Health Nut Blog
Beat Your Urge to Splurge
When holiday shopping this year, you may find steep discounts on presents, but you won’t find any fat or calories savings at the mall food courts. Since food courts are slim pickings for healthy choices, the best bet may be to bring your own snacks with you when you shop. And you’ll have more money to spend on presents if you avoid the pricey mall foods that are much more expensive than healthier options you can bring from home.
Just to put these “fat courts” into perspective, below is a chart on how long it takes to “shop off” some popular mall munches.
Food Court Item | Calories Consumed | Time to Shop it Off* |
Panda Express Orange Chicken with Fried Rice and Egg Roll | 1,120 | 5 hrs |
Cinnabon Caramel Pecanbon | 1,100 | 5 hrs |
Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll | 813 | 3 hrs 30 min |
Sbarro Baked Ziti | 700 | 3 hrs |
McDonald’s Cheeseburger and Small Fries | 550 | 2 hrs 30 min |
Auntie Anne’s Glazin’ Raisin Pretzel | 510 | 2 hrs 20 min |
Jamba Juice (Original) Orange Dream Machine | 490 | 2 hrs 15 min |
Sbarro Cheese Pizza (1 slice) | 460 | 2 hrs |
Orange Julius Tropical (20 oz) | 430 | 2 hrs |
Quiznos Tuscan Turkey Sub | 400 | 1 hr 50 min |
Jamba Juice (Original) Sunrise Strawberry | 380 | 1 hr 40 min |
Auntie Anne’s Original Pretzel | 370 | 1 hr 40 min |
Mrs. Fields Double Fudge Brownie | 360 | 1 hr 40 min |
Mrs. Fields Triple Chocolate Cookie | 210 | 1 hr |
Mrs. Fields Semi-Sweet Chocolate Cookie | 210 | 1 hr |
Orange Julius (20 oz) | 160 | 45 min |
*Based on a 140 pound woman strolling at a leisurely pace
As for a better option when holiday shopping, pack some pistachios in your purse. A one-ounce serving (or 49 pistachios) only takes about 40 minutes of shopping time to burn off. Deemed the “Skinny Nut,” pistachios are high in fiber, protein and healthy fats to help keep you fueled for hours. Sometimes I hear that pistachios are expensive but it surprises people when I tell them a one-ounce serving of pistachios costs much less than the $5.00 or more people often spend at the food court. Plus, pistachios are packed with B vitamins for energy and antioxidants for good health.
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