Is there such a thing as healthy fast food? Well, maybe not. But there are times when it simply can’t be avoided. Maybe you’re out with friends and they drag you inside a burger joint. Or perhaps you’re on vacation, tired from too much travel and you can’t (be bothered to 
) find anything else. Whatever the reason, you’ll need to know how to make healthier choices at the fast food counter.
Why Is Fast Food Bad For You?
To help us make healthy choices we need to understand why fast food sucks in the first place. Here’s a list of the main problems:
High in calories
High in sodium (salt)
High fat content
High sugar content
Lower quality, processed foods
Trans-Fats, The Wrong Kind Of Fat
As you guys probably already know, I’m not necessarily against foods with a high fat content. But I am against foods that are high in the wrong kinds of fats. And fast food is one of the “bad guys” because it is fried in hydrogenated vegetable oils – and these are packed with artificial trans fats.
Incidentally, did you know that eating as little as 1 gram of artificial trans-fats per day can have a deadly impact on your health?
Mike Geary, author of best-selling The Truth About Six Pack Abs says: “as little as 1 gram of artificial trans fat per day can have serious degenerative internal effects in your body such as inflammation, clogging and hardening of the arteries, heart disease, various forms of cancer…not to mention packing on the ab flab.”
And that is just 1 gram per day! Makes you think doesn’t it? The next time you visit a fast food place just check out the nutritional labels to see how many grams your meal contains. It’ll make you think twice about ordering the same meal again.
Empty Calories
You might also have noticed that I’m not anti high-calorie foods. Foods that contain natural, healthy fats are high in calories by their very nature. But what I am against is high calorie foods with little or no nutritional value (processed, fried, sugary, refined foods).
The most obvious example is soda. Sodas are full of high fructose corn syrup, a substance that causes you to pack on belly fat like nothing else. And don’t go thinking that diet soda is any better for you either! Check out my article Does Diet Soda Make You Fat? For more info.
Foods To Avoid
So now you know what is causing you harm, let’s look at the fast foods to avoid:
French fries
Breaded/ battered chicken and fish
Chicken nuggets
Hash browns
Potato wedges
Onion rings
All of the above are fried in hydrogenated oils, packed full of artificial trans-fats. Even if your burger joint says their food is free from trans-fats, they’re still using refined vegetable cooking oils that negatively affects your health and waistline.
Here are some more to avoid:
Soda
Diet soda
Ice cream sundaes
Milkshakes
Cookies, Pies, Donuts etc
I’m singling out the above because they are high in refined sugar, but some of them are also full of hydrogenated fats and other empty calories. If you’re serious about getting in shape then you must avoid them at all costs.
Finally, a few extras:
Extra cheese (highly processed junk, containing a low percentage of “real cheese” as we know it)
Sauce – BBQ, Tommy K (basically a mixture of artificial flavor, sugar and salt – yuck!)
Your Healthy Choices
As our society has become more aware of the dangers that processed and fast foods can do to us, there has been an introduction of some healthier options.
While many of them might not be the picture of organic and healthy foods we love, they are still the best option in an emergency.
The drinks:
Water (you don’t say!)
Iced or warm tea (unsweetened)
Herbal and fruit teas have added antioxidant power, but water is always good for hydration and creating a fat burning environment in your body.
Main meals:
Grilled chicken/ fish (not breaded or battered)
Salad
Egg & ham on an English muffin
Plain cheese burger
Fruit and nuts
Plain, unsweetened porridge
Like I’ve already said, none of the above are particularly healthy. But if fast food is the only option then they are by far your healthiest options.
The main point to take away from this article is that the deep-fried food and the sodas are the most health-damaging and flab-enhancing items on every menu. Once you learn a little bit about the damage these foods are doing to your body you’ll find burger joints much less appealing. I haven’t visited one in a little over a year now, and I’m more than happy about that fact!
If possible try to find a small deli that serves up fresh salads and sandwiches. Or head to a grocery store and hit the salad bar, or choose some fresh fruit. Remember that eating a balanced and healthy diet is as much a mindset as anything else. Once you’re in the right place mentally you’ll find avoiding fast food is easy!
If you want a fully comprehensive, scientifically designed nutritional program to help you lose belly fat and get in shape, check out The Fat Burning Kitchen.
Back to Fat Burning Foods home page.
If you’re a regular reader, and even if you’re not, then you’ll probably hear me talking about the benefits of cooking with organic extra virgin coconut oil at some point.
OK, I know it’s a lot to take in, but cast your mind back to the part where I said extra virgin, organic coconut oil is “made up mostly of unique, healthy saturated fats”. This statement is the key reason why it is the number #1 choice for use in cooking.
Staying in control of your diet and nutritional program while you’re on holiday isn’t easy. Firstly there is the temptation to be naughty, and second it can be hard to find foods that burn fat when you’re in new and unfamiliar surroundings.
Just because you’re on vacation, it doesn’t mean that your good habits should be left at home. Remember that your balanced nutritional program means eating well prepared, delicious foods.
In my experience, the smaller local restaurants really pull out the stops to showcase their local produce. Most of them will deal with local producers and suppliers, meaning the majority of their food will be natural, fresh and flavorsome!
But when you’re in unfamiliar surroundings it can be hard to find a place to eat. And if you do, you’re only choice might be an ice cream stall and a greasy diner!
Remember that you are on vacation to enjoy yourself. And life is too short not to enjoy the occasional treat!
I’m very pleased to announce that we have launched our very own Fat Burning Foods Podcast! Now you can download the very best foods that burn fat, negative calorie foods, weight loss recipes and nutritional tips direct to your iPod, iPhone, PC, iPad, mp3 player (well just about anything really!) and watch or listen on the go!
Not that I have a thing for omelettes or anything, but I do have a really big thing for omelettes!
I’ve gone for fresh and organic veg: Tomatoes, red pepper and a small white onion. But you can try any number of combinations. I’ve even seen asparagus in an omelette!
Oatmeal – Think rolled oats and stay clear of the instant, sweetened variety. Rolled oats might be very plain in terms of flavour but you can add to the taste easily with fruit, nuts and some of the berries listed below. Steel rolled oats are even better for you but can be quite expensive.
Nuts (Almonds, Walnuts, Macadamia etc) – Yes, nuts are a fatty food, but this fatty food actually helps you burn body fat! So if you want to get rid of fat and lose inches on your stomach then you’ll want to incorporate nuts to your diet. Nuts are perfect as a side order for a larger meal, a light snack (ditch those chips and crisps) or for desert.
Berries (Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Cranberries etc) – We’ve already mentioned that berries are a great way of sweetening your usually bland oatmeal, but that’s not all they are great for. You can also add them to your protein shake, salad, natural yogurt or a mixed bag of nuts for a fat busting snack.
Red Meat: That’s right, we’re talking beef, bison and game! Traditionally Beef is seen as a fatty meat. And it’s seen as a fat gaining food rather than a fat burning food. However, Beef that has been raised on grass and other natural foliage is actually much healthier than the grain reared meat you’ll find at your local grocery store. It has 30% less fat, but the fat content has the perfect ratio of essential fatty acids required for fat loss.
Whole, organic, free range eggs: Most people are scared of eggs because they believe them to be high in fat and cholesterol. But the truth is, organic, free-range eggs have no affect on blood cholesterol (blame processed and refined fats for that). Furthermore, the essential fatty acids inside an eggs yolk are vital for fat burning.
Simply put, negative calorie foods cause us to burn more calories through digestion than the food actually contained in the first place. It sounds a little bit confusing doesn’t it? So let’s take a look at a quick example:
I’m going to give you a sample list of these foods in a moment, but it might not come as a surprise to find that they are all natural, fresh and unprocessed foods.
If you are burning more calories than you are eating, it seems like an excellent opportunity for us to burn up our fat stores, right? Heck, there is even a negative calorie diet, or zero calorie diet on offer.
Many people will argue, and I would agree, that most diets and weight loss programs fail because they leave you feeling deprived. So does this mean you do have space for the odd chocolate treat in your nutritional program?
Not all chocolate is the same. Milk and white chocolate contain an extremely high quantity of processed sugars and other junk, leaving relative little cocoa (cocoa is believed to have some significant health benefits).
But from the perspective of a healthy nutritional program and our weight loss goals, here are the most important:
The wrong thing to do, and I see this all the time in people who FAIL in their efforts to lose weight, is to deprive yourself throughout the day and then gorge on a large bar of milk chocolate as an end of day treat.
It might sound crazy, but even though the artificial sweeteners in sugar free drinks have no calorific value (zero calories) there is evidence to show that they cause you to gain weight.
Recent Comments