Fast Food - Can It Ever Be Ok?

By Author: Ellie Dixon
Total Articles: 21
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Fast food - just fun, or the first step on a slippery road to dietary disaster? Consider ... it's been a long day at work and you're too tired to think, never mind cook. Your child's too hungry to wait and too cranky to sit in a restaurant and behave well. Those golden arches or that drive through window are calling to you, promising a quick, inexpensive and just about effort-free family meal.

But fast food isn't necessarily nutritious food and as you see your toddler happily dipping greasy chips and chicken nuggets into salty barbeque sauce and mayonnaise, you decide that you'll be stronger next time and resist the temptation of a fast food solution, being sure deep inside, that this is a resolution you're doomed to not to keep.

Don't beat yourself up about his. Fast food outlets are there to answer our most basic requirement - to eat. And when you're an exausted working parent, you're only human for giving in sometimes. It's important that you keep your fast food meals limited though to avoid compromising your own and your family's wellbeing. Try to follow to the following guidelines:

Don't let fast food ...
... become an everyday occurrence. Restrict your visits to outlets to a twice a month at most. Make those fast food meals a much anticipated treat that you and your children can enjoy together.

Request for nutritional information. Many fast food restaurants will provide, upon request, a nutritional breakdown of their menu items and this can be used to assist you in making your selections.

Endeavour to be as "healthy" as possible. More and more fast food chains are offering "lighter" "leaner" and "healthier" options across their menus. Pizza is a nutritionally sound selection as is a baked potato and broccoli. Hunt around at the salad bar and as well as all those mayonnaise-drenched salads you'll probably locate grated carrots, chick-peas and green and leafy accompaniments to your meal. Frozen yoghurt is a good choice for dessert and why not order a carton of milk or orange guice instead of soda or a high fat milk shake. This will help make your meal a whole lot better for you.

Make up for it at home - OK, maybe dinner wasn't nutritious, but you can provide an after-dinner extra. Snuggle up with a great book from Scruffy's Bookshop and nibble on carrot, fruit or a whole grain muffin as a treat when you get home.

Lastly - don't ruin your treat by feeling too guilty. If you're not overdoing the outings to fast food restaurants, then you're not putting your children's health at risk. So hold the guilt, relax and enjoy