While there’s no doubt that “fast food” and “healthy diet” have nothing in common, there are times when a stop at the drive through can’t be avoided, or resisted. We all get pressed for time, or might not feel like going home to cook after a busy day.
While fast food stops should be avoided whenever possible, they can still be managed without wrecking a healthy diet and clogging your arteries.
So how can fast food fit in to a healthy diet? Here are a few simple tips to help minimize the impact on your healthy diet.
Fast Food to Avoid at All Costs
Certain fast foods are seriously damaging to your health and diet, and contain more trans fat and hydrogenated vegetable oils than you even want to consider. So how can you tell which fast foods these are? Quite simply, really.
When making fast food choices, make it your number one rule that all deep fried foods are a no-go!
Chicken nuggets, fried filet of fish sandwiches, fried chicken sandwiches, french fries, and hash browns all fall into this category and are among the worst possible menu choices.
All of these deep fried fast foods have dangerously high trans fat levels. Think of it this way – even a single gram of trans fat can start to clog your arteries but the typical fast food meal easily has 13 grams or more of trans fat.
Good Fast Food Menu Choices
Today, more fast food restaurants are adding healthier choices to their menus - good news for anyone trying to follow a healthy diet.
Grilled chicken sandwiches are a drastically better choice than a fried ones. Better yet, use mustard instead of mayo and consider eating the meat without the bun since the bun is only adding bad carbs.
Salads at fast food restaurants can be good choices but they need to be chosen with care. Any choice with grilled chicken and plenty of fresh veggies is a good menu choice, but make sure to choose the right dressing. A light vinegar-based dressing, or fat-free Italian dressing adds plenty of flavor but has under 100 calories.
A small cup of chili can be a filling and non-fattening choice, as can a baked potato (without all the extras).
Healthier Fast Food Drink Choices
One of the worst culprits in an unhealthy diet is soft drinks. Even a small soft drink of the non-diet variety can add a couple of hundred calories to your daily total – and will not fill you up at all.
The best choice for a fast food drink is a bottle of water, or even a diet soda for those times that you are craving a carbonated drink. Don’t blow all your caloric intake for the day on sodas – it will show up on your waistline.
Ask for Fast Food Fact Sheets
As part of their efforts to provide healthier options, most fast food restaurants now have nutritional information sheets. Quite often you won’t find them on the counter, so just ask. You can then take them home and take your time to compare options. When the drive-through is calling your name loud and clear, you’ll know in advance which fast food items best fit your otherwise healthy diet!
