Motivated Monday – Healthy Fast Food from Noodles & Company

4 out of 5 stars

Macaroni and cheese is one of my top ten weaknesses. So I’ve never really considered Noodles & Company for a healthy lunch, given that their name features one of the most diet-busting carbohydrates. But I was pleasantly surprised last time I walked into my local Noodles. All the calories are well-marked on the sign, so you can easily make smart choices about your lunch. In fact, on their website they have a handy “Under 500 calories” cheat sheet and a nutrition sorter, both of which make deciding a breeze. I found something relatively healthy that tasted fresh and delicious. Although I was also drooling over my dining partner’s macaroni and cheese.

I tried a small bowl of the Japanese Pan Noodles with Steak. That takes my calories to 480 for a small bowl. The meal had 55g carbs, 3g fiber, 16g fat, and 30g protein. You can do even better if you swap the steak for chicken breast, which has the same amount of protein but 60 less calories. The noodles are thick and savory, and accompanied by fresh sprouts, carrot sticks and tender broccoli. The beef is a good accompaniment to the noodles’ flavors.

The cheat sheet gives you calorie totals for lots of options and combinations, like soup and salad, or noodles and a salad. So another yummy option might be a small salad with shrimp and a soup. Or a chinese chicken salad and a small noodle. It’s good to have options!