We all know Green Street as a fun place on weekends, a great place to do some people watching, and most importantly as an excellent place for food. With tons of restaurant options, we are bombarded with menu options that aren’t very healthy. But, there are healthy choices available it’s just a matter of finding those options and making the right choices. Here is a guide on “How to Eat Healthy on Green Street.”
Best and Worst Options for Some Popular Restaurants
Below is some of the nutritional information for some of the most popular restaurants on Green Street. Most of these places have great options that are in low in calories and sugar, but there are also some ‘not so healthy’ options as well.
Panera Bread:
Healthiest Options:
The half Tuna Salad on honey wheat, the half Tomato and Mozzarella on ciabatta, or the half Asiago Roast Beef on asiago cheese are all fewer than 400 calories, perfect for a light lunch. Some low fat soups are the Black Bean soup (190 Calories-10 grams of fat) or the Low-Fat Chicken Tortilla (140 Calories- 4.5 grams of fat)
Most of the salads are pretty healthy at Panera; just keep a watch out for high calorie dressings and added cheese.
Best Bet: The classic Café Salad (160 Calories- 10 grams of fat) or the Classic Greek Salad (160 Calories- 8 grams of fat) are great options for lunch that are both low in calories.
Stay Away From:
These sandwiches are low in nutrition and high in calories:Italian Combo Sandwich (980 Calories- 41 grams of fat), Sierra Turkey Sandwich (970 Calories- 41 grams of fat), Cuban Chicken Panini (870 Calories- 47 grams of fat.
Bagels, Pastries, Brownies, Muffles: Some of the worst bagels are Asiago Cheese, Cinnamon Crunch, Cinnamon Raisin Swirl, Jalapeno & Cheddar, and Everything Bagel (all over 400 calories).
Jimmy John’s:
Healthiest Options:
Jimmy John’s Slims are great for a healthy lunch. These include: Turkey Slim (400 Calories- 1 gram of fat), Roast Beef Slim (420 Calories- 3 grams of fat) or the
Turkey Tom (515 Calories- 21 grams of fat). Opt out of the mayo and cheese for these sandwiches and you will save 200 calories for each.
Best Bet:
Jimmy John’s Unwich: Saves the calories and adds more nutrition then the regular sandwich. You can get your usual sandwich, but your sandwich is served in a lettuce wrap instead of sandwich bread.
Stay Away From:
Any of the Giant Club Sandwiches. These range anywhere from 600-900 calories, especially the Hunter’s Club (810 Calories- 34grams of fat) and the Club Tuna (850 Calories- 38 grams of fat). The BLT is also high in fat and calories as well (640 Calories- 35 grams of fat).
Subway:
Healthiest Options:
Subway’s Fresh Fit Subs are 6-inch subs that are targeted towards the healthy eater. Try the Oven Roasted Chicken (320 Calories- 5 grams fat), Veggie Delight (230 Calories- 2.5 grams fat), Turkey Breast (280 Calories- 3.5 grams fat), or Subway Club (320 Calories- 4.5 grams fat)
Subway salads are also a good options as they mostly all under 400 calories.
Some of the healthiest bread options are the Omega 3 Wheat Bread, Honey Oat, and 9 Grain Wheat because they have the lowest fat (around 3 grams each), have more fiber, and less sodium.
Best Bet: Subway’s Veggie Delight has the lowest amount of sodium, and is only 290 calories.
Stay Away From:
Big Philly Cheesesteak (6 inch, 520 Calories- 18 grams fat), Chicken & Bacon Ranch (6 inch – 570 calories, 28 grams fat), Meatball Marinara (6 inch – 580 Calories – 23 grams fat), Spicy Italian (520 Calories- 28 grams fat). These sandwiches are all high in sodium and high in fat.
Some of the worst bread choices are the Hearty Italian, White Bread, Flatbread, Italian Herbs and Cheese.
Tip: Stick to low fat meats, such as Turkey and Chicken and condiments such as vinegar and mustard.
Starbucks:
Healthiest Options:
Best Food Bets:
Bistro Boxes are your best bet at Starbucks if you are looking for a healthy meal. These are all less than 500 calories and offer a filling snack or small lunch.
The Starbucks fruit salad and Starbucks fruit wraps are also under 400 calories and low in fat.
Best Drink Bets:
The Tazo Teas (0 calories- 0 grams of fat) and skinny drinks are the best healthy drink options. Try the Tall Skinny Vanilla (90 Calories- 0 gram fat), Skinny Caramel Macchiato (100 Calories- 1 gram fat), or Skinny Caramel Latte (90 calories- 0 grams fat).
Note: Most of the Skinny Lattes are less than 200 calories and have almost no fat.
Stay Away from:
Starbucks Brownies (420 Calories- 24grams fat), Glazed Doughnut (420 Calories- 21 grams fat), Coffee Cake (440 Calories- 19 grams of fat), and many of the other baked goods are very low in nutrition.
Some of the worst drinks for you are: Peppermint Mocha (Tall- 310 calories- 12 grams of fat), White Hot Chocolate (Tall- 380 Calories- 11 grams of fat), Ice White Chocolate Mocha (Tall- 340 Calories- 15 grams of fat) White Chocolate Mocha (Tall- 370 Calories- 15 grams)
Note: Generally, anything that is a ‘skinny’ drink and bigger than a Tall size, is anywhere in between 400-800 calories.
Noodles:
Healthiest Options:
The Bangkok Curry (Small – 250 calories- 14 grams of fat), Chinese Chop Salad (Regular- 370 Calories- 22grams of fat), The Med Salad (Regular- 320 Calories- 13 grams of fat), Thai Curry Soup (Small- 230 Calories- 9 grams of fat), or the Chicken Noodle Soup (Regular-360 Calories- 10 grams of fat) are all good lunch/ dinner options.
Best Bet: The Med Salad (Added Chicken Breast, Dressing on the side) or the Chinese Chop Salad (w/ no Won Tons- dressing on the side)
Remember: The dressing is what adds the fat and the calories to the meals. Opt for the dressing on the side, and you will have saved half the fat and half the calories in your meal.
Stay away from: TheBacon, Mac & Cheeseburger (Regular-1260 Calories- 58 grams of fat), Wisconsin Mac & Cheese (Regular- 1030- 43 grams of fat), Pad Thai (Regular- 830 Calories, 18 grams of fat), and the Spaghetti and Meatballs (Regular, 970 Calories- 16grams of fat) are some of the highest calorie meals and loaded with fat.
Chipotle and Qdoba:
Healthiest Options:
Burrito Bowl: Anywhere from 200-500 calories depending on the condiments and items you put in your bowl.
Salad: Same with the burrito bowl depends on what items you put on your salads. A lot less than the burritos with the added 300 calories from the tortilla.
Best Bet: A Vegetarian Burrito Bowl with no cheese and no sour cream would be a filing and healthy lunch choice.
Stay Away from: the flour taco and burrito tortillas (1 burrito tortilla has 290 calories and 9 grams of fat) and the added condiments such as sour cream (2 oz -120 calories- 10 grams fat) guacamole (3.5 ounces- 150 calories- 13 grams fat), and cheese (1oz- 100 calories- 8.5 grams of fat).
Tips for Eating Healthy on Green Street:
Rule # 1: Skip the chips. With added calories and zero nutrition, these “snacks” are terrible for you. The chips alone add around an estimated 200 calories to your meal, and are loaded with sugar and sodium, which will leave you unsatisfied twenty minutes after you consume them.
Rule # 2 Go Skinny:
Many restaurants on Green Street offer a ‘skinny’ or healthier menu. For example, Potbelly has the skinny option, which uses thinner bread and 1/3 less meat and cheese on their sandwiches. The skinny has three options: TKY (Turkey with Swiss Cheese), Mushroom Melt (mushrooms, Swiss, provolone, and cheddar), and the Hammie (Smoked Ham with Swiss cheese). Starbuck’s also has skinny drink options that use non-fat milk, no whip, and no-sugar-added sweeteners. These drinks will save you about 200 calories, and cut down on a lot of fat. Subway offers a fresh fit menu that has lower calorie sandwiches as well.
Rule # 3: No Cheese Please:
The cheese added to your meals tallies in at an extra 100-300 calories depending on the serving size and type. Cheese adds extra flavor to salads, sandwiches, and soups, but it is high in fat. American, cheddar, and feta cheese are among the worst cheeses for you because they are highly processed and high in fat (the bad kind). Some of the best low fat cheese options are mozzarella and provolone. If you can, try substituting cheese for other food items such as tomatoes, olive oil, low fat dressings, cucumbers, or other vegetables.
Rule # 4: Stay Away from Sweeteners and Condiments:
These are the really calorie adders to meals. You can get a salad at a restaurant on Green Street, but it can still be unhealthy. Almost every restaurant on Green Street, such as Panera, Potbelly, Noodles & Co., and Subway offer low calorie or low fat dressings. These options allow for a healthier lunch or dinner meal. You can even do one better by skipping the dressing and drizzling with your meal olive oil, or asking for the dressing on the side.
Rule # 5: Opt out of the Sweets:
Many restaurants on Green Street offer many outrageous desserts, such as Potbelly’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and Panera’s Fudge Brownies. Although these tasty treats may sound good, they add up an extra 200-600 calories to your meal. That’s not just 200-600 calories of food, its 400-600 calories of sugar, which means it turns spikes the insulin in your body and ignites the fat storing hormone. If you feel the need for a sweet treat, try a low fat smoothie from Panera or frozen yogurt from Coco Mero.
Rule # 6: Keep it as simple as possible:
The simpler the better. In other words stick to the fruits that come out of the ground: fruits, vegetables, and healthy nuts. You should also add a healthy protein such as chicken, turkey, or lean beef because it will help you feel fuller longer. If you want Chipotle, try putting mostly fresh vegetables and chicken in your burrito bowl instead of sour cream and rice. If you want Panera or Noodles for lunch, opt for a salad or soup with all natural ingredients. Flattop is a great place to get a nutritious meal of veggies and protein, just don’t add all of the sodium and sugar filled condiments.