Can Fast-Food really be Part of a Healthy Lifestyle?

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Article Title:

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Can Fast-Food really be Part of a Healthy Lifestyle?

Article Description:

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We all enjoy the opportunity to take it a bit easy and " grab " a

quick meal from time to time. Or sometimes we just don't get a

choice. We are in the middle of getting from one place to another

for appointments, or family commitments.

Additional Article Information:

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823 Words; formatted to 65 Characters per Line

Distribution Date and Time: 2006-12-19 10:48:00

Written By: Ian Macdonald

Copyright: 2006

Contact Email: mailto:ian.macdonald@...

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Can Fast-Food really be Part of a Healthy Lifestyle?

Copyright © 2006 Ian Macdonald

Macdonalds Gourmet Burgers

http://www.MacdonaldsGourmetBurgers.com

We all enjoy the opportunity to take it a bit easy and " grab " a

quick meal from time to time. Or sometimes we just don't get a

choice. We are in the middle of getting from one place to another

for appointments, or family commitments.

These factors, combined with our children's wishes and a chance

to relax a bit, often see us faced with the dilemma of satisfying

our hunger, or maybe just going out to a dinner for an easy meal,

and the requirement for a nutritious meal.

The challenge then, is to satisfy those demands with the

knowledge of enjoying a " fast-food " meal that is a healthy

choice... full of flavour and nutrition, and low in fat, sugars,

and salt.

Dream on you say?

Ok...we also know the reputation that those multi-national fast

food conglomerates have for providing meals that include so much

fat and sugar that just one item may exceed your allowance for

the entire day.

Top that up with a super size, a sugar filled soft drink and an

ice cream and we can start to understand the modern concerns

about obesity in society and particularly in our children.

Those concerns are not only real they are often understated. Mega

burgers with extra cheese, bacon and mayo, hamburger buns laced

with sugar (such that they are not classified as bread, but as

confectionery)..... fried chicken, pizzas with cheese on top of

cheese with pastry stuffed with cheese, meat pies with a full 25%

meat content (if you are lucky).... And so it goes on and on and

on.

I remember being at a baseball game at Wrigley Field in Chicago

way back in 1994. The hot dog vendor came around and asked the

guy in front of me if he wanted a " hut duuuuug....get ya hut

duuuuug " . The guy in front pointed out that he does not eat meat.

In an effort to help him with his decision, his friend called out

from several seats to his right.... " Go on, go ahead and have

one....you won't find any meat in those! " It's a thought that

has stuck with me ever since. Yikes!!!

Now if you are a sensible eater and healthy food is a priority,

the odd fast food item or piece of pizza is not going to hurt

you. However, if like over 45% of the population you consider

your local fast food outlets as your second kitchen, it's

probably time to reassess your lifestyle and your health and

watch what you are eating.

These days, some of the new fast-food restaurants either have

salad bars, or offer some healthy alternatives. So you might be

able to choose a fresh green salad as an extra ....but that does

not mean it is OK to load it up with lots of fattening extras,

such as cheeses and mayonnaise. Ask for the low calorie salad

dressings and some simple seasonings, like salt and pepper, are

often overlooked.

But better still.... there are some restaurants, that while

considered to serve items normally confined to traditional

unhealthy fast-food restaurants, actually have a menu full of

only the healthiest items, with the best of nutritious

ingredients.

Now if you think about it for a minute lets look at one of the

world's most popular meals...The almighty fast food meal....

What if a fast food restaurant served only healthy fresh bread

rolls or pizza bases with no sugar or preservatives, but with

added fibre?

What if a fast food restaurant served only low fat, fully

trimmed, premium meat and chicken that was prepared fresh on the

premises?

What if a fast food restaurant served only free range eggs?

What if a fast food restaurant used only fresh organic fruit and

vegetables?

What if a fast food restaurant used low calorie dressings and

sauces, freshly prepared without preservatives and additives?

Would your opinion of fast food and similar types of restaurants

take on a different slant?

Combine these with some adult selections and some fine wines for

moderate consumption when you can take a bit longer, and you have

a new healthy alternative.

You would be enjoying an extra tasty meal that is healthy,

instead of a fat and sugar laden meal that tastes the same as a

wet newspaper...with similar texture!!

Well you probably see where this is going. I am not talking about

abstinence from fast-food. I am talking about choices. How much

is our own health worth? Or more importantly, how much is our

children's health worth?

Eating " on the run " is something that sometimes we just cannot

avoid. However, we can make healthy choices instead of just

keeping fast-food restaurants off-limits. healthy choices on the

restaurant we go to and healthy choices from its menu.

And as the demand for a healthy alternative is increasing, so too

will the number of similar healthy fast-food establishments.

It's up to you to source them near you, and be a truly

responsible individual and parent.

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Ian Macdonald as founder and owner of Macdonalds Gourmet

Burgers combines his passion and knowledge of food, wine

and nutrition with savvy business tactics. He is also

the MD of a corporate consulting firm that advises on

strategic negotiation, dispute resolution and workplace

change. Clients are mainly from top 100 corporations.

For lots of free resources from their extensive

website go to: http://www.MacdonaldsGourmetBurgers.com