Making Healthy Choices at Fast Food Restaurants
Most fast food places have healthy choices now
It may be hard to imagine the word health in the same sentence with the words fast food! However it’s possible to make healthy choices when you eat out at a fast food restaurant.
More and more fast food chains are becoming conscious of the fact customers are looking for healthier alternatives to greasy burgers and French fries soaked grease and salt. It’s been estimated one out of four Americans consumes fast food every day of the week.
It’s fast; it’s convenient but is it healthy?
Eating even one fast food meal a day can overload your system with more fat, calories and sodium than you require for the whole day! Making healthier choices is all about doing your homework and being prepared. Peruse the guides offered at restaurants and become aware of the nutritional content of the meals offered.
Many restaurants offer guides that are free and can be downloaded from their websites. Check the website of a restaurant you are wondering about for further information.
Think Healthy and Order Healthy:
What should you be thinking about as you stand in line at a fast food place? You should be thinking healthy choices is what! First of all, opt for meals that come with more vegetables and less meat. When you do choose meats go with the leanest ones you can find. At the same time avoid foods that are high in calories and those made up of unhealthy fats (which are saturated fats and trans fats) and a high percentage of sodium. These foods go under the guise of such labels as deep fried, pan fried, basted, breaded, batter dipped, crispy, scalloped or creamy.
Sometimes it’d the food that is unhealthy but what you put on it that makes it bad for you. Do not smother your food with fat laden salad dressings or spreads, sour cream or cheese. Do not suffocate your salad with piles of bacon bits and croutons.
To give an example of this, if you decide to order a grilled chicken sandwich (which is the superior choice to a crispy one) then order it without any dressing or mayonnaise. If you want just a little hint of something to give your sandwich some added flavor then ask for a packet. If you do this then you get to control how much you use.
If you’re ordering a salad then steer clear of the fried toppings and high fat dressings and instead choose one that comes with fresh vegetables, a lighter dressing and toppings that are grilled. Sometimes the small things can count for a lot. Another option is to ask for olive oil or vinegar for your salad instead of a dressing.
Still another option is to ask for your dressing on the side so you only put on the amount you wish to have.
Think portion control! The average meal at a fast food restaurant can contain as many as 1000 calories (or more!). In fact a single serving often equals two meals. With this in mind order smaller portions, drink water with your meal instead of soda pop and say no thanks to the supersize option!
Becca Scott
Staff Writer
Free At Last Hypnosis
Filed Under: Health
