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Come on, mall food court. We're already surrounded by cute new clothes, shoes, and other stuff we don't need at the mall. Now you have the nerve to dangle a Cinnabon in front of our noses?! That's just cruel. Here are some food court survival tips, courtesy of your pal Hungry Girl...
Panda Express
Worst: Ohhh, you're a BAD panda. Your Orange Chicken costs 500 calories and 27g fat! Add an order of Fried Rice, and you're up to 950 calories and 41g fat! Steamed rice may have less fat, but an order still contains 380 calories -- too many for a side dish! Even the mixed veggies, while low in calories, pack in 7g fat per serving.
Best: So what's safe to chew here? If you want chicken, go for the Mushroom Chicken (130 calories, 6g fat). Beef? The Broccoli Beef (150 calories, 7g fat). The Tangy Shrimp is your best seafood bet at 150 calories and 5g fat. As for sides, opt for soup (88 - 110 calories, 2.2 - 3.5g fat) or a Veggie Spring Roll (80 calories, 3.5g fat). Crisis averted!
Cinnabon
There's a reason Cinnabons do so well in malls. They send out their cinnamon smell to lure in exhausted shoppers to take comfort in their gooey swirls. If they were all located in normal shops where you couldn't smell them, maybe you wouldn't want 'em so badly.
Worst: Cinnabon doesn't provide their nutritional info on their website, but word on the street (and by "street" we mean "computer") is that the Classic Cinnabon has 730 calories and 24g fat. That's not pretty, but it looks diet-friendly next to the Pecanbon and its 1,100 calories and 56g fat!!! That's not a snack -- that's a sugar coma.
Best: Our advice is to skip Cinnabon altogether! But if you MUST, snag a Minibon for 300 calories and 11g fat.
Auntie Anne's
She's in every mall, the smell of her pretzels alone is irresistible, and she drowns those things in butter. Auntie Anne does not have our best interests at heart. Those pretzels (even the plain ones!) range from 340 to 510 calories.
Worst: The Sesame Pretzel contains as much as 12g fat. Why do it?
Best: If you must indulge, ask for NO BUTTER and go for a Jalapeño or Sour Cream & Onion Pretzel (270 - 310 calories and only 1g fat). And skip the crazy sauces!
Sbarro
Pizza here is a common, quick, all-in-one lunch, especially since Sbarro's slices are bigger than your head. The pizza joint's nutritional page has conveniently been down for months and months, but here's the word on the web.
Worst: Even the light-sounding Gourmet Mushroom and Spinach Pizza has 710 calories and 27g fat per slice! So it's no surprise that a piece of the Stuffed Pepperoni pie will run you 960 calories and 42g fat.
Best: If you've gotta have pizza with your shopping, thin crust is KEY! Go for plain, Mushroom, or Fresh Tomato & Basil New York Style Thin Crust, and you'll be down to 460 calories and 13-14g fat per slice.
HG's Tips & Tricks for Chowing at the Mall!
1. Scour the food court. Don't make hasty decisions -- do a lap to check out menus before you decide what to eat.
2. Order smart. Go to places that allow you to special order. Delis are a great option because you can get lean protein, lettuce, tomatoes, etc. Also, Mexican can be a smart choice if you stick with grilled chicken, salsa, lettuce and tomatoes (avoid the sour cream, guac and cheese!).
3. Do your homework. Don't be fooled by seemingly low-calorie/healthy foods. Mall smoothies, for example, typically have about 500 or more calories! So look up the stats online before you shop or ask to see nutritionals.
4. B.Y.O.F. Yes, BRING YOUR OWN FOOD. Stuff a few satisfying snacks in your purse before you head out. 100-calorie packs of almonds or jerky, a sensible snack bar, on-the-go sugar-free drink mixes are all great things to keep on hand. In fact, click here to see Hungry Girl's ENORMOUS list of the best on-the-go snack picks!
5. Plan ahead. Schedule shopping around your mealtime, not the other way around! Have lunch before you head out. Or, have a satisfying snack first, and then leave in time for dinner.
6. Walk it off. If you slip up and overdo it eating, don't panic! Just up your pace while taking laps around the mall. Skip the escalators and elevators, and hoof it up and down the stairs. And don't be afraid to do a few extra rounds on the upper level even once you're done buying stuff (shopping bags make good hand weights, people!).
For more restaurant tips, click here.
Hungry for More?
Check out Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World. The book's a New York Times Best Seller, and it's packed with 165 super-easy and delicious recipes, survival guides for eating out, and so much more!
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