FitSugar

Stamp of Approval: Au Bon Pain

FitSugar — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 02:00:00 -0700

Look, it's not surprise that I am not the biggest fan of fast food restaurants. However, I do know that sometimes you just have to eat there so I am always on the hunt for healthier fast food joints and Au Bon Pain gets my stamp of approval.

Au Bon Pain provides Nutrition Kiosks, which allow guests to plan their meals before ordering them. You can sort the menu by a specific nutritional requirement (high fiber, high protein, low carb, low fat, low calories, etc.). They also launched Kids Nutrition Kiosk in their suburban and hospital locations. The children's version includes interactive games intended to teach the basics of making healthy meal choices. What's more? They've moved to using preservative-free chicken and they've recently introduced a new product line called Portions - a line of 14 dishes made fresh daily, packaged individually and with 200 or less calories per dish. And to bring it home, all products at Au Bon Pain have zero grams trans fat.

So next time you're going for fast food, you may want to think about stopping at Au Bon Pain. They have made every effort to help you become aware of the healthy choices they offer, all you have to do is choose them.

Food Court Survival: Part I

FitSugar — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 03:00:00 -0800

The mall is almost unavoidable during the holidays, and something about all that running around and waiting in lines makes me hungry. What's worse: Not only am I hungry, but I also know there is a place where food is easily accessible. That place, like the fast food holy land, is the Food Court.

Don't worry, we can get through this.

My first idea is to stick to places where you can actually eat healthy. Deli-type places (Au Bon Pain, Subway, etc.) that don't even have a deep fryer are good options - in other words, places where you can't get french fries and onion rings. Places such as Cinnabon, where it's gooey cinnamon roles or nothing, are out.

Au Bon Pain is a favorite of mine but watch out for cheeses, mayonnaise, and any other special sauces they throw on a sandwich and opt for mustard instead. A great option is the Tuna Nicoise Salad, with 270 calories and 12 grams of fat; get the dressing on the side to lower those numbers even more. People tend to think Chinese food is healthy, but that is not always the case - go steamed or not at all. A good option at Panda Express is the Mushroom Chicken with a side of mixed veggies, all for about 220 calories and 15 grams of fat.

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Don't Get "Malled" by the Food Court

FitSugar — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 05:30:00 -0800

I hate to be the one to bring it up, but it's that time of year again -- time to think about getting that holiday shopping done. [Insert scream heard round the world.] I usually try to do a lot of my shopping online, but I always still have to make the obligatory trip to the mall for something that I couldn't get online.

While I'm there, I get hungry. It's unavoidable, and it just happens. What's worse? Not only am I hungry but I also know there is a place where food is so easily accessible. A place that reminds me of the fast food holy land: The Food Court.

For ways to hit the food court without hitting rock bottom on your diet, read more

Stick to places you can actually eat healthy.
Deli type places that don't even have a deep fryer are good options -- french fries and onion rings couldn't be worse for you. Au Bon Pain is a great choice but watch out for cheeses, mayonnaise and any other special sauces they throw at you. Opt for mustard. A great option is the Tuna Nicoise Salad, 270 calories and 12 grams of fat (get the dressing on the side to lower those numbers).

When you want a snack, your options are more limited.
The pretzel shops may seem like a daunting place but at Auntie Anne's the Jalapeño Pretzel without Butter has 270 calories, and no trans fat (this was the best I could find at Auntie Anne's in terms of Nutrition). If you're cutting out white flour then try the Whole Wheat Pretzel (no butter) with 350 calories and 1.5 grams of fat.

Skip cookie shops, like Mrs. Fields and Nestles, altogether. They are just too tempting. If you need something sweet head to a candy store and get some dark chocolate with a high cocoa amount. If I still can't convince you to stay away from Dairy Queen, then go with the vanilla soft serve (small). It has about 140 calories and 4.5 grams of fat.

And if you get out of there without eating a single french fry, you are so good! I wish you luck!

Top 10 Healthiest Fast Food Joints

FitSugar — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 03:30:55 -0800

When you're out and about, sometimes your only dining option is to pick up some food to go. So if you're faced with a few food chains to choose from, here are the top 10 healthiest fast food restaurants recommended by Health magazine.

Panera Bread
Jason's Deli
Au Bon Pain
Noodles and Company
Corner Bakery Cafe

To see the last five, read more.

Chipotle
Atlanta Bread
McDonald's (yes, this one really did make the list)
Einstein Bros. Bagels
Taco Del Mar

For more details on why these restaurants scored high, check out Health.com.

Tell me, which of these 10 food chains would you most likely grab a quick meal from?

Get Frenchy With It: Bastille Day Quiz

FitSugar — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:00:00 -0700

Bastille Day has always been a favorite celebration of mine. I must admit I use it as an excuse to indulge in a pain au chocolat for breakfast. Take this little quiz and see how French culture and the French paradox could affect your health for the better.

Bon chance!

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Take the quiz

Uno Is America's Healthiest Chain?

FitSugar — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 03:30:00 -0700

Health magazine just unveiled a big feature on the healthiest restaurants in the US, which breaks down eateries by category, including sit-down chains, fast food, and independent restaurants. The magazine studied 43 chains (each with at least 75 locations) and ranked them based on the nutritional information provided.

It sounded intriguing, until I started perusing the list and found many of the choices downright puzzling: Uno Chicago Grill, known for its deep-dish pizza, is the first restaurant on the list of sit-down chains. Health lays out its reasons, but I'm still not sure I agree. To see the reasons and the rest of the list, read more
Like Au Bon Pain, Uno Chicago Grill has added nutrition kiosks to its lobbies, where customers can look up the ingredients and nutritional content of its foods. Here's more on why Health chose Uno:

Sure, its famous deep-dish (read high-fat) pizzas still hold court, but nutrition has become the word of the day with a completely trans fat–free menu and plenty of grilled entrees (including antibiotic-free chicken). Adding to the healthy variety: whole-grain pasta and brown rice, organic coffee and tea, and flatbread pizzas that have half the calories of deep-dish ones. Plus, you can add a salad to your pizza for half-price because, according to the menu, “We want you to get some greens in your diet.” Now that’s a blue-ribbon commitment to health.

Can we really award a "blue ribbon" for health to a restaurant known for its deep-dish fat explosions? While I appreciate the low-fat menu options and the transparency about ingredients, there's something that just seems wrong about Uno now being able to proclaim that it's the healthiest chain in America on its website. I think it would be better to reward individual dishes, or just make smart choices when you're eating out), rather than deeming a pretty unhealthy chain "healthy."

Check out the healthiest fast food joints here. Here's the full list of the top 10 sit-down chains.

Uno Chicago Grill
Souplantation & Sweet Tomatoes
Mimi's Cafe
P.F. Chang's China Bistro
Bob Evans
Ruby Tuesday
Romano's Macaroni Grill
Chevy's Fresh Mex
Olive Garden
Denny's

What do you guys think? Does this list bother you?

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