Many years back, dining in fast food restaurants was considered to be a very unhealthy option. There seemed to be the notion that food taken from fast food joints don’t have any nutritional value at all. Nowadays, however, with the clamor to start eating healthier, there has been a shift in the fast food industry, as they have now begun to offer better options for your body.
This article gives you the details about today’s trends in fast food nutrition, and a breakdown as to whether or not it is as good as other restaurants.
You can still choose healthier options for meals in a fast food joint.
Fast food is usually compared with other restaurants, as other restaurants offer a wider variety of healthy meals that you may be looking for. By its name, fast food meals are meant to be served fast. Hence, they are considered to be more oily, greasy and full of preservatives.
However, today, you can choose healthier options in a fast food joint, as their menus have evolved, and included some food options that you can typically get from a restaurant.
Some of these are:
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Low-fat milk, unsweetened iced tea, or real fruit juices
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Grilled chicken and fish sandwiches or salads
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Plain baked potato, instead of French fries
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Fruit or yogurt for dessert
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Baked chips, instead of regular junk food chips
If you wish to check and compare menus of various fast food joints before you go to one, you can visit websites such as Dandy Kat.
Fast food joints are still one of the culprits of eating disorders in children, such as obesity.
Fast food joints have recently started to upgrade their menus, and offer healthier options such as those mentioned above. This fact is mainly because fast food joints are still one of the top culprits of eating disorders in children. The fast food industry has created a comfort zone for the busy lifestyles of a lot of parents, where it comes more natural to throw them into a fast food chain or have them enjoy their pizza at an instant, rather than spend the time to cook healthier meals or eat in healthier restaurants.
The good news, however, is that fast food giants are not turning a blind eye to this reality. They have already started in switching up their menu, to provide healthier options for families who are simply on the go.
Fast food or regular restaurants, the choice of what to eat still boils down on you.
Both fast food joints and regular restaurants offer healthy and unhealthy options, albeit lesser in fast food joints. Hence, the choice still boils down on where you’ll pick healthier meals.
Here are some ways for you to make healthier options:
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Limit eating out to both fast food and restaurants, and just go once a week.
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Avoid sauces and dressings such as ketchup, mayonnaise, butter, and gravy.
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Avoid ordering the biggest double burger you can have, and go for smaller sizes instead.
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When eating pizza, choose a thin crust pizza instead.
Neither fast food nor Restaurant is better than the other.
Both fast foods and restaurants have their own corresponding pros and cons. Hence, it is not fair to blame it all on fast food joints and praising restaurants altogether. Consider this scenario: When you are eating in a fast food joint, you tend to stay for a lesser time. Hence, although you may have ordered a sinful burger, your meal typically ends there.
It is not usually a culture in fast food restaurants to order numerous options and to stay for a long time. The positive thing about this is that you can limit your calorie intake for that meal. Even if it is unhealthy, your portion is highly controlled.
When you’re eating in a sit-down restaurant, you tend to stay for a more extended period. You’re going with your family, friends, where you enjoy the meal, and doesn’t rush. Also, the menu of sit-down restaurants entice you to order a full course meal, as they have everything; from soups, appetizers, varied heavy meals, drinks, and desserts.
The longer you stay in a restaurant, the more you tend to eat because you enjoy munching on food while talking. Here, your portion isn’t controlled.
With this comparison, therefore, it is safe to say that one is not a better option than the other. The choice is really up to you to be more responsible for your eating habits.
Conclusion
To sum it all up, what matters the most is that when you’re trying to live and eat healthier, you don’t have to make any comparison on which type of restaurant is a better option. It all boils down to discipline. Wherever you dine, even in your own house, you need to choose healthy food options.
