by Lenora Reynolds

Created on: May 04, 2008   Last Updated: April 27, 2011

The allure of take out food in today's society makes it far too easy to let someone else cook. Unfortunately most of the food is high calorie and high fat which leads to obesity. Just looking around at people you see every day, the number of obese people is startling.

When I was young there were not that many fast food places to choose from. Lunch was usually a sandwich. The amount of food consumed at a fast food restaurant for lunch is usually a lot more. The more a person eats, the more they want to eat. Many work places usually have an employee area with a microwave, refrigerator and a place to sit and eat. Brown bagging is a lot cheaper.

There are a lot of choices in take out food today. Chinese food and pizza are the first two that usually come to my mind. Add to that the burger joints, taco, chicken and seafood places. Many grocery stores now have salad bars and rotisserie chicken, which is a lot easier on the waist line than a burger meal. Just about any deli makes sandwiches and wraps with sides such as macaroni salad and potato salad and pickles.

Getting fast food is all about choices. Picking something that is fast, easy, and really tastes good, does not have to double a person's waistline. Many fast food places have the calorie information available for their customers. Some of the foods that would appear to be lower calorie than the other choices can be surprisingly high in calorie. Other times just the opposite. A lot depends on how it is made and the ingredients used.

The main reason people use takeout food is the speed. There are many ways to have really good meals at home that are quick and easy. Throw some ingredients in a crock pot in the morning, set it, and have a great meal ready at dinner time. A big, thick, juicy burger can be cooked with fries in a short time at home. Compare that to driving to the fast food place and waiting on line for a skinny, wimpy burger on a really big bun.

While fast foods are great every so often, they should not be a regular diet for anyone. Preparing meals at home is limited only by the imagination. Being a first class chef is not a requirement. There are thousands of great cook books out there to choose from. My personal preference is a cook book with pictures. I think it helps to have a general idea what my dish is supposed to look like.

As with everything else in life, the key is not to overdo it. Eating fast food as a change of pace can be really good for the taste buds. Eating fast food every day is a great way to spend a lot of money and get really fat.

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