Healthy Dining Tips: A Full Day of Eating Out

Updated OnNovember 29, 2017
Written by
Dena Stern

This day's worth of food falls into the range of protein recommended for men who exercise consistently or are in training—more than enough protein for the average person.

Total Fat: 44.5 grams
Saturated Fat: 10 grams

Most experts believe that how much fat you should consume per day should reflect a ratio of your total caloric intake. Most dietary guidelines advise that no more than a third of your calories per day should come from fat.

The United States Health Department recommends the following guidelines for fat consumption:

  • 1,600 calorie per day diet: 18 grams of saturated fat or less, 53 grams of fat or less.
  • 2,000 calorie per day diet: 20 grams of saturated fat or less, 65 grams of fat or less.
  • 2,200 calorie per day diet: 24 grams of saturated fat or less, 73 grams of fat or less.
  • 2,500 calorie per day diet: 25 grams of saturated fat or less, 80 grams of fat or less.
Based on a 1,600 calorie per day diet we managed to stay under both the total grams of fat and saturated fat for this day of take out meals.

Total Fiber: 26 grams

If you are under the age of 50 the daily recommended fiber intake is 25 grams. These meals placed us almost exactly on target for our daily recommended fiber intake.

Total Sodium: 3,690 milligrams sodium

The American Heart Association recommends that adults who are healthy take in no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day. Our full day of fast food meals well exceeds the recommended intake for sodium. High sodium is the downfall of most convenience foods—chain restaurants and prepacked frozen food often rely heavily on large amounts of sodium to give their food flavor cheaply.  

The Conclusion

A full day of convenience food is almost healthy—if heart health is not a priority for you. You can put together a full day of meals that will fit most of the criteria for healthy eating but beware the long term health pitfalls of relying too heavily on these sodium packed meal options.

If you are always on the go it's also important to find a way to fit some exercise into your day—our 10 minute a day workout program is perfect for busy people on the go and requires absolutely no equipment.

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