Fast foods typically contain more calories, fat, and sodium than you need in one meal. It’s also possible for the ingredients to lack necessary nutrients, and you can’t always be sure of how it was prepared. However, even if you’re focused on making smarter food choices, fast food can be hard to avoid completely. There are busy days when fast food is just easier to grab, or you might even have cravings for it that you are tempted to indulge once in a while.
It is challenging to make healthy choices at fast food spots, but it is doable. While it shouldn’t be a regular habit, it is possible to make a stop at a fast food location while still feeling good about what you are feeding yourself and your family.
Plan Ahead
In some cases, you will know ahead of time that you are going to be getting fast food for your meal. If this is the case, you can eat a healthy meal ahead of time so that you are less hungry when ordering and so that your day is off to the right start. You can also take advantage of posted nutritional information on many fast food chain websites. Look for calorie counts that fit into your needs for the day, as well as sodium intake and grams of fat.
For trips that aren’t planned, you can still be prepared by having healthy snacks in your car or handbag. Keep things like dried fruit, granola bars, and carrot sticks on hand so that you won’t need to fill up as much on fast food.
Choosing Your Meal
When it’s time to choose your main selection, avoid fried foods whenever possible. This includes fried chicken and breaded fish patties. Instead, look for things like turkey, roast beef, and grilled chicken. For sandwiches, ask for whole wheat or whole grain bread.
Skip extra patties and bacon for your sandwich, which add a lot of calories and fat. It’s even okay to ask for healthy modifications, like skipping sauce or mayonnaise. To add more flavor to your burger or sandwich, ask for extra toppings like avocado, lettuce, onions, tomato, and mustard. Either skip the cheese or ask for less cheese than usual, and always get the smallest size that you can. Even the children’s menu can be a good place for proper adult portions.
Choosing Your Sides
It can be tempting to get the largest combo size available because it’s inexpensive, but you likely don’t need to go any bigger than a small. If your menu item comes with dressing, ask for it on the side and don’t use it all in order to save yourself the sugar intake.
Even if you order a healthy main item, you can ruin your efforts when it comes to your side items and beverage. See if you can substitute fries, biscuits, onion rings, or coleslaw for items like baked potato, side salad, or fruit.
When you choose your beverage, steer clear of pop and milkshakes, which are laden with sugar. Ask for water or unsweetened iced tea instead.
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