What fast food is the healthiest? You should keep an eye out for menus like this one
Over time, the notion of “fast food” has become hazy. What formerly meant cheap burgers and fries has changed as chains enter the “fast casual” market. Or expand their menus to include healthier options. There are more plant-based options available. And it’s getting simpler to get a salad or wrap in a short amount of time. Yet, sometimes all you want is a burger and some fries. Here is some advice from experts on how to consume fast food in a more healthful manner.
What fast food is the healthiest?
According to Luanne Hughes, a professor and nutrition educator at Rutgers University’s Cooperative Extension. The healthiest fast food isn’t a location, it’s a mentality. Consider the decision you’re going to make. When you’re in front of the checkout rather than browsing through several fast food restaurants throughout your city. Hughes stated, “It doesn’t matter if it says Chipotle here or McDonald’s next door. It doesn’t guarantee you’re going to eat healthier.” If you enter Chipotle, it still means that you must make wise decisions. Hughes advised choosing a restaurant that offers “more of a hybrid between a traditional fast food with a drive-thru and a restaurant where you would go in and sit down” if you really want to narrow it down.
The healthier options are often found in restaurants with customizable menus, where you have more control over the protein, vegetables, and sauces than at other fast food outlets. Also, Hughes advised looking for menu options that included veggies. “Those sandwiches that either include tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, or other veggies as standard or that enable you to add those choices.”
Healthy alternatives to fast food
Going through the drive-through yet desire a healthier option? The following are Hughes’ top recommendations for boosting the nutritional content of your fast food meal. Learn about the preparation of your meals. Because chicken has less saturated fat than red meat, Chick-fil-A is frequently hailed as being healthier than other fast food chains. But, eating too much-fried food, including fried chicken, is unhealthy. Hughes advised choosing the grilled rather than the fried choice, saying that just because it’s chicken doesn’t automatically make it healthier than a burger. An additional healthy substitution is to go vegan or plant-based. Plant-based diets that are high in nutrients have been linked to improved health, including a lower risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and several types of cancer. Yet being plant-based does not necessarily imply being healthier. For instance, the Whopper from Burger King has 679 calories and 1,174 mg of salt. The Impossible Whopper contains a comparable 1,354 milligrammes of salt and 639 calories. The vegetarian option “isn’t always lower in calories, fat, or sodium if they’re frying it or cooking in a lot of oil, or if they’re piling sauces on it,” Hughes said.
Make the dressing and sauce your own.
No sauce is undoubtedly a healthy option, but occasionally a great sauce can really make a sandwich. Try requesting light sauce or sauce on the side if it isn’t a deal-breaker for you. For salad dressing, the same holds true. You frequently come across grilled chicken sandwiches and wonder why it contains so many calories, where the fat is coming from, and how much sodium it contains. Hughes remarked. And frequently, they use it in the unique sauces they use to top the sandwiches. Look beyond the primary menu. Don’t always order the entrée first; instead, consider the sides available, advised Hughes. Can you order a baked potato, a salad, and a yoghurt parfait instead of just a regular burger, and is that something you’d be interested in? Hughes said she frequently orders sides or items from the dollar menu at McDonald’s because she lives in a rural region with few fast food options. In addition, several fast-food companies are starting to offer bowls as an increasingly customised alternative to burgers and sandwiches.
Pay attention to portion sizes.
A 2019 study found that even though McDonald’s “Supersize” option was discontinued nearly 20 years ago, fast food portion sizes are still significantly greater than they were back then. Also, according to hosts of Food Wars, portion sizes are regularly greater in the U.S. than in the U.K. Sometimes you just have a hankering for McDonald’s fries that you can’t get somewhere else to satisfy. Hughes advises pausing when hunger strikes with a vengeance and considering how much food is actually necessary to sate the need. Would a double-quarter pounder with cheese and a cheeseburger accomplish the same goal? Or how about a hamburger happy meal, which includes a variety of your favourite McDonald’s items? Hughes stated that anyone can purchase a kid’s meal.
What is in your beverage?
The nutritional value of a drink or a sumptuous cup of coffee may appear to be the supporting cast member of your meal. Hughes advised skipping the whipped cream or additional cream because doing so will increase the number of calories and sugar you consume. Some of the upmarket coffees that you can buy come with thousands more calories. Dessert-like beverages are absolutely OK in moderation, but if you’re looking for a healthier alternative, try substituting water, seltzer, or iced tea.
Family-friendly fast food options
If you’re a parent who is accustomed to a full car. And a jam-packed after-school routine, stopping to get fast food for dinner could seem like the most practical choice. Youngsters are involved in so many activities, and not all of them are close. Hughes said, “you have to go around and travel a lot.” Your schedule can become hectic. So you really should stop and ask yourself, “What is my priority?” Hughes suggests being ready in advance with the following three suggestions to combat this:
When Hughes stops to get her daughter’s favourite food, chicken tenders. She pairs them with yoghurt, fruit, or veggie snacks rather than fries or another fast food side. She may also bring snacks to substitute or complement fast food meals. Always have a water bottle handy: A reusable bottle can help you avoid spending money on soda and driving to a fast food restaurant.
Check out the menu on the internet:
While approaching the drive-thru or cashier. Looking into the possibilities beforehand prevents the frenzied hunt for a choice. If you examine a fast food menu online, you may discover alternatives you had no idea existed or peruse nutritional data. We all have frantic, stressful lives, according to Hughes. So, it only requires a small amount of preparation, such as reviewing the menus before leaving or formulating a strategy for the snacks you’ll carry.
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