by Scott Jordaan

Created on: May 09, 2010

Life can get pretty hectic and busy, busy enough that we cant make a good healthy meal at home. So we resort to, literally, a quick meal, found at a myriad of fast food chains all through out the country, even throughout the globe. The problem is fast foods contain high fat, sugar, salt, and are processed. Some restaurants have a healthier menu than others, but actually every restaurant can be equally as healthy, EVERY one of them! Let me explain. Every fast food joint will contain burgers, the fries, sodas, or any other greasy and high calorie and unhealthy meal. They will also contain the less emphasized salads, low fat foods, low sugar foods, and in general low calorie food, but don't be fooled, some of these labeled "healthy" options or salads can be just as detrimental to your health as their greasy counterparts. For example a reduced fat blueberry muffin found at Dunkin Donuts contains more calories and sugar than a jelly, glazed, or chocolate donut and it contains just about the same amount of fat. Another example is a southwestern salad w/ fried chicken at Mcdonalds contains just about the same calories and fat as their double cheeseburger and that's not even including the dressing. You can find out nutritional information on most of these fast food restaurants on their websites. Moving along, these restaurants tell you what to eat, and even suggest what you should eat. When you order a cheeseburger, most likely they will smother it with mayonnaise, ketchup, their special and secret sauces and if it was ordered within a combo you will be bombarded with very known phrases, would you like fries with that? Would you like to super size your meal? We have fries, onion rings,  or hash  browns to accompany your meal. Every single one of these places will serve their meals to you exactly how it is advertised. You need to be in control of whats going in your mouth and ultimately absorbed and used by your body. When you order a hamburger you can take simple steps and ask for them to take out the mayonnaise, or cheese. Better yet why not make it a chicken sandwich and instead of fried chicken ask them you want it grilled. You have the power to choose what to eat and how to eat it. When you order a salad from anywhere ask them to take out specific ingredients whether it be the dressing, the cheese, the nuts. Remember if you don't tell them how you want it, most likely they will prepare it to you as advertised. In general fast food joints are not the healthiest places to eat and do not use the most healthiest ingredients, but if you have a very busy schedule and you do not have time to prepare yourself a breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack then it is understandable that these restaurants will fulfill your hunger. You have the control to have a healthy and quick meal, do your research on the nutritional information on your favorite fast food joint and discipline yourself to make healthy food choices.

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