While fast food is notorious for being high in fat, sugar, and sodium, all hope is not lost with this go-to choice you can find at nearly any fast-food chain.
Cobb Salad with grilled chicken is an easy grab at any of your favorite fast-food chains when you need something quick and convenient. Whether you’re running through Wendy’s or Chick-fil-A, cobb salads provide three major components of a weight loss-focused meal: protein, fiber, and healthy fat.
In previous weight loss attempts, you may have focused on restricting your food until you were hungry, fatigued, and weak. However, it doesn’t have to be that way! Healthy weight loss might have periods of restrictions, but overall it should feel manageable in the short term.
One essential aspect of making healthy weight loss manageable is to focus on foods that are naturally filling and satisfying rather than leaving it up to your willpower to count every calorie and “white-knuckle” your way through daily food choices.
Enter: the cobb salad! Let’s dissect why this choice works for weight loss.
Protein
Protein is non-negotiable for weight loss. It’s filling, satiating, and prevents muscle loss during a weight loss phase. Without protein, we tend to get hungry faster and experience a blood sugar “dip” after meals that may make us crave more food to feel better again.
Swap fried chicken for grilled chicken here to save calories without skimping on total protein.
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Fiber
Fiber increases feelings of fullness and satiety in our diet. Traditional cobb salads are packed with fiber, nutrients, and plenty of volume from the greens, tomatoes, avocado, and cucumbers.
Jana Mowrer, RDN, MPH, CDCES, NBC-HWC says “it’s important to work up to a daily fiber intake of 30 grams per day in order to help regulate blood sugar, blood pressure, feed healthy bacteria in our gut, and manage belly bloat overtime helping us achieve our weight loss goals.”
Fat
Healthy fat is both filling and satisfying at meals. This means you can stay full for longer with fewer nagging cravings!
Fat in traditional cobb salads comes from heart-healthy avocado, savory blue cheese, and the dressing. Focus on a vinaigrette or a “light” dressing here for a lower calorie option that still delivers a satisfying taste!
Looking for more? We’ve done the work for you with these top 27 Fast-Food Chicken Sandwiches—Ranked!
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