How To Eat At Subway and Lose Weight

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Eating out doesn't have to be stressful when you're trying to lose weight. Especially when you're following a menu with flexible food options like MRC's menus provide. You can still travel, go on vacations, grab lunches with friends and coworkers WITHOUT sabotaging your healthy effort. With our tips and tricks for keeping meals healthy - even while eating out - you'll be sure to enjoy your food without sacrifcing social interaction. At the writing of this blog, we're in the heart of summer (which means traveling, vacations, parties, and more!). When it comes to eating out and needing something fast and healthy on the go, Subway is one of our top choices for those looking to keep things a little lighter and leaner than what most traditional fast food places have to offer.

Subway is convenient. They are widespread - with a location in almost every zip code in the U.S. And they are perfect for the picky eater. At Subway, you have your meal your way. And we love that they let you choose what you like exactly how you like it! So, while our first recommendation for anyone trying to lose weight is to eat at home - because fresh, organic food prepared in your own environment with your own ingredients is typically the healthiest and most conducive to weight loss; we also understand that eating at home for EVERY single meal until you reach your goal weight isn't feasible (and it's also just simly not realistic). It's actually kind of important to learn how to eat out and develop skills for making healthy choices when you eat out. Because eating out is probably a part of each of our lives now and will be at some point in the future - whether you're trying to lose weight or not. So, while these tips here specifically focus on Subway, you can apply many of these ideas to other restaurants, too.

For those following an MRC program, these tips are your foolproof way to stay on program and keep that weight loss momentum going!

1) Order a SALAD. Every sub on Subway's menu can be ordered as a salad. Bonus: you can also skip the menu and create your own salad! Start by telling your Sandwich Artist what kind of lettuce you want. Most Subways offer spinach and iceberg, but some have more options. Spinach is the more nutrition-dense choice, but either are appropriate for MRC's menus. You can always split the difference and do a mix of the two, too!

2) Choose your protein. Plan-friendly protein options that Subway offers are turkey and chicken. For vegetarians they offer cheese, which can be used as your protein serving. Subway's protein serving is 3 oz. On most MRC menus you'll need 4 oz. To meet your protein serving you can add a little shredded cheese to your salad or ask for double meet (and reserve some of the meat for later). For clients in MRC's Level 1 menus, a double meat portion is the perfect option for you.

3) Top it. This is the fun part. Top your salad with all your favorite healthy vegetables. Subway offers several fresh options like tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, pickles - and for those who like it hot you can even add jalapenos!

4) Dress it. You can top your salad with oil and vinegar and a dash of pepper, or you can bring your own salad dressing and top it yourself. An often overlooked, yet delicious, condiment is yellow mustard. You probably get it on your sub, but might not think to get it on your salad - go ahead and give it a try! Many locations also offer offer a Fat Free Italian dressing by Ken's or other similar brands. 1 package contains 15 calories, making it another smart option for your meal.

5) Add your carb. Note: some MRC menus do not have a carb option at every meal - refer to your menu for exact food groupings at meals. You can bring a carb with you - we think a salad and a 50 calorie serving of crackers is a great option (crumbled on top they add a nice crunch and are similar to croutons). Or if you forgot your carb serving, Subway offers bags of sliced apples that you can add to your salad to make it a complete MRC plan-friendly meal!

6) Don't stress. We're humans - we're not perfect, all of our meals won't be perfect - and that's 100% OK. Food is meant to support our lives, not dictate them. If you're in a place where you can't have everything 100% according to your diet or meal plan, then simply doing the best you can IS good enough! After all, trying to create a meal that's "healthier than it would have been" is better than simply throwing up your hands, saying "forget it", not trying at all, and getting a meal that's super unhealthy or completely opposite to the healthy choices you've been making. Trust the process. Trust yourself. You will find the results you seek!

Whether this is your first time trying to lose weight or you've lost and gained it a hundred times before, MRC has a personalized program and approach to weight loss that can work for you. With menus that center around real, whole foods combined with professional, one-on-one coaching, the MRC difference is our ability to facilitate long-term lifestyle changes that last. Lose the weight now. Lose the weight for good. Ready to get started? Click here to connect with an MRC Team near you today!