The 10 Fast Food Commandments

Manna may have been the only fast food on the way to the 10 Commandments, but today there are 245 big US chain restaurants and tens of thousands of fast food options trying to lure you in. But is the food they serve healthy? A new study by Rand Corporation reviewed 30,923 menu entrees and found 96 percent of them exceed daily limit recommendations for calories, sodium, fat and saturated fat both for adults and children. This isn’t even addressing the issues related to trans fats and too much sugar.

Every day, 1 in 4 Americans visits a fast food restaurant. McDonald’s alone feeds nearly 50 million people a day, more than the population of Spain. According to a recent survey by the Technomic food research firm, although 47 percent of consumers want more healthy restaurant options, only 23 percent actually order healthy food when dining out. The reason – down deep they already know it isn’t healthy.

Here are my 10 fast food commandments to help you with weight control:

1. Drink Water

Sodas, shakes, floats and specialty drinks are loaded with calories. And the huge glasses don’t help. The average “kid drink” has 430 calories and large sodas can have up to 500.

2. Choose Lean Meats, Not Processed or Fatty Treats

Eat foods that can be identified, like sliced turkey, beef or ham and skip the sausage or bacon because they contain fillers, nitrates, and salt.

3. Ask for Whole Wheat or Multigrain Bread

If you select a sandwich, sub or pizza, ask for whole wheat or multigrain bread, buns or crust. It has a lower glycemic index.

4. Skip the “Extras” and the Appetizers

Avoid the extra sauce, extra patty or the slice of cheese to subtract calories. Even asking for no butter on the bun will save you 100 calories. The average fast food appetizer has 813 calories compared with 674 average calories per serving for an entrée.

5. Thick Crust Pizza Pie Goes To Your Thighs

The thicker the crust, the higher the calorie count. And processed meats like pepperoni and fatty toppings add calories. I love putting eggplant, mushrooms, peppers or spinach on top of my pizza. And thin crust is key.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Loo S.

11:47AM PDT on Aug 15, 2012

noted

August 15
send a green star

Malgorzata Z.

9:39AM PDT on Aug 12, 2012

Staram się nie jeść fast foodów, i nie karmić nimi zwierząt - dla nich też są fast foody głównie w taniej żywności z supermarketów, ale o tym mało się mówi.

August 12
send a green star

federico b.

6:50AM PDT on Aug 12, 2012

Grazie.

Barb M.

7:53AM PDT on Aug 10, 2012

Thanks!

August 10
send a green star

Dale O.

8:22AM PDT on Jul 31, 2012

Fast food is best avoided most of the time. Prefer my own home cooking as at least I know what goes into things when these are organic!

Yes, there is no law that one has to eat everything on the plate and one can save money by bringing part of a huge portion home with you. Especially if one dines at the Heart Attack Grill...a rather strange place one sees in the media every now and then when doing items on excess. There are even places that serve huge portions and state that if you eat it all within a certain time frame, it is free. Have seen some of these on TV.

Prices can be fairly expensive for some fast foods at times.

Certainly will not chew my food 50-100 times as that would be annoying. tedious and for those with TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder) this would cause too much soreness in the jaw. Just be mindful of the flavour and savour it.

July 31
send a green star

Marvin Z.

4:39PM PDT on Jul 6, 2012

I have a more simple solution. I just NEVER eat any of this stuff. I care more about my health than any flavor, and despise advertisements that lie to us by making something evil look good.

July 6
send a green star

Marielaina P.

1:46PM PDT on Jun 25, 2012

I will add one more to list.....Moderation. Even if its not necessarily the best thing for you a treat every now and again is fine but go for moderation.

Marielaina Perrone DDS
http://www.drperrone.com