Some of the deadliest foods can be found in take-out restaurants. It’s not uncommon to consume a good portion of your day’s worth of calories, salt, and fat in a single item or combo. But not all take-out food is necessarily that bad. As a matter of fact, some items are even decent meal choices. Here we’ll highlight some of the healthiest and some of the not-so-healthy take-out choices, so that next time you order take-out, you can feel a little less guilty.
Burgers:
Healthiest Burger: Harvey’s Veggie Burger (138g, 290 calories, 10g of fat, 0g of trans fat, 580mg of sodium)
Runner up: Licks’ Gobbler (Turkey Burger) (217g, 451 calories, 8.7g of fat, 0g of trans fat, 1021mg of sodium)
Healthiest Beef Burger: Burger King’s Hamburger (126g, 300 calories, 11g of fat, 0.4g of trans fat, 530mg of sodium)
Runner Up: Dairy Queen’s Original Hamburger (145g, 350 calories, 15g of fat, 0.5g of trans fat, 650mg of sodium)
Though Licks’ Gobbler appears to be much higher in calories and fat compared to the others, it is also significantly larger. On a per-gram basis, the Gobbler actually has less sodium and fewer calories compared to all other burgers, with the exception of Harvey’s Veggie Burger. Though Burger King’s Hamburger contains 10 fewer calories and over 200mg less sodium compared to Burger King’s Veggie Burger, it is important to note that it is about 40 per cent smaller. Don’t let the confounding effect of serving size trick you — a low-calorie meal is not always the best choice, because studies show that making a low-calorie choice at lunch usually leads to overcompensating at later meals.
Pizza:
When it comes to pizza, there’s no clear winner. The best choices depend on the type of pizza, not necessarily the establishment you ordered it from. When choosing what type of pizza to eat, keep in mind the obvious: veggie pizzas are obviously healthier than those loaded with salt and fat-filled meats. Thin-crust pizzas tend to have fewer calories than their “hand-tossed” counterparts, and any extra cheese contributes significantly to the total calories, fat and sodium.
Often, the most important factor when eating pizza is not necessarily which type you’re eating, but rather the number of slices you consume. An average slice of pizza contains anywhere from 120 calories (found in a slice from Pizza Nova with broccoli, red peppers, and artichokes) to 360 calories (found in Little Caesar’s “Three Meat Treat” pizza).
Subs:
Healthiest Sub: Subway’s six inch Veggie Delight Sub (169g, 230 calories, 2.5g of fat, 0 trans fat, 410mg of sodium)
Healthiest Non-Veggie Sub: Mr. Sub’s Grilled Chicken Sub (181g, 260 calories, 5g of fat, 0g trans fat, 560mg of sodium)
Subs containing lean meats are among the healthiest choices. However, there are still differences among these healthier choices.
For instance, if you like Turkey, choose Subway’s six-inch Turkey Breast Sub instead of Mr. Sub’s Smoked Turkey Breast Sub. Though the numbers suggest otherwise, the difference in portion size hides the truly healthier choice.
Wraps:
Healthiest Wrap: Extreme Pita’s Market Fresh Veggie Pita ([Regular Size] 283g, 276 calories, 1.4g of fat, 0g of trans fat, 529 mg of sodium)
Runner Up: Extreme Pita’s Grilled Chicken Pita (363g, 362 calories, 2.8g of fat, 0g of trans fat, 1039g of sodium) and Falafel Pita (363g, 409 calories, 9.4g of fat, 0g of trans fat and 966g of sodium)
As would be expected, the veggie wrap is the healthiest overall. Nevertheless, even many of Extreme Pita’s non-veggie wraps are among the healthiest take-out options available. However, as is evident by the runners up, though many of the choices are suitable from a caloric perspective, they can be quite high in sodium.
