Fast Food: Possible, But Use it Carefully to Live Longer Life

Agree, it’s very easy to promote the rejection of junk food. But is it always real and necessary? We decided to understand this issue and put together several ways to coexist peacefully with fast food.

Fast food is the main cause of massive obesity in developed countries. We get tired at work, from family problems, tutors, courses, and just go by metro. So it is not surprising that after you come home in the evening, you do not want to cook at all. Here the junk food comes to the rescue. But nutritionists are sounding the alarm: fast food contains a huge amount of trans fats and calories. Therefore, the main task is to find a balance between it and homemade food. But is McDonald's really evil, or can one find a healthy alternative to fat hamburgers and fries in such establishments?

FOOD ON THE RUN:

Most often prefer to go to dinner in a cafe: to sit all day in the office is bored and you want to walk, and some people don’t get food in containers - it's too lazy to cook food in the evening. On the other hand, many are so busy at work that they do not even have time to dine. It’s rare for anyone to follow the regime and eat healthy and wholesome. Russians, on average, once a week, due to lack of time, skip lunch at work. In general, skipping meals is not a good idea, so the choice falls on fast food with all the consequences: obesity and type 2 diabetes. Marketers in such establishments claim that their food is fresh and wholesome, but is there such a thing as “wholesome fast food”?

WHAT IS FAST FOOD?

Literally - “fast food”, that is, takeaway food cooked and eaten not at home. Typical fast food is burgers, french fries, fried chicken wings, pizza and various sauces, although many fast food chains include fresh salads on their menus. Takeaway food from Japanese, Korean and Chinese cafes is a healthier option: in an era when people can be ashamed of their love for fast food, restaurants try to offer alternatives.

QUALITY ISSUE:

Gone are the days when it was believed that hamburger patties in fast food establishments are made from low-quality meat in order to reduce the price of the final product. A recent study has refuted this myth, but determining the amount of fat and salt in such food is still quite difficult, so always see the nutritional value on the package. Also, this information is usually posted on the company's websites. If we distract from the quality of products and the content of “harmful” foods in them, how often you eat fast food also has a different effect on your health. If you regularly run into a pizza or hamburger snack, it’s more difficult for you to control the level of cholesterol in the blood and the amount of nutrients (proteins, fats and carbohydrates) that you get with food during the day. Compared to homemade food, a serving of fast food contains more fat and salt and less vegetables and greens. So we do not recommend eating in such establishments more often than once a week. If you adhere to proper nutrition, but occasionally allow yourself something harmful, then this will not affect your health.

BY THE WAY, THE THICKER THE SLICES OF FRENCH FRIES, THE LESS HARMFUL THEY ARE: THIN ONES ABSORB MORE OIL WHEN FRYING.

WHAT CAN FAST FOOD OFFER US?

The fashion for a healthy lifestyle did not pass fast food establishments either, and now in their menu you can find not only french fries and Big Macs, but also vegetable salads and cereals for breakfast.

Sociologists argue that more and more people coming to the supermarket are trying to choose healthier foods. However, this rule does not apply to fast food: we rarely care about the abundance of fat and salt. But it is worth noting that "healthy" food can sometimes conceal a lot of harmful in its composition. For example, a roll sandwich, which you can buy as a healthy alternative to a hamburger, may not be as useful as it sounds. Some of the ingredients in its composition are the same as in the Big Mac: sauces, shrimps and nuggets fried in oil. Recently, McDonald's, in addition to nutritional value, began to write on the packaging a percentage of the daily intake of nutrients and calories that a person should consume. For example, a cheeseburger contains 14% of the daily calories. Knowing this information, it’s easy to calculate what can you eat from fast food for lunch or dinner. But do not forget to add to this drunk cola and french fries!

HOW TO LIVE IN THE WORLD OF FAST FOOD?

So, you decided that today there is no strength to cook, you are too tired, or just the time has come for the cheat cheat. Well, here are a few life hacks on how to eat a hamburger and not harm your health:

1. CHOOSE THE “RIGHT” PLACE

The first difficulty is to choose the place where you want to "break away". Here, the main criterion is the availability of healthy alternatives in the institution's menu. Ideally, instead of a hamburger there will be a sandwich with meat, vegetables and whole grain bread. For example, in Subway, you can collect one of dark bread, ham, lettuce and tomato. In Italian restaurants - risotto or minestrone. The ideal version is the jus-bars and cafes of healthy eating, which recently opened a lot thanks to Western trends.

2. WATCH THE SERVING SIZE

Many do not monitor the amount of consumed fats and carbohydrates. That is why you need to monitor at least the size of the portion: if you buy a huge bowl of vegetable salad with olive oil, despite the size, there will be few calories due to the low fat content. But if you take Big Mac ... Then you and the cutlet, oozing fat, and carbohydrates in the form of a bun. It is because of the size of the servings that many suffer from obesity: it seems to be already full, but it is a pity to throw out. It is not necessary to choose the smallest hamburger: take the middle one, but reduce the portion of potatoes, or better, completely exclude it. And do not forget about drinks: cola and other soda contains a lot of sugar. So make a choice in favor of tea or water.

3. CHOOSE AN ALTERNATIVE

This has already been said more than once, but we repeat: try to replace junk food with more wholesome or at least not so fatty. For example, instead of pizza with three kinds of meat, take Margarita or vegetable, and instead of Singer from KFC, take twirster.

IF NOT FAST FOOD, THEN WHAT?

You came home tired, the family wants to eat. What to cook so that it is fast and tasty?

• Run to the supermarket for grilled chicken, a ready-made green salad, which is sold already packed and whole grain bread. At home, remove the skin from the chicken and, voila! You have a wonderful dinner for the whole family!
• Pizza pizza! Divide the pits into two parts, on each drip of tomato sauce, put a lot of vegetables, lean meat and low-fat cheese. Place in the oven for 10 minutes and serve hot.
• Cut the potatoes into medium-sized slices, pour over olive oil and cook in the microwave for 10 minutes. Add beans, vegetables, cheese, ham or pesto and enjoy a simple and tasty dinner.