Finding fast food to fit into your healthy diet can be a challenging endeavor. Fast foods are generally loaded with fats, refined carbohydrates and sugars. All of these can compromise a healthy diet. Despite this, there are ways to incorporate fast foods into your healthy lifestyle.
Basics
One of the keys to fitting fast food into your healthy diet is to do so in moderation. Save fast food for times when you are really in a hurry or for one reason or another have no other options. Try to limit your intake of fast food to one meal per week. Even when you limit your fast food intake, it is still important to make wise fast food choices.
Considerations
There are a number of reasons fast food is not recommended as a part of a healthy diet. Fast food often contains high amounts of artery-clogging saturated fats. Trans fats are still used in some fast foods, and even small amounts of this fat can significantly increase your LDL cholesterol and lower you HDL cholesterol.
Salt is also used in high amounts. According to the findings from a study conducted by the New York City Health Department and reported by HelpGuide.org, 57 percent of meals at fast food restaurants contained more than 1,500 mg of sodium, which is enough for an entire day. Also, fast foods offer few options for fiber and contain high amounts of refined carbohydrates, which contain few nutrients and are digested quickly by your body leaving you feeling hungry again soon.
What to Avoid
Keep some fast food choices off your personal fast food menu. Avoid double-stacked burgers. Limit white bread and choose whole grain or wheat when possible. Use cheese sparingly. Avoid bacon, which is incredibly high in fat and calories and offers limited nutritional value. Limit your intake of red meat, which contains high amounts of saturated fat. Do not drink sugary soda. Always skip dessert. Keep high-calorie sauces, dips and dressings off your foods. According to "Real Simple" magazine's website, using barbecue sauce as a dip instead of ranch sauce will shave 345 calories from your meal.
Tips
Increase the health benefits of your fast food. Order off the kids menu to help you eat less. Ask for extra lettuce and tomatoes. Drink water. Swap the fries or chips for fruit. Pick meats that are grilled instead of fried or breaded. Stick to white meat poultry or fish. Find fast food places that do not use hydrogenated oil or trans fats.
Options
Some fast food places offer healthier options. Taco Bell has healthier versions of its food on the fresco menu. Burger King has a veggie burger called the BK Veggie. Eating this burger will significantly decrease your calorie intake, provide you with fiber and help you avoid saturated fat and cholesterol. McDonald's has grilled chicken sandwiches and salads that you can make healthy by using low-calorie or no dressing, choosing grilled meats and limiting the cheese. Wendy's has a baked potato that you can get covered with broccoli, but avoid the cheese and sour cream.
At pizza places order thin-crust veggie pizza with half the cheese. Healthier Italian fast food options include vegetable pasta with red sauce and vegetables or grilled meats. At Mexican fast food places choose soft shells, bean burritos, grilled meats, fish and burritos with vegetables. Avoid the tortilla chips.
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