You can’t go wrong eating out if you stick with chicken and turkey, right? Just beware of the big old burger.
Not so fast, says WebMD.
Panera’s Signature Chicken on Artisan French Bread
Avoid like the plague Panera’s Signature Chicken on Artisan French Bread. It “contains 830 calories, 37 g fat, 12 g saturated fat, and 2,180 mg of sodium. That’s the daily Sodium limit for healthy adults. The special sauce, bacon, and cheddar help turn chicken, a lean type of protein, into a calorie bomb. Unfortunately, many of the hot panini, signature, and café sandwiches hit the 700-900 calorie range,” WebMD says.
Panera’s Smoked Turkey on Whole Grain Bread
On the other hand, your best bet at Panera Bread is their “Smoked Turkey on Whole Grain Bread is a better choice at Panera. The restaurant uses 99% fat-free turkey and adds lettuce, tomato, mayo, and mustard for 560 calories, 17 g fat, 2.5 g sat.fat, and 1,960 mg Sodium. Get this sandwich below 500 by holding the mayo. Hats off to Panera for offering an apple or fruit salad as a side dish instead of bread or chips.”
Just a note on the Sodium content in each of these sammies. The widely accepted maximum Sodium intake in a day is 2100 mg. But, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) say it would be best if we kept our Sodium intake from all sources below 1500 mg in any single day. Just like you wouldn’t have expected so much Sodium in these sandwiches, you need to be wary about the Sodium hidden in many foods. Check out Foods That Hide High Sodium and Some Sneaky Salt Statistics.
This simple little example shows how important it is to check out the nutrition and sandwich composition before you order. If you are shopping for a car, you kick all the tires, right? Well, you need to look under the hood when you go out to eat, too.
Eating is a necessity and a pleasure, but it is more important than just fun. Remember, you are actually there to fuel up. Not just fill up.
Tony
Wellness Secrets of a SuperAger 