We all know fast food is not synonymous with health food. Larded with fats, refined sugar, additives and sodium and lean on fiber and essential vitamins and minerals, fast food tastes delicious but may have deleterious effects on the body. Washing down all those fatty, salty calories with gallons of sugary sodas only adds to the potential damage. Yet fast food can fit into a healthy lifestyle, if you make informed choices.
Smaller is Better
Unless it is water or unsweetened iced tea, give the cold shoulder to super sized portions. A Monster Thickburger from Hardee's contains a whopping 1,417 calories and 107 g of fat -- twice as much of the recommended dosage of fat per day, even without the fries and the milkshake. Order from the children's menu -- it's cheaper, the portions are smaller, and many times, the choices include fresh, sliced fruit and low-fat milk. Try to keep fast food meals around 300 calories.
Go for the Green
Nearly every fast food restaurant serves entree salads or side salads. Round out your junior burger or grilled chicken sandwich with a side salad, but watch out for fatty, calorie-laden dressings. Read the label on the dressing and only use one packet. A lighter alternative to many salad dressings is salsa. Load up a sub with peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and other veggies. Also remember that salad does not automatically equal a healthy choice -- cheese, croutons, bacon, and other toppings ramp up the calorie, carbohydrate and fat count.
Cut it In Half
Many upscale fast food restaurants offer half portions of their entree sandwiches and salads. Take them up on it. You'll save calories, fat and sodium. Share a regular-sized burger and fries meal with a companion -- you'll feel so virtuous you may want to order dessert, maybe a small yogurt parfait or fruit salad. When ordering a wrap, eat only part of the tortilla and perform an autopsy on the rest of the sandwich with your knife and fork to get to the insides. When you order a burger, avoid the impacts of processed white flour by discarding the bun and eating the meat and vegetables with a fork.
Keep It Rare
For many Americans, fast food has become a way of life. Constant consumption of fatty, salty and sugary fare is thought to trigger the body's hormones to crave more fast food. Dial it back a little. View fast food as a treat -- something you do occasionally, rather than habitually.
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