You know don’t you? You should avoid fast foods pretty-much-altogether if you want to be optimally healthy. But you also live in the real world. And so do we. So here are some fast tips to help you minimise the damage when you pull into the drive-through next time…
- What you are (mainly) looking to avoid or minimise is calories, sugar, fat, trans fat, and salt. Reading the menu or other nutritional displays is a good place to start identifying what is hiding where.
- Try to avoid or use less dressing, sauce, ketchup, mayo, salt. All of these hide sugar and fat and salt and more bad stuff you do not need.
- Try to reduce cheese and bacon (both delicious but high-fat and high-calorie and more)
- “On the side” may seem a bit passé, but it helps.
- Fried is the enemy. Try grilled or baked if you possibly can.
- Think about portion size. Not what the menu offers. Not best-value for the buck. But what your body actually needs. Not less, no. But not more. Portion size.
- Avoid dessert. If you are already doing fast food for main it’s time to give up dessert. You can do it. Future-you will be thankful.
- Try to plan. Sure, the odd impulsive binge is part of life, but if you plan ahead more, you may be better able to control yourself and you might even enjoy the much-anticipated burger all the more.
We’ve kept it short. But you can easily think of one or two more ideas can’t you…
Written by Dr Colin Burns
