Healthy Fast Food

Healthy Fast Food

Tips for Making Healthier Fast Food Choices

Fast food is cheap, convenient, filling, and to many of us it tastes

good. If

you

are

eating

out,

a

fast

food

restaurant

is

often

the

cheapest

option, but unfortunately not a healthy one. Eating just one fast food

meal

can

pack

enough

calories,

sodium

and

fat

for

an

entire

day

or

more.

Eating

fast

food

on

a

regular

basis

can

lead

to

a

host

of

different

health

problems, both physical and psychological.

Still,

in

a

bad

economy

the

quick-and-cheap

temptation

can

often

be

hard

to

resist.

As

an

informed

customer,

though,

you

can

make

healthier

choices

and still enjoy the price and convenience of fast food restaurants.

In This Article:

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When is it OK to eat fast food?

Make healthier choices

Guides to healthier choices

Burger fast food

Fried chicken

Mexican fast food

Subs, sandwich & deli

Asian fast food

Italian fast food

Chains with healthiest fast food

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When is it healthy to eat fast food?

The

short

answer

is:

rarely.

Typically,

fast

food

is

low

in

nutrition

and

high in trans fat, saturated fat, sodium, and calories. Some examples:

One sack of hash bites or potato snackers from White Castle , for

example,

contains

10

grams

of

very

unhealthy

trans

fat.

The

American

Heart

Association

recommends

we

consume

less

than

2

grams

of

trans

fat

per

day.

So

in

one

side

order,

you’ve

just

eaten

more

than

five

days’ worth of h

eart-busting trans fat!

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A single meal of a Double Whopper with cheese, a medium order of

fries, and an apple pie from Burger King contains more saturated

fat than the American Heart Association recommends we consume in

two

days.

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Moderation

becomes

the

ke

y.

It’s

OK

to

indulge

a

craving

for

French

fries

every

now

and

then,

but

to

stay

healthy

you

can’t

make

it

a

regular

habit.

Finding a healthy, well-balanced meal in most fast food restaurants can

be a challenge, but there are always choices you can make that are

healthier than others.

Learning to make healthier choices at fast food

restaurants

Making

healthier

choices

at

fast

food

restaurants

is

easier

if

you

prepare

ahead by checking guides that show you the nutritional content of meal

choices

at

your

favorite

restaurants.

Free

downloadable

guides

help

you

evaluate your options. If you have a special dietary concern, such as

diabetes, heart health or weight loss, the websites of national

non-profits provide useful advice. You can also choose to patronize

restaurants that focus on natural, high quality food.

If

you

don’t

prepare

ahead

of

time,

common

sense

guidelines

help

to

make

your

meal

healthier.

For

example,

a

seemingly

healthy

salad

can

be

a

diet

minefield when smothered in high-fat dressing and fried toppings, so

choose

a

salad

with

fresh

veggies,

grilled

toppings

and

a

lighter

dressing.

Portion control is also important, as many fast food restaurants serve

enough food for several meals in the guise of a single serving.

Tips for making healthy choices at fast food restaurants

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Make

careful

menu

selections

–

pay

attention

to

the

descriptions

on the menu.

Dishes labeled deep-fried, pan-fried, basted,

batter- dipped, breaded, creamy, crispy, scalloped, Alfredo, au

gratin or in cream sauce are usually high in calories, unhealthy

fats

or

sodium.

Order

items

with

more

vegetables

and

choose

leaner

meats.

Drink

water

with

your

meal.

Soda

is

a

huge

source

of

hidden

calories.

One 32-oz Big Gulp with regular cola packs about 425 calories, so

one

Big

Gulp

can

quickly

gulp

up

a

big

portion

of

your

daily

calorie

intake. Try adding a little lemon to your water or ordering

unsweetened iced tea.

“Undress” your food.

When choosing items, be aware of calorie-

and

fat-packed

salad

dressings,

spreads,

cheese,

sour

cream,

etc.

For example, ask for a grilled chicken sandwich without the

mayonnaise.

You

can

ask

for

a

packet

of

ketchup

or

mustard

and

add

it yourself, controlling how much you put on your sandwich.

Special order.

Many menu items would be healthy if it weren't for

the

way

they

were

prepared.

Ask

for

your

vegetables

and

main

dishes

to

be

served

without

the

sauces.

Ask

for

olive

oil

and

vinegar

for

your salads or order the dressing

small amount on at a time. If your food is fried or cooked in oil

or butter, ask to have it broiled or steamed.

Eat mindfully.

Pay attention to what you eat and savor each bite.

Chew your food more thoroughly and avoid eating on the run. Being

mindful

also

means

stopping

before

you

are

full.

It

takes

time

for

our bodies to register that we have eaten. Mindful eating relaxes

you, so you digest better, and makes you feel more satisfied.

Tips for what to AVOID at fast food restaurants

Supersized portions -

An average fast food meal can run to 1000

calories or more, so choose a smaller portion size, order a side

salad

instead

of

fries,

and

don't

supersize

anything.

At

a

typical

restaurant, a single serving provides enough for two meals. Take

half home or divide the portion with a dining partner.

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Salt.

Fast food restaurant food tends to be very high in sodium,

a major contributor to high blood pressure. Don’t add insult to

injury by adding more salt.

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Bacon

.

It’s

always

tempting

to

add

bacon

to

sandwiches

and

salads

for extra flavor, but bacon has very few nutrients and is high in

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