The rising health concerns and awareness of the need for good nutrition are being countered daily by the convenience offered by the many fast food restaurants available. After all, with the busy lifestyles of today’s generation, cooking healthy meals are usually out of the question. But is it possible to eat healthy in today’s world of greasy French fries and oily double-burgers?
The rising health concerns and awareness of the need for good nutrition are being countered daily by the convenience offered by the many fast food restaurants available. After all, with the busy lifestyles of today’s generation, cooking healthy meals are usually out of the question. But is it possible to eat healthy in today’s world of greasy French fries and oily double-burgers?
Although fast food chains are known for fatty food, there are still ways in which you can choose the lesser evil. Here are the things you can keep in mind:
1. Under normal circumstances, vegetables are healthier than animal products, and healthier also than anything processed. When choosing a side dish, given the choice between salad greens and macaroni salad, if you like the taste of leafy vegetables, take it. Although they may both come with fatty dressing, at least you manage to opt out of the meat content in the pasta salad.
2. If you are ordering a burger, reducing the garnishing will really spell a big difference. For example, opting out of the extra cheese, extra mayonnaise, and extra mustard can save you lots of calories. You will shake your head when you realize the calories laden in ketchup and mayonnaise. If you really want plenty put on your burger, choose vegetables like lettuce or tomato. Interestingly, the plain slices will do you more good compared to coleslaw, since this already comes with much mayonnaise.
3. You can opt out of the sugar-laden sodas by asking for drinking water instead. Restaurants serve drinking water, and you can make it taste better by loading up on the ice. If you really cannot forego soft drinks, you can opt for the smaller cup and down the rest of your thirst with water. The smaller serving size, when done consistently, can mean a lot. If you can opt for fruit juice, it may be better, but be sure it is 100% fruit juice, since a juice drink comes with very little actual fruit juice content and is usually richly laden with sugar. Try to avoid milkshakes and soda floats as much as possible.
4. If you eat at fast food chains everyday, you can try varying it up with a day or two eating at a different outlet, such as the office cafeteria, or a lesser-known restaurant. At least you can explore your options for healthier food.
5. If the fast food offers choices that utilize whole-wheat bread, be sure to pick that. Whole-grains are always healthier than processed breads. Also, unprocessed foods will always be the healthier option. For example, if you can choose between a baked potato and mashed potato or French fries, the better choice is the baked potato.
6. Cooking method is also an important factor. Frying always translates into greater amount of oil. Your best bet is boiled or baked. Although fast foods rarely boil anything, baked is a possible option. Like in the previous example, a baked potato will naturally be healthier than French fries.
7. If you are used to eating dessert and refuse to go without it, go for the smaller servings. For example, if you want a large hot-fudge sundae but can be satisfied with a simple ice cream cone, the ice cream cone will definitely save you more calories. If the option is a brownie and a brownie ala mode, or one that comes with scoops of ice cream, you can pick the simple brownie, unless for some dire reason you really want to eat ice cream, in which case you can just get the ice cream cone instead of suffering the calorie content of both.
Once you put these principles into practice, you can see that fast food chains really are not the enemy but are indeed there for your convenience. The choice still lies with you, and you can still eat healthy even if you depend on fast foods for your daily meals. Once you realize that restaurants do not have to be avoided altogether, you will even feel more confident about your sense of control, giving you a greater propensity to eat nutritious meals compared to when you feel that you are helpless when faced with fast food menus
Although fast food chains are known for fatty food, there are still ways in which you can choose the lesser evil. Here are the things you can keep in mind:
1. Under normal circumstances, vegetables are healthier than animal products, and healthier also than anything processed. When choosing a side dish, given the choice between salad greens and macaroni salad, if you like the taste of leafy vegetables, take it. Although they may both come with fatty dressing, at least you manage to opt out of the meat content in the pasta salad.
2. If you are ordering a burger, reducing the garnishing will really spell a big difference. For example, opting out of the extra cheese, extra mayonnaise, and extra mustard can save you lots of calories. You will shake your head when you realize the calories laden in ketchup and mayonnaise. If you really want plenty put on your burger, choose vegetables like lettuce or tomato. Interestingly, the plain slices will do you more good compared to coleslaw, since this already comes with much mayonnaise.
3. You can opt out of the sugar-laden sodas by asking for drinking water instead. Restaurants serve drinking water, and you can make it taste better by loading up on the ice. If you really cannot forego soft drinks, you can opt for the smaller cup and down the rest of your thirst with water. The smaller serving size, when done consistently, can mean a lot. If you can opt for fruit juice, it may be better, but be sure it is 100% fruit juice, since a juice drink comes with very little actual fruit juice content and is usually richly laden with sugar. Try to avoid milkshakes and soda floats as much as possible.
4. If you eat at fast food chains everyday, you can try varying it up with a day or two eating at a different outlet, such as the office cafeteria, or a lesser-known restaurant. At least you can explore your options for healthier food.
5. If the fast food offers choices that utilize whole-wheat bread, be sure to pick that. Whole-grains are always healthier than processed breads. Also, unprocessed foods will always be the healthier option. For example, if you can choose between a baked potato and mashed potato or French fries, the better choice is the baked potato.
6. Cooking method is also an important factor. Frying always translates into greater amount of oil. Your best bet is boiled or baked. Although fast foods rarely boil anything, baked is a possible option. Like in the previous example, a baked potato will naturally be healthier than French fries.
7. If you are used to eating dessert and refuse to go without it, go for the smaller servings. For example, if you want a large hot-fudge sundae but can be satisfied with a simple ice cream cone, the ice cream cone will definitely save you more calories. If the option is a brownie and a brownie ala mode, or one that comes with scoops of ice cream, you can pick the simple brownie, unless for some dire reason you really want to eat ice cream, in which case you can just get the ice cream cone instead of suffering the calorie content of both.
Once you put these principles into practice, you can see that fast food chains really are not the enemy but are indeed there for your convenience. The choice still lies with you, and you can still eat healthy even if you depend on fast foods for your daily meals. Once you realize that restaurants do not have to be avoided altogether, you will even feel more confident about your sense of control, giving you a greater propensity to eat nutritious meals compared to when you feel that you are helpless when faced with fast food menus
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