Lousy takeout for lunch? Here's how to burn it off

Hey, you, with the Reuben, dripping Russian dressing on the expense reports. And you, with the chopped salad, dropping bacon bits into your keyboard.

The office lunch -- which 62 percent of us eat at our desks, according to the 2011 Desktop Dining survey from the American Dietetic Association and ConAgra Foods -- can deal a caloric wallop if you're not careful.

Deceptively fattening salads and sodium-heavy soups can surprise people who think they're making healthy choices, said Jenny Sucov, editor of EverydayHealth.com.

Skipping lunch or waiting too long to eat slows metabolism, encourages overeating and hurts concentration, said Amy Jamieson-Petonic, director of wellness coaching at the Cleveland Clinic and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

Although the Desktop Dining survey shows that most office workers make the healthful choice of bringing lunch from home, giving them control over ingredients, for the 41 percent of us who buy lunch out or eat takeout at our desks, popular meals can pack a heavy punch.

Here are examples of foods from popular restaurants that typically make up an office lunch, along with what you'd have to do to burn them off (based on the calorie calculator at www.everydayhealth.com) and a healthier alternative.

Soft drinkCoke (20 fluid oz.): 240 calories, 0 g fat, 75 mg sodium.

Healthier alternative: Water: 0 calories, 0 g fat, 0 mg sodium.

Burn it off: Nothing.

SandwichSubway Melt (6-inch bun, turkey, ham, bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, cucumbers, honey mustard sauce on wheat): 400 calories, 11 g fat, 1,330 mg sodium).

Burn it off: 30 minutes of vigorous biking or 78 minutes of light gardening.

Healthier alternative: Subway Turkey sandwich (6-inch, turkey, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, green peppers, cucumbers, yellow mustard on wheat: 285 calories, 3.5 g fat, 915 mg sodium.

BurgerMcDonald's Quarter Pounder with Cheese: 510 calories, 26 g fat, 1,190 mg sodium

Burn it off: 71 minutes of walking (4.5 mph) or 45 minutes of running (6 mph).

Healthier alternative: Cheeseburger from McDonald's: 300 calories, 12 g fat, 750 mg sodium.

Burn it off: 42 minutes of walking (4.5 mph) or 27 minutes of running (6 mph).

ChickenKFC two-piece Original Recipe chicken (drumstick, thigh): 370 calories, 24 g fat, 1,040 mg sodium.

Healthier alternative: KFC two-piece grilled chicken: 260 calories, 14 g fat, 829 mg sodium.

Burn it off: 29 minutes of jumping rope or 66 minutes of vacuuming.

MexicanChipotle burrito (tortilla, steak, rice, black beans, cheese, sour cream, tomato salsa, lettuce): 970 calories, 38 g fat, 2,070 mg sodium.

Burn it off: 86 minutes of swimming breast stroke or 171 minutes of kayaking.

Healthier alternative: Chipotle burrito bowl (no tortilla, chicken, rice, fajita vegetables, cheese, tomato salsa, lettuce): 460 calories, 18.5 g fat, 1,340 mg sodium.