Volume 31 JAN 2010

Drive-Thru Nutrition: Fast And Healthy!

While a super-sized value meal can give you a day’s worth of calories and fat in just one meal, you can exit the drive-thru with a healthier meal.  With fast food chains an accepted part of our busy lifestyles, it’s important to learn how to make good choices. Here are some ways to make fast food work for you and your family.

Drinks – Don’t Drink Your Calories
It might cost only a few dimes more to guzzle down a large soda instead of a small one, but your waistline and, more importantly, your overall health will be paying the real price.  Soda pop is filled with empty calories from sugar. For the most part, we shouldn’t drink our calories. Diet soda pop is full of artificial sweeteners.  In moderation these non-nutritive sweeteners will not hurt us, but only if the freedom of one or two diet pops daily is not abused.  Another thought to be concerned about is the phosphorus content in both diet and regular soda pop.  This phosphoric acid binds calcium and prevents it from doing what calcium does best-- strengthen bones!  Did you know that not only is adult onset diabetes occurring in young kids and teenagers, but so is the brittle bone disease Osteoporosis?   One way to make a fast food meal healthier is to opt for a drink other than soda. Try water, unsweetened iced tea or a chocolate milk.  Juice is another OK choice, but only in moderation.  Juice is packed with calories and it’s better to get your vitamin C from the whole fruit, which also contains fiber!  Water is always the best choice, hydrating your body while also aiding in digestion.
 
Fruits and Vegetables – Tried and True
Try to include at least one serving of fruits or vegetables with your drive-thru meal.  And no, French fries do NOT count as a healthy vegetable!  Load your burger with extra tomatoes.  Enjoy a side of fresh fruit instead of fries or chips.  If you are having a sandwich, load up on lettuce (speak up for spinach lettuce instead of iceberg), peppers, shredded carrots, even cucumbers.  Most fast food chains now offer delicious fruit sides and entrée salads. Including these with your meal is a great way to add lots of vitamins for fewer calories.  Just make sure not to smother your greens with cheese, eggs, bacon, fat-filled dressing, or toppings, such as fried chicken and croutons. Once a week, buy a small bag of seedless mandarin oranges or small apples and keep them in your car!  You will be surprised how ‘handy’ this becomes by complimenting a quick meal or as a snack on the go!

Portion Control – Just Say No!
One of the biggest problems people face when eating fast food is out-of-control portion sizes. As a nation, we are eating 24% more calories than we did only a generation ago.  Stop and think...you don’t have to get the value meal with the big burger, bigger fries and even bigger drink. Instead, try a child-sized meal. You still get the burger, fries, and drink, but consume about half of the fat of the full-sized version.  Ordering small is automatic portion control—you won’t be tempted to overeat.  Also, don’t forget to split an order of fries with a friend.  You’ll still enjoy that salty crunch without consuming all of the calories of a full order.  As a final tip, whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner – always eat your high fiber foods first (fruit, vegetable, whole grain). These start to bulk in your belly and you will eat less of the higher fat entrée.

Extras Are Not Freebies!
The “extras” can really pack on the fat-laden calories. A tablespoon of mayo will add on an extra 57 calories. Make that another 106 calories for a single slice of cheese!  Instead of smothering your burger with high fat condiments, opt for mustard (about 10 calories).  Forgo the sour cream and three kinds of cheeses on your taco, and add flavor with low-calorie salsa.   Go easy on the ranch dressing and the saltshaker.  These little substitutions can really add up!  Don’t be fooled by healthier-sounding meats.  While breaded/fried chicken may seem healthier than a beefy burger, these sandwiches often have just as many, if not more, fat-laden calories than your average beef burger.  Try grilled versions of your favorite sandwiches instead.  Speak up and say no to cheese, mayonnaise-based sauces and fried foods!
 
If you would like to have a private one-on-one nutrition consult, talk to your doctor or feel free to visit  www.NutritionAuthority.com. 

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