Surviving the Delivery Guy: Healthy Take-Out Choices

College students love delivery food. It’s quick, cheap, easy, and, most importantly, not from the dining hall. Unfortunately, most options brought straight to your door are not particularly healthy. So, am I suggesting you turn down your roommate’s offer to get Chinese? Absolutely not! Just make sure you indulge intelligently. Pick healthier options and the delivery man will not be bringing you extra pounds.

Chinese Food

Tip #1 – Avoid fried food! This means say no to the sweet and sour chicken and fried won-tons. Instead, try and pick steamed options (steamed dumplings are my favorite) loaded with vegetables.

Tip #2 – Limit the sauce. Most Chinese food comes bathed in a high-salt, high-fat sauce. Ask for your sauce to be delivered on the side and use it sparingly.

Tip #3 – Choose your rice wisely. Chinese food inevitably includes a heaping portion of rice. Try and remember that 1/2 cup of rice is a healthy serving (that’s around 1/4 of a pint). Also, definately avoid the fried rice, and, if possible, choose brown instead of white.

Mexican

Tip #1 – Hold the cheese. Full-fat, melted cheese is a staple of many Mexican options and is loaded with saturated fat. Pick a cheese-free meal, or ask them to skip the cheese on your taco.

Tip #2 – Go soft. Crispy tortillas and chips usually have more fat and salt than their softer siblings. So, choose a soft tortilla and skip the nachos.

Tip #3 – Watch the toppings. Sour cream is a bad choice for topping off your meal. It adds lots of unnecessary calories and fat. While guacamole is made from healthy avocado, only a very small amount (a couple of tablespoons) is considered a healthy portion. Your best option is to choose fresh salsa or a little hot sauce.

Italian

Tip #1 – Say “No” to parmigiana. Dishes that come breaded are always a poor choice. Breadcrumbs contain processed carbs and salt, and fat is usually added during the breading process (from eggs or milk).

Tip #2 – Watch your portions. If you are going to get pasta (and most of us do), be careful how much you eat. Most places give you three or more servings in one dish. So, share with a friend or save some for lunch. If possible, try and get whole-wheat pasta, or skip the pasta entirely and choose something else. Wraps and sandwiches on whole-wheat bread can be a great choice, or order a meat dish with a side of vegetables.

Tip #3 – Avoid fatty sauces. Alfredo, vodka, meat, and cream sauces have tons of excess fat and calories. Stick with marinara or clam sauce on your pasta. Garlic and oil is also a decent option, but be aware of how much oil is used.

Pizza

Tip #1 – Go thin. Choose thin-crust pizza and your meal gets a lot lighter and healthier.

TIp #2 – Skip the meat. Pick vegetable toppings to make yourself a healthier pie.

Tip #3 – Share. Ordering a personal pie means you’re likely to eat the whole thing. Instead, split a medium pie with a few friends and stop after two slices.