Why Fast Food?

Time – in a hurry Away from home Money – not enough

Food is Food is everywhere!everywhere! Most of us eat out as part of our daily or weekly

routine. Besides eating in a restaurant, think about all of

the places that you buy and eat your meals and snacks:

• Fast food restaurants• Drive-through• Take-away orders• Corner stores

•Vending machines •Catering trucks or hotdog stands •Ready-to-eat foods from supermarkets

Fast food is notorious for its empty calories and high fat and sodium content, but it’s filling, cheap and convenient. And during the holiday season, everyone is in a mad dash to complete their shopping lists and because fast food is so easily accessible, it is an option for many.Low to moderate intake of fast food is fine - daily life can be busy and stressful so stopping off at a fast food place won’t do much harm in the long run as long as it does not become a regular habit.

Eating out, on a regular basis, is having a negative effect on the quality of our diets and health in several ways.

Typically, with some exceptions, ready-to-eat foods that are purchased and/or eaten away from home are:

- higher in calories, fat, sugar and salt - lower in nutrients (e.g. calcium, iron, folic acid, and anti-oxidants) - lower in dietary fibres

Key Points to ConsiderKey Points to ConsiderTo make your next fast food meal healthier by reducing calories and adding more nutrients, try the following:• Choose broiled, grilled or roasted meats instead of deep-fried.

Choose lean meat - turkey, chicken breast, roast beef, or ham! • “Undress” your food! Dress salad yourself! Use low-calorie

toppings like ketchup, mustard, salsa, and relish.• Avoid super-sizing your meal! And some fruit juice will give

your meal a nutritional boost - calcium, vitamin D, folic acid, etc.

• Eat mindfully! Pay attention to what you eat and savour each bite. Being mindful also means stopping before you are full.

Hamburgers

French Fries

Sandwiches

Waffles

Crepes

Sushi

Fishcakes

Bratwursts

Döner Kebap

Pizza

Fast Food

DietingDieting