We’ve all been there; you have a million things to do all in one day, or kids in the back seat of the car fighting and crying, then you see the symbolic golden arches and then find yourself in the McDonald’s drive-thru ordering food. We know fast food is bad for us yet we continue to eat it. We ignore all the health warnings because it’s fast or yummy or both. So what is it with this fast food fad because it’s making America fat.
Who’s eating it?
A survey done by the Journal Obesity found that knowing fast food is bad for us, isn’t stopping us from eating it. All the campaigns and education by health professionals telling us Fast Food is unhealthy for us isn’t working.Uh- this is some troubling news.
The survey also found that younger people and people who are single eat fast food more frequently than older and married people. Great- so now there’s a correlation between being single and fat. People who also disliked cooking and think fast food is convenient ate more fast food. Finally they found that people who knew fast food is unhealthy ate just as much of it as people who didn’t know it was unhealthy.
WHOA- How many calories is that?
It shouldn’t be too surprising that fast food is high in calories and sodium. But it is very shocking to know the exact number. In a Quarter Pounder with Cheese from McDonald’s, there are 520 calories and 1100 grams of sodium. It would take 136 minutes of walking and 70 minutes of cycling to burn that off. So next time you think about hitting up McDonald’s just think about all that walking and cycling you’ll need to. And just when you think you’re being healthy at McDonald’s when you order a salad…Nope, wrong. A bacon Ranch Salad with crispy chicken is 390 calories; and that’s without the dressing. With the Ranch dressing it’s another 170 calories. So a whopping 560 calories for a salad….that’s more than the Quarter Pounder with cheese.
How can I avoid Fast Food?
It can be challenging at first to get into the habit of not eating fast food. But once you do, you’re health and body will thank you. Here are some east tips to follow to avoid fast food restaurants.
- Plan your meals. On a day you know you’re not too busy, plan out what you are going to eat for that week and go grocery shopping. This allows you to have healthy food available in your house while being on a time crunch.
- Take a cooking class. Don’t like to cook or don’t know how. Take a class! It can be fun especially if you take a friend with you.
- Think before you drive there. Got a fast food craving? Drink a glass of water before you get in your car.
- Cook alternative meals. Food from fast food restaurants may be unhealthy but there are alternate ways to make the food at home. If you’re really craving a cheeseburger, make a turkey burger fresh with ground turkey meat. Top with low fat-cheese, lots of veggies, and a wheat bun and boom- a nutritious burger that tastes better than any fast food.