Healthy Fast Food Guide | Au Bon Pain | Detailed

Overview

Lots of fresh, natural ingredients among the options here. A big positive here is that there are options for 100% whole wheat and/or sprouted grain as bread, which is a giant advantage among other sandwich establishments. The cherry on top is the natural, fresh, healthy veggies that these sandwiches and salads are made with.

Recommendations

Option #1 — Napa Chicken with Avocado

This option keeps fat content low relative to other options. Carbohydrates are high but try with 100% whole wheat bread or sprouted grain, if possible, to get more nutrients and fiber to transform carbohydrates from empty calories to beneficial calories.

1. Grilled Chicken — this chicken is grilled instead of fried, which means you’ll have less intake of bad fats, avoid losing nutrients in the cooking process, and reduce butter intake
2. Avocado — 20 different vitamins and minerals, improves heart health, lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels
3. Tomato — improves heart health, fights cancer, and improves skin health
4. Cucumbers — anti-inflammatory, keeps you hydrated and helps skin
5. Romaine Lettuce — rich in antioxidants, prevents bone loss and improves heart health
6. Ask for basil aioli & lemon vinaigrette on the side so you’re in control of how much you use (if any)

Option #2 — Tuna Salad Sandwich

1. Tuna — omega-3 fatty acids that reduce inflammation and improves heart health
2. Celery — lowers cholesterol, reduces blood pressure, and prevents urinary tract infections
3. Onions — lots of nutrients, antioxidants, and improves heart health
4. Mayonnaise — mayo seems to get a bad reputation, however, if you request a quarter or half the portion they typically put, you will significantly reduce the calories, which are coming from good fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats); in moderation, there’s nothing wrong with a mayonnaise
5. Cucumbers — anti-inflammatory, keeps you hydrated and helps skin
6. Tomato — improves heart health, fights cancer, and improves skin health
7. Mixed Greens — high in antioxidants, low in cholesterol, and high in fiber which is good for digestion
8. Sprouted Grain — healthy bread option with good nutrients

Option #3 — Herb Chicken Salad Sandwich

This option boasts high carbohydrates, but the protein is also high coupled with low fat so a decent tradeoff.

1. Grilled Chicken — this chicken is grilled instead of fried, which means you’ll have less intake of bad fats, avoid losing nutrients in the cooking process, and reduce butter intake
2. Tomato — improves heart health, fights cancer, and improves skin health
3. Cucumbers — anti-inflammatory, keeps you hydrated and helps skin
4. Mixed Greens — high in antioxidants, low in cholesterol, and high in fiber which is good for digestion
5. Ask to substitute bread it comes with for 100% whole wheat or sprouted grain bread. if available. to transform carbohydrates from
6. Ask for avocado dressing on the side so you’re in control of how much is used (if any)

Option #4 — Harvest Turkey Salad

At first glance, you may have thought that the Chicken Cobb Avocado Salad was the choice, however, there is a significant amount of cholesterol in the chicken cobb. Additionally, there’s less fat, especially saturated, and sodium in the Harvest Turkey. There are 22 grams of sugar, but this is in large part from the apples and grapes, which are quite nutritious so the sugar is not empty calories.

1. Turkey — very little fat, so lean protein source
2. Romaine Lettuce — rich in antioxidants, prevents bone loss and improves heart health
3. Spinach — improving blood glucose levels, lowers risk of cancer, improved bone health
4. Cranberries — prevents ulcers, lowers blood pressure, and increases good cholesterol while decreasing bad cholesterol
5. Grapes — prevents heart diseases, relieves constipation, and helps with asthma
6. Apples — aids in digestion, stimulates metabolism with probiotics and boosts the immune system
7. Skip the goat cheese due to high saturated fat and moderate sodium content
8. Ask for dressing on the side so you’re in control of how much you use (if any)

Option #5 — Southwest Chicken Salad

1. Grilled Chicken — this chicken is grilled instead of fried, which means you’ll have less intake of bad fats, avoid losing nutrients in the cooking process, and reduce butter intake
2. Romaine Lettuce — rich in antioxidants, prevents bone loss and improves heart health
3. Black Beans — maintains healthy bones, lowers blood pressure, and assists in fighting heart disease
4. Corn — assists in digestion, promotes nerve health and improves cognitive function
5. Avocado — 20 different vitamins and minerals, improves heart health, lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels
6. Cucumbers — anti-inflammatory, keeps you hydrated and helps skin
7. Tomato — improves heart health, fights cancer, and improves skin health
8. Skip the crispy wontons since it’s mostly empty calories
9. Ask for dressing on the side so you’re in control of how much you use (if any)

More Useful Tools

Quick Guide — for when you’re on the go and/or need to know what the suggestions are without all the detail

Detailed Notes — consolidated notes for each fast-food establishment