Eating healthy can be extremely difficult these days when it seems like no matter where we go for our coffee run, there is an endless amount of tempting but unhealthy foods taunting you.
Tim Horton’s is considered to be a fast-food joint, meaning that it really isn’t the poster child for healthy places to dine. However, they do have some decent options that won’t totally ruin your diet.
Below is a list of what to order from Tim Horton’s when you want to be healthier but can’t resist your inner Canadian’s urge to go on a Timmies run.
Warm Beverages
Green Tea
0 Calories, 0 Fat (0 Sat, 0 Trans), 0g Sodium, 0g Sugar
All those rumors you heard are true—green tea really is incredibly good for you. This tea contains plenty of antioxidants that benefit you in different ways such as a lower risk of heart disease and some types of cancer.
While the green tea bags they sell at Tim’s may not be as healthy as the matcha powder that has become oh-so-popular, it still contains a healthy dose of those amazing antioxidants.
Adding tons of sugar to your tea will defeat the purpose of drinking it for health reasons, so try your best to drink it unsweetened—it still tastes good, I promise!
Peppermint Tea
0 Calories, 0 Fat (0 Sat, 0 Trans), 0g Sodium, 0g Sugar
Peppermint tea is not as well known as green tea is for health benefits, but it does have some great ones. Peppermint tea is said to relieve symptoms of abdominal gas and bloating, which can be great after a really big meal. As with green tea, try to avoid adding sugar to your tea, but try honey if you really need to sweeten it up.
Dark Roast Coffee
0 Calories, 0 Fat (0 Sat, 0 Trans), 0g Sodium, 0g Sugar
If coffee is your thing, try to go with the dark roast since it has more health benefits. A study shows that dark roast coffee has properties that allow it to reduce the risk of type-two diabetes and Alzheimer’s. This is due to the extra antioxidants that are present in the dark roast coffee. To keep the coffee lighter, use milk instead of cream and as little sugar as you can stand.
Cold Beverages
Iced Coffee with Milk
70 Calories, 1g Fat (0.5g Sat, 0g Trans), 55mg Sodium, 8g Sugar
If a cold coffee drink is something that you’re craving, the iced coffee with milk is your best choice since it has less saturated and trans fats than the other alternatives. It doesn’t have any extra health benefits but it is the best choice out of the options given.
Strawberry Banana Fruit Smoothie with Greek Yogurt
140 Calories, 1g Fat (0.5g Sat, 0g Trans), 30mg Sodium, 27g Sugar
This smoothie is full of fruit and also contains calcium from the greek yogurt, making it a good summertime treat. This drink definitely beats out the frozen lemonade, but it does contain a lot of added sugar so it is not recommended to have this very often. Even so, it would still be considered one of the healthier choices at Tim’s.
Breakfast
Oatmeal – Mixed Berries
210 Calories, 3g Fat (0.5g Sat, 0g Trans), 220mg Sodium, 14g Sugar
If you’re the type that prefers something sweet to start the day then this oatmeal is for you. It contains oats, making it a much better breakfast than a donut or pastry since oats are said to have plenty of health benefits.
Oatmeal is also very filling making sure that you stay full for longer during the day and won’t pig out when lunch time comes around. It also has fruit which is something that you don’t normally get from a fast food breakfast.
Sesame Seed Bagel with Peanut Butter
400 Calories, 12g Fat (2g Sat, 0g Trans), 465mg Sodium, 7g Sugar
What may surprise you is that this sesame seed bagel is a better alternative than the 12 grain bagel which actually has a base of enriched white flour with other grains added in.
The sesame seed bagel is also made from enriched white flour but it has less sodium and sugar, making it the better choice. Sesame seeds themselves are good for you too—read about their nutritional impact here.
Peanut butter also has plenty of health benefits, so it is the best choice of spread. Unfortunately, all of the breakfast sandwiches at Tim’s contain enormous amounts of sodium so it’s better to go with a bagel.
Lunch / Dinner
Harvest Vegetable Soup
80 Calories, 0.4g Fat (0.1g Sat, 0g Trans), 590mg Sodium, 3g Sugar
If the soup‘s are what you desire at Tim’s, this harvest vegetable one is by far one of the best choices. It contains a variety of different vegetables and is the lowest in sodium on the list. This can be enjoyed with a garden salad on the side (light on the dressing) for a light meal or heavy snack.
Crispy Chicken Sandwich
460 Calories, 16g Fat (1g Sat, 0g Trans), 1180mg Sodium, 3g Sugar
Let’s just get one thing straight first off: none of the sandwiches at Tim Horton’s are good for you, unfortunately. Based on how popular they are, this list would be incomplete without at least one sandwich. This crispy chicken sandwich is the least unhealthy out of the options.
All of their sandwiches contain tremendous amounts of sodium but this one had the least amount (it’s still incredibly high though) and not a lot of saturated fat so if you absolutely must get a sandwich, this would be the one.
Snacks / Treats
Greek Yogurt Parfait (Vanilla or Strawberry)
270 Calories, 5g Fat (0.3g Sat, 0g Trans), 90mg Sodium, 25g Sugar
Enjoying this greek yogurt parfait means that you get some calcium, vitamin D, and fruit into your diet which is always a good thing, making the parfait offer more nutritional benefits then a pastry would.
On the other hand, this particular parfait contains a large amount of sugar which isn’t good for you—you would be better off with a homemade parfait. When homemade isn’t an option, this is a decent alternative, but try to ask them for a little less granola topping if possible.
Chocolate Dip Donut
190 Calories, 6g Fat (2.5g Sat, 0g Trans), 210mg Sodium, 10g Sugar
I’ll bet you weren’t expecting to see a donut on this list when you clicked on this article. It is in fact true that the chocolate dipped donut is one of the better dessert or pastry options at Tim’s—which isn’t saying much about the nutritional value of their pastries.
This particular donut doesn’t have that much sugar content for a dessert and not too high of a saturated fat content, making a good treat to have occasionally. I still wouldn’t recommend you have one every day or even every week, but it is a much better option compared to other desserts.
Strawberry and Cream Cheese Strudel
160 Calories, 9g Fat (3.5g Sat, 0g Trans), 140mg Sodium, 6g Sugar
If donuts aren’t your thing, this pastry is similar in terms of its nutritional value. It contains less sugar and calories but more saturated fat than the donut. Deciding which pastry to order just depends on what you’re in the mood for!
The next time you go for a coffee run, keep this list in mind to ensure that you are making the best choices when it comes to your health.