Sometimes there's no time for cooking dinner but you still want to eat healthy. If a quick trip to a fast food restaurant is in order and the gang wants chicken from Popeye's, with a little planning you can still enjoy a trip to Popeye's restaurant without experiencing the guilt of eating unhealthy. Here's how:
Plan Ahead
Instead of arriving at Popeye's unprepared and being tempted by the smell of deep fried chicken, make a plan before you go so you'll make the right choices once you reach the restaurant. The best way to do this is to go to their website and view the menu along with the nutritional information. It's easy to make “impulse purchases” at fast food restaurants if you don't have a plan.
Choose Your Chicken Wisely
Although Popeye's chicken menu is predominantly deep fried chicken and fried strips and wings, you can reduce the calorie and fat content by completely removing the breading from the chicken you order. Ask for a side of barbeque sauce to add some extra flavor. You'll get lots of taste without the unhealthy breading and fat.
Try the Louisiana Legends
One of the healthier options offered at Popeye's restaurant are the Louisiana Legends. The chicken etoufee and crawfish etoufee are low in fat and have only around 170 calories per serving. One of these two choices along with a healthy side will give you a satisfying meal that won't give you even a twinge of guilt.
Go for the Sides
Popeye's restaurant has enough healthy side dishes to make up a vegetable plate. Two of the best choices are the green beans at 70 calories per serving or the Cajun rice at 170 calories. The red beans and rice is a bit high in calories at 320 calories per serving sounds healthy but is relatively high in fat. Unfortunately, Popeye's doesn't offer salads which would have made a nice additional side for a vegetable plate. If you're not watching your carbs, the mashed potatoes without gravy are another relatively healthy option.
Skip the Soda
Don't add extra calories by ordering a sugary soft drink. Ask for unsweetened iced tea instead. If you want it sweeter, add a low calorie sweetener alternative such as Splenda.
What to Avoid
If you want to eat healthy, stay away from any of the fried or “crispy” offerings as well as the sandwiches which are not only deep fried but have generous amounts of mayonnaise. Of course, the French fries are not a good option from a calorie or fat standpoint. The kids menu is particularly unhealthy with the only offering being a drumstick and French fries. No wonder we have an obesity epidemic among kids in America! Don't be tempted for a moment by the biscuits that come with the meals. Likewise, turn a blind eye to the Mardi Gras cheesecake and apple pie innocently offered as dessert.
Congratulate yourself on a job well done! You ate a healthy meal at Popeye's restaurant. It feels good to eat right, doesn't it?
