Our lives are more hectic these days and it seems like we are always on the go and in the car.  Many of my clients need to be able to pick up a meal while in route to the next kids’ activity or while on the road for business travel. Fast food has been blamed for the growing rates of obesity in this country, but the truth is that convenient food choices can also be nutritious choices.
       On March 12, 2007, Subway® Restaurants across the nation began featuring new Fresh Fit meals which are designated on the menu with an apple-shaped icon so customers can easily identify the “better-for-you” choices. Neva Cochran of Dallas, Texas is a registered dietitian and consultant to several food and beverage companies. Cochran has been working with Subway® Restaurants to promote their new Fresh Fit menu options for adults and children. “The meals for adults consist of a choice of four six-inch subs with a side of sliced apples, raisins, or baked chips accompanied by 1% low-fat milk, water or diet soft drink. Each of the sub sandwiches contains less than six grams of fat. When milk is chosen as the beverage, these meals provide 68% of the daily requirement for calcium,” explained Cochran.
      The adult meals average between five and six hundred calories, which fits well into a daily goal of 1500 to 1800 calories.  Cochran suggested dressing the sandwiches with extra lettuce, tomato, pickles, peppers and onions for a filling low-calorie high-fiber meal. Subway® offers condiments such as lite mayonnaise, mustard and vinegar that provide flavor with fewer calories.
      The kid’s Fresh Fit meals start with a four-inch ham, roast beef or turkey sandwich and a choice of apple slices or raisins. Beverages include the 1% low-fat milk or unsweetened apple juice. Cochran pointed out “the kid’s meals are low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol, and are a good source of essential nutrients such as calcium, Vitamin C, and iron.” These meals provide an average of four to five hundred calories and are designed to fit the American Heart Association recommendations for healthy eating.
       In addition to these new food items, Subway® has a partnership with Weekly Reader Corporation in over 40,000 schools to encourage teachers, parents, coaches and mentors to help stress the importance of healthy eating and exercise for children. This spring they will provide educators with a free tool kit called “Random Acts of Fitness for Kids.”
The kit contains motivational posters, certificates of achievement, and a calendar to record daily physical activity.
       Wendy’s, McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A have all introduced side items such as fresh fruit, premium salads, yogurt and lower-fat sandwich choices. The Quick Service Restaurant industry is interested in serving the needs of those on the go while providing choices that complement efforts to live a healthier lifestyle. Cochran pointed out that “even though I have been traveling extensively for the past few months, I have lost ten pounds by taking advantage of these new menu options.”