with zitis pasta

Do not leave the chicken deceive you. This meal totals 1,510 calories, 93 grams of fat, 117 carbohydrates and 18 grams of sugar, says Schapiro. The sodium will escape, however: it has 3,720 grams. If you insist on pizza, here's6 easy ways to cut pizza calories.

Aunt Anne's

Refined flour, grease, sugar and salt. Basically, the aunt Anne is generally never a good choice, says Brissette.

Eat this: original baby brestzel, without salt

Brissette results in the pretzel of the original party as the "best of the worst". This option includes 180 calories, 34 grams of carbohydrates and 500 milligrams of sodium. "Ask for your pretzel without adding salt to reduce this number of sodium," says Brissette. If you can, divide the pretzel with a friend and wear protein-rich snacks with you and associate your pretzel with a gross almond handle or roasted chickpeas, suggests. "This will help you prevent blood glucose and energy from having refined carbohydrates."

Not that!: Bretzel dogs

"It is refined from white flour that has had most of its nutrients removed, covered with cheese and butter around a dog fat and salty," says Brissette.OF! The cheese pretzel dog is 370 calories, 20 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 780 milligrams of sodium, 33 grams of carbohydrates and only 1 gram of fiber. If you go for the Jumbo dog, you are even worse shape. The huge carbohydrate load is like eating four or five pieces of white bread in one session, says Brissette.

Do not miss:20 surprising foods with more carbohydrates than a bowl of pasta

Escalation

Surgery sandwiches with melted cheese are the signature items in this central steak restaurant. But chicken and Turkey also found a place on the menu.

Eat this: Grand Chicken Sandwich, Small

Order the Large Small Chicken Grand Sandwich, let's sayNutritional twins Lyssie Lakatos, RDN, CDN, CFT and Tammy Lakatos Shanes, RDN, CDN, CFTauthors ofThe veggie cure of nutrition twins. The sandwich between 410 calories, which is a reasonable amount for a meal, they say. In addition, with 32 grams of protein, it will remain really satisfied. "The fat is not on top to 13 grams. And although it contains more than half of the sodium, you should have a day, it was one of the lowest sodium items on the menu. Even salads that have protein have significantly more sodium and fat. "

A Pro Council in Nutrition twins: Return on cheese and reduce condiments to reduce sodium.

Not that!: Regular fries with Ranch and bacon

At 1,140 calories, it is a caloric bomb. "They do not even count like a meal, just a dish of accompaniment - and they have 82 grams of fat, which is more fat than you should have in a whole day", let's say the twins of nutrition. In addition, it is virtually a salt lick with 1,520 milligrams of sodium. Speaking of salt mountains, clearly turn off the10 salty foods in America!

Coastal grill of Rubio

One of these restaurants is not like each other! Hamburgers and pizza tend to reign Supreme in the Royal International Court. Rubio's, however, is a restaurant inspired by the coast, with menu items such as fish and shrimp. If you have one in your food court, it is likely that your best bets.

Eat this: Taco's grilled Atlantic salmon on corn tortilla and grilled treats Tilapia Taco on a corn tortilla

We have a tie! Taco's grilled Atlantic salmon on a grilled corn tortilla and springs Tilapia Taco on a maize tortilla are your best options, say the twins of nutrition. Both have only 220 calories and 190 milligrams of sodium, say, which is quite impressive for a chain-type restaurant where sodium and calories are generally high. "You can (and should you!) Check out a side of black beans rich in antioxidants that will bump the fibrot of 12 grams while still keeping calories up only 350," Nutrition twins say.

Not that!: Chicken nachos

They have a clock in an excess of calories of 1,220, that nutrition twins say are close to the daily caloric requirement for some of their little women's customers. In addition, these nachos are super-high sodium (one of thethings that make you swell) Finally, the nachos will check your ticker. They are packaged with more than 22 grams of saturated fat from the artery, nutritional twins warn and the recommended limit for a healthy heart is 16 grams a day.

Sarku Japan

Do not go, do not collect food samples. Go directly to Sarku Japan if you have one in your food court. This is one of the few places where you can customize a meal.

"The good thing about Sarku is that the meals are cooked in front of you. So you can ask for some adjustments, such as extra vegetables or brown rice instead of white rice, make your meal better for you , "saidJessica Levings, RDN and owner ofBalanced pantry.

Eat this: Sushi

Sushi! And more specifically, opt for tunaSushi Rolling, suggests levers. "With about 180 calories and more than 20 grams of protein by 6 to 8 rollers, this option will offer the fuel you need to navigate afternoon offers without additional calories," she says. If you choose Combos, the Teriyaki shrimp has the least calories with only 500 per meal, says. "Although sodium is a little higher than the other options at 820 milligrams per meal, asking for one or more sauces can not help slash sodium."

Not that!: Teriyaki with chicken and shrimp

The chicken dish and Teriyaki shrimp has the most calories and sodium of any menu option, with 700 calories and 1520 milligrams of sodium per meal, so on other choices if you can, Indicate. "And keep in mind that all that says" Tempura "was beaten and fried fried, so try to avoid these options and opt instead of meals or rollers of fish, vegetables and rice Brown or noodles, "she says.

Orange Julius

Orange Julius is synonymous with shopping mall catering courts. But be careful if you suppose all smoothies are healthy, warningsMonica Austlander, Rdand the founder ofNutrition gasoline. She scouts the julius orange menu and found that smoothie with the lowest quantity of sugar still has 33 grams. (This is 8.5 sugar packets. Yikes!)

Eat this: Smoothie of the banana with strawberry

This one clocks with 33 grams of sugar and 160 calories and is your best possible order. "I wish there is a little fat there to mitigate the major shock of insulin you will get all that sugar and fats or protein," says A Austlander. Instead of adding a spoon of their protein powder, which is treated most likely, have non-salty nuts with the drink, Austlander suggests. "Slow down the grease down the blood sugar attack on your system and helps fat-soluble nutrients absorb," she says. A bet would be even better these56 Recipes Smoothie to lose weight!

Not that!: Grand Tripleberry Smoothie

It has 165 grams of sugar. It is the equivalent of 41 sachets of sugar, says Austlander. Said Nuff. "How about we install to bring bananas, apples, nuts with us and avoid this catastrophe? " she says.

Dairy Queen

For the end of us on this overview, looking at the meal controls. (It is obvious that a great extra snow storm with candy trim should be a passes.)

EAT THIS: BLT Salad Chicken

"Only 270 calories per serving, he certainly leaves plenty of space to add the vinaigrette," said Gans. Some Runner-up: grilled chicken sandwich or original cheeseburger (which is only 370 calories with 870 milligrams of sodium, she says).

Not that!: The Flame 1/2 Pound Thrower Grill Burger Combo

It records 1,150 calories and 53 grams of protein, practically enough to meet your needs for the whole day, says Gans. "With 26 grams of saturated fat and 2,030 milligrams of sodium, he is a heart attack waiting to happen," she says. "As a general rule, never control a combo, it is like adding salt to an injury. (We see what she did). And talking about dishes with the number of crazy calories, you will not believe these10 dishes with more than 2000 calories!