Monday, September 14, 2009

You can eat healthily anywhere - Pizza Hut



Let’s continue with the challenge that was put forth to me, stating that you can’t eat healthily outside. As you know, I am of the opinion that you can eat healthily anywhere, and so let’s continue our journey of other “so-called” unhealthy places and see how we can work around and make it healthy.

Again, my usual disclaimer before I proceed with showing you how to eat healthily here.“If you only eat in this place once in awhile, then I say go ahead and enjoy. But if your visit this place regularly, then you might want to follow these tips carefully to ensure your gym workouts don’t go to complete waste.”

So this week I decided to talk about Pizza Hut. Any Pizza parlour in Malaysia is probably considered one of the worst places to have a meal if you are trying to maintain a fit figure. So how do we go about eating there and still try to keep our hard earned body? Here are some tips.



1) Pizza Hut and most other pizza parlours have a salad bar or salad on the menu. If you can have an order of this and ensure you eat this first before indulging into the pizza. This way you feel yourself about half way with healthy crisp vegetables and then just indulge into a few slices of pizza. No point eating the pizza first, coz chances are you will eat too much and by then be to sick to even the vegetables. So vege’s first, pizza later.

2) For those body builders who are looking for protein, Pizza Hut and other pizza parlours also have Chicken Wings. It may be a little pricey to eat only this, but I guess the decision is in your hand. Spend a little more, get lots of protein or spend less and eat unhealthily. The bottom line is, there are options out there if you want to take them. My usual trick… eat the chicken wings first and then the pizza. Same concept as the veges.

3) If its possible, try to stick to plain old H2O for your drink. That will shave off a good 300 calories… and when you are eating pizza, every calorie you can save from something makes a big difference.

4) Avoid the breadsticks and garlic breads are far as possible. I know Pizza Hut has the set lunch deal where you can get breadsticks and soup. Bad idea. Bread sticks are nothing but carbs topped with some parmesan cheese for taste. Double whammy. The soup is also another killer. Any time you have a soup which is creamy, you know its high in calories as well as fat. That’s how they make it nice and creamy. There is no way that low fat milk will ever make anything that creamy. So if you can, avoid this Lunch Set at all costs. Go for some proper food.


5) When you order their Personal Pan pizza, the actual ingredients / toppings like meat comes in a patheticly small portions. Reason is, they are trying to keep the cost down to make it attractive to you, the user. Because it is so small, most people don’t mind it and think you get so little ingredients because it is small. So eating the Personal Pan is like eating bread, tomato puree, and cheese. Almost 0 nutrition value. You are honestly better of getting a Large Pizza shared by 2 or 3 people. It’s harder for them to cheat on ingredients when the pizza is large.

So there you have it. Some simple tips for you eat healthily at Pizza Hut. This way you can still join your colleagues during lunch and eat there (and not become a social outcast) while maintaining that body which cost you a lot of sweat. Most of the times we end up in these places because everyone wants to go there. With these tips, you don’t have to be left out. Try it out and see. It really isn’t that hard and anyone can eat just about anywhere and still be healthy.

As usual, look forward to hearing your comments and if you have any other healthier suggestions. Also, if you think of a place which you feel is impossible to eat healthily, let me know and I will show you how to go about it.

6 comments:

anfield devotee said...

Macha, me suggests ye check out Morgan Spurlock's Supersize Me documentary.(Should be available at yer nearest local pirated DVD emporium).

Me thinks it will help ye with these postings.

Plus its a good laugh too.

Rajan said...

AD: I heard about it and heard it was disgusting to watch. Let me check out my local DVD vendor and see if its available.

Kerp (Ph.D) said...

this may come as a surprise to many (inc my fiancee) but whenever i dine at PH, my orders normally inclusive of their salad. i dont mind fresh garden salad and they offer just that. but i think Domino's serves fresher stuff at their bar, dont you think? so anyway, i'm no vegan la brother, i cant sit thru a meal course without meat...lucky i dont fancy bread sticks. they're simply tasteless.

Rajan said...

Kerp... thanks for the honesty. I am not too fond of vege's either... but just suggesting it as part of telling people there are options, if you want it.

I am a meat-a-tarian just like you.

Bernard said...

Domino's for me, beats PH hands down anytime. But I remember back in the days in college when Shakey's Pizza was around & they had an all you can eat buffet. We used to go quite a fair bit until it closed down...hmmm I wonder why???

I am also a fan of meats & was not into salads so much until a few years back when we got hold of a Japanese style dressing. Unfortunately they don't seem to sell it at Jusco or any of the Japanese stores anymore. We did find 3 bottles at a supermarket in Bangkok recently & apa lagi, beli semualah. But I can live with just having salads for dinner as it can be quite filling. Going to jamban also can be quite easy after salads....

Rajan said...

Bernard: Hahahaha.... thanks for your input. I like Dominos too... and usually go for their thin crust... healthier and it is awesome.

Salads with Japanese sauce... don't believe i have ever tried it since i am not really into salads-lah. But yes, i am sure salads will help with your stools... since it has lots of fiber... hence making you feel full as well. But salads for dinner... that is really cool man.