Fitting in Fast Food

As school starts and family calendars fill up with sports and other after-school commitments, many moms will find themselves sitting in the dreaded drive-through.  In fact, surveys show that most Americans are eating out at least once a week, and in an effort to save money, they’re choosing fast food more often. 

Here’s the good news: fast food can fit into a healthy diet.  But given that kids get more than 30 percent of their daily calories from food consumed away from home, it’s important to make healthy choices at fast food restaurants.  Here are a few tips to prevent a drive-through diet disaster:

1)        Power up your plate. Order  foods that are nutrient-rich, including whole grain crackers low-fat and fat free milk, fruits, vegetables and lean meats like turkey.   Choose a whole wheat bun, side salad or fruit, grilled chicken instead of fried, and low-fat plain or flavored milk.

2)        Swap the Sides:  Use simple swaps to save calories. Replace high-fat sides such as French fries and onion rings with a side salad, baked potato, fruit cup or yogurt.

3)       Economize with portion size. The kid’s meal is really an appropriate serving for both children and adults, and helps everyone stay within their calorie budget.  

4)      Re-think your drink.  Choose milk or water.  An 8-ounce bottle of low-fat milk packs 30 percent of your child’s daily calcium needs, along with eight other bone-building, blood pressure-lowering nutrients shortchanged in many diets.  With eight grams of protein and less than 100 calories per serving, milk is an excellent choice for adults too.  Avoid empty-calorie beverages like soda, fruit drinks and slushies. A large 32-ounce soda packs on about 400 calories and can quickly gulp up a big portion of your daily recommended daily calorie intake. 

5)    Know before you go.  It is important to take time to review nutrition information of the restaurants you frequent and look for items with low calories and low fat and saturated fat. As an informed customer, you can make healthier choices and still enjoy the  convenience of fast food restaurants.  

Laura Buxenbaum, MPH, RD, LDN

Opportunity Knocks at Quick Serve Restaurants

Not too long ago it was impossible to make healthy choices when eating at a quick serve restaurant. However, “quick” no longer means unhealthy. Today, almost every quick serve establishment has a number of healthy options such as salads, baked potatoes, yogurt, milk and fruit.  But it’s still up to you to make the wise choice. Knowledge and choice is our greatest weapon against unhealthy eating. 

When I take my grandchildren out for a meal, I use the opportunity to teach them how to make healthier choices. For example, we discuss why instead of apple pie, a healthier choice is a yogurt parfait or a fruit cup; instead of soda, a healthier choice is flavored milk, and instead of fried chicken nuggets, a healthier choice is a grilled chicken sandwich. 

You may be wondering if they ever eat a hamburger or make unhealthy food choices – Yes, they do. Teaching my grandchildren about healthy food choices is not to scold, but to demonstrate better eating behaviors and promote positive food attitudes. I not only tell them, but I model the eating behavior I want them to adopt. Connie Evers, author of  How to Teach Nutrition to Kids states, “Parents are the ultimate gate keepers of nutrition. What you buy, how you cook and the foods you eat or refuse all send strong messages about nutrition to your child. The best way to teach your child about nutrition and health is to model good eating behavior.”

Moderation is another lesson that must be put into action when eating, especially when super size appears on every menu board. We all have different ways of teaching our children about making healthy food choices.  What’s yours?

Arlene Murrell, MS, RD, LD, CLE