Because there is so much fast food out there that is loaded with fat, lots of sodium, and is high in calories, many people believe the only way to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight is to stay away from fast food restaurants.
Yes, it is true that a fast food meal that includes a burger, fries, and a soft drink is not healthy and has too many calories in it. But there are fast food options that are healthy and okay to have. Here’s one way to think of it. Most weight loss experts today say having 5 to 6 small meals a day is better then having 3 larger meals and that skipping meals is a bad idea because it leads to binging later on in the day. So is it better to skip lunch because you are busy and only have access to a fast food restaurant? Or should you go to that restaurant and make the healthiest choice you can? (And while it’s true that you cannot always get super healthy food at a fast food restaurant, you can almost always find a reasonably healthy choices.)
I’m not saying you have to walk into that fast food restaurant and ask them for a bowl of plain lettuce either. What are some decent choices?
• Go Mexican but don’t have the taco salad in the edible bowl. That taco salad at Taco Bell that you probably think is a healthy choice contains 860 calories and 46 grams of fat. Even without the edible bowl, the salad still has 490 calories and 25 grams of fat. Instead consider having something at Taco Bell with a soft flour or corn tortilla that is done in their “fresco style,” which means they use a salsa of tomatoes, onions, and cilantro in place of cheese and sauce on an item. Two grilled steak tacos done in their fresco style contains 340 calories and 10 grams of fat. Two of their ranchero chicken soft tacos are 340 calories and 8 grams of fat (nutrition information for Taco Bell was found at: http://www.yum.com/nutrition/documents/tb_nutrition.pdf). If you are at any fast food Mexican restaurant, look for similar choices; items with flour or corn tortillas that are not deep fried; salsa toppings instead of ones containing cheese, cheese sauces, and sour cream; low fat cheese instead of full fat cheese if you really want the cheese.
• Have a burger if you really want one, but have the regular hamburger, skipping that slice of processed American cheese. You know the fries aren’t a healthy choice, a side salad with light dressing is much better. But if you have to have fries (and once in a while is okay even when trying to lose weight because a person is much less likely to be successful on their diet if they completely forbid all their favorite food) have the smallest size available. You may have to order the kid’s meal to get a small order of fries, but that’s okay. Make your beverage water (most fast food restaurants have bottled water now which is great for people on the go) or a diet soft drink.
• Grilled chicken sandwiches are okay if you skip all the extra toppings; deep fried chicken sandwiches are bad. People have a tendency to think a chicken sandwich is healthy because chicken is healthy. But once that chicken goes for a swim in the deep fryer, it’s not so healthy. A grilled chicken sandwich from Wendy’s has 370 calories and 8 grams of fat. A deep fried chicken fillet sandwich from Wendy’s has 470 calories and 16 grams of fat. If you’re thinking their mandarin chicken salad is a better choice, it has over 500 calories and 26 grams of fat.
While eating fast food is not something any health expert will recommend having for every meal every day of the week, a person can eat at fast food restaurants some of the time still lose weight. It’s all about being informed about the calories and nutrition of the food available at restaurants and making the best choices possible.