Q: When I take my players to tournaments, we always seem to be eating on the run. I know I can pack lunches and snacks, but what are your recommendations when you absolutely, positively have to eat at a fast-food restaurant?

 A: This is an age-old question that has bothered parents and coaches for years. First, let me say that the concept of eating fast does not fit into the normal regimen I recommend, but I recognize there are times you must live this lifestyle. Since there’s no way around it, here are my suggestions on the quick hits.

Most fast-food chains have a grilled chicken sandwich. When ordering, make sure you leave off the cheese, mayonnaise or "special" sauce. Those sauces usually pack well over 20 grams of fat. Mustard is a great low-fat substitute. Many chains also offer good salads along with low-fat or fat-free dressings.

Skip the burgers, fish sandwiches and french fries. There is no reason to eat poorly even when you’re running around like mad. Of course, there will be times when you have no control over what’s served, but you do when eating on the run. It takes no more than a few seconds to make healthier choices.

There is nothing wrong with eating at fast-food restaurants, unless all you ever order are burgers and fries. Several fast-food restaurants have very healthy selections. Burger King has the BK Broiler, McDonald’s has the McGrilled Chicken Sandwich and Hardee’s and Wendy’s have their versions of the same meal. And all these fast-food chains have very good salad selections (but watch out for the dressing).

I go to fast-food restaurants quite often because I have two young children. When ordering, I always ask them to omit the sauce but I sometimes substitute mustard or ketchup in its place. Lettuce, tomato and pickle add flavor to any sandwich.

At hotels and some fast-food restaurants, pizza is a very popular item. A cheese pizza with nothing else on it is about 27 percent fat – not bad for fast food. A hamburger is 56 percent fat.

Here is a tasty trick I learned by chance while dining at a pizza restaurant with a friend who has a lactose intolerance and can’t eat cheese. My friend ordered a small pizza with no cheese, but with extra tomato sauce, mushrooms and other vegetables. This astounded me. I asked the manager if it was a common request. He said it happened occasionally, but not too often.

I decided to order the same thing. Yes, I know. We grow up with certain tastes; the idea of pizza with no cheese seems incredulous. I must tell you, though, it was absolutely terrific. As an extra bonus, it ended up being 5 percent to 10 percent fat instead of 27 percent to 30 percent. Adding meat to a pizza raises the fat content even more.

Many fast-food restaurants also feature pasta bars. Just be wary of how much butter is on the pasta. If prepared poorly, a very healthy staple can become unhealthy by being loaded with fat.