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Health & Fitness Tips (continued)
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Eating fast food on a regular basis can lead to a host of different health problems, both physical and psychological. As an informed customer, though, you can make healthier choices and still enjoy the price and convenience of fast food restaurants.
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 heart-busting trans fat!
- 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.
Moderation becomes the key. 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.
Take a look at the following websites to see how easy it is to make healthier choices:
Tips for Healthier Eating at McDonalds:
Breakfast:
For breakfast, go for an Egg McMuffin®. At 300 calories, it is the best option among breakfast sandwiches. Second best would be the Sausage Burrito which also has 300 calories. Since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, add a Fruit & Walnut Salad, Fruit & Yogurt Parfait (only 160 calories!), or Fruit & Maple Oatmeal with brown sugar. Yum! Avoid the sandwiches on a Biscuit or McGriddle® as they are packed with calories and high in fat.
If you are a coffee drinker, ask for skim milk in your coffee and Splenda or another artificial sweetener. Try a Nonfat latte or Nonfat Cappuccino. Want a little flavor? Ask for any of the above drinks with a shot of Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup.
Lunch:
Grilled Snack Wraps can be a healthy and satisfying component of a Lunchtime meal. At 250-270 calories, they provide a source of protein without a lot of unwanted carbs. Combine a Snack Wrap with a Side Salad, Fruit & Yogurt parfait, Fruit & Walnut Salad, Apple Dippers, or a small Fruit Smoothie for a nutrient packed meal under 550 calories!
These healthy sides provide 1-2 servings of fruits or vegetables and fiber to support a slim waistline. A small Smoothie has about 250 calories and provides one-to-two servings of fruit. A side of Apple Dippers with low-fat caramel will satisfy a sweet tooth while providing a serving of fruit at only 100 calories! It is important to have at least 5 total servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Keep track throughout the day and make sure you hit your number. With the right side options, you can get there!
Dinner:
The healthiest option for dinner is a salad with grilled chicken. All of the salads with grilled chicken have approximately 300-350 calories. The Premium Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken is only 190 calories! Choose a low-fat salad dressing like Low-Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette, Low-Fat Italian Dressing, or Low-Fat Sesame Ginger Dressing.
If you are in the mood for a sandwich, go for the Premium Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich or the Premium Grilled Chicken Ranch BLT Sandwich. At 10 grams of fat, they are the most heart-healthy sandwiches on the menu. The McChicken® and the Filet O Fish come in next at 16 and 18 grams of fat respectively. All four of these sandwiches have 350 to 380 calories.
Chicken McNuggets® and Strips are slightly higher in calories than the sandwiches mentioned above. Although they are not significantly high in calories, a little more than half of their calories come from fat. Remember, it is not just about how many calories you consume, the quality of those calories is what really matters. It is always better to choose grilled chicken over crispy or breaded chicken. This will significantly reduce the amount of fat you are consuming.
If you feel that you must have fries, limit yourself to a small. There are 230 calories in a small French Fries, but 100 of them come from fat. Fortunately, McDonald’s fries are now made with canola oil, which is a healthy oil choice. By switching oils in 2008, they eliminated trans-fats from their fried food items. Changes like these are what earned McDonald’s a spot on the list of America’s Top Ten Healthiest Fast Food Restaurants. The list came out in 2009 and placed McDonalds at #8.
For desert, go for a Reduced Fat Vanilla Ice Cream Cone, small Frozen Strawberry Lemonade, or Oatmeal Raison Cookie. Avoid Milkshakes, especially the Frapes! They can have as many as 1100 calories!
The easiest way to noticeably improve your health is to drink more water! So go with bottled water instead of a soda. Rinse and refill the bottle throughout the day and remember to recycle it after. If your taste buds are looking for something a little more action-packed; Try an Apple Juice Box, Unsweetened Ice Tea with lemon, or Fat Free Milk.
