Fast Foods - Slideshow

Preference

The taste of fast food tempts us all!

They are: Cheap on pocket Easy to carry and consume Extremely tasty Easily available

Harmful Effects of Fast Food

They are empty caloric (ripped off of all nutrients, only supply calories and high glycemic index carbs)

They are the primary cause of obesity and other lifestyle conditions They are loaded with vanaspati and ghee which are highly indigestible They are fried in oil which has been heated again and again which eventually contains trans fats They contain loads of fat in way of butter, cheese, oil, mayonnaise, cream They are made with only refined flour devoid of all nutrients and fibre They are high on simple sugars and salt

Calories in Fast Food

Fast foods if eaten out or not modified at home could contain as much as 500 calories per serve which is even higher than the calories that a lunch or dinner should provide: Take a look

FOOD	QUANTITY	CALORIES (approx.)
Pizza	1 slice	500
Potato chips	15 pc	200
Sev puri	6 pc	428
Pav bhaji	1 plate	371
Burger	1 pc	500 to 600
Samosa	1 no	150
French fries	100 g	300
Icecream	1 cup (small)	215
Chicken nuggets	6 pc	323
Mayonnaise	1 tablespoon	100
Beer	650 ml	300

Ideal Calorie Intake

The number of calories, fat, saturated fat and the salt content of any food are the indicators of its health value. If it's a sweet or a cola then the sugar content of the food is most important

A healthy adult should ideally consume: Not more than 1600 to 1800 calories a day Not more than 25 grams of fat coming in from oil, ghee, cream, cheese Not more than 20 grams of sugar Not more than 1 teaspoon of salt in a day Saturated fat not more than 8 to 10 percent of the total fat

Health Effects

Meat, whole fat milk products, cream, ghee, cheese, meat could increase the bad cholesterol as they are high on cholesterol and saturated fats.

Deep fried foods could increase the caloric amount to a great degree as already high caloric food absorbs more oil. Sugar laden foods could increase the body fat in the long run. (They shoot the blood sugars immediately which triggers insulin release and fat synthesis) So a reality check actually would leave many of us with no room for any of the fancy junk foods but lots of guilt... Most of us would be way beyond our recommendations...

Informed Food Decisions

No fast foods are really great options until and unless the eatery authentically prepares low calorie food or we get the food altered to a healthy one.

Home food is the best! A survey recently revealed that majority of Indians has a flawed perception of healthy food options. Menus of certain fast food joints offer foods containing 500 calories and more. Even the side dishes contain more than 450 calories. One has to use his or her logic, understanding, the nutrition content or label or even survey online to opt for the right food.

Healthy Alternatives to Fast Food

With little alteration and perhaps lesser efforts, we can easily treat ourselves with the yummy fast foods...

Pizzas made with thin crust wheat bases, less cheese, lots of veggies. Sprouts bhel, corn bhel. Burgers made with tikkis (soya or rajmah) and lots of veggies. Cream dressing made with hung curds instead of mayonnaise. Falafels with pita breads and veggies. Wheat bread sandwiches made with lots of veggies and home made spreads (hummus, pesto, chutneys, salsa) instead of butter. Salads with sprouts, bakes tacos or nachos, veg stir fries with garlic bread. Multigrain baked chips with low fat dips. Low fat roasted chivda or multi grain roasted snacks.

Cooking Techniques and Food Modifications

Use of non-stick cookware

Use of steaming, baking, roasting, stir frying Use of microwave when required Addition of sucralose or stevia based sweeteners in milk shakes, juices, chutneys, sweets Use of wheat or multigrain atta in making rotis for frankies, use of skim milk, low sodium salt, brown rice for biryanis and pulaos. Addition of bran in the fast food prepared at home

Rules for Eating out

Last but not the least healthy eating rules could be adopted when eating out with just a little care...

Avoid : Deep fried foods and burgers,Gravy dishes with tandoori roti or naan,vegetable,Creamy dressings like mayonnaise,Cheese,Fries , Milkshakes, soft drinks Choose : Grilled sandwiches,rice with dal, wheat rotis with dal and low oil,tomato based dressings,without cheese sandwiches, opt for salads, pulse based dishes,salad, soup,water, fresh juice, diet drinks, lime soda Ask the foods to be modified so as to cut down on the fats and calories when eating out. Use your nutrition IQ and choose the healthier option on the menu card. Be cautious of all that eat and be an informed consumer as "you are what you eat"