Avoid These Foods at Fast Food Restaurants
By Sara Butler
Even though you endeavor to eat as healthy as you can, there are times when you'll be staring down a menu at a fast food restaurant and wonder what you should do. The truth is, you can eat relatively healthy at a fast food restaurant if you know what food to order and what food to avoid. Here are a few fast food menu items you should give a hard pass to if you're trying to eat healthily.
Burritos
Burritos seem innocuous. How bad can a tortilla, a little meat, some beans, and vegetables be, after all? Well, it turns out they can be pretty bad.
Fast food restaurants are notorious for portion size and with those gigantic portion sizes come a gigantic number of calories, too. Not only are you getting a large number of calories (more than 1,000 in many places) but you're also getting a large dose of sodium.
Yes, the individual ingredients in a burrito probably aren't too terrible for you, it's simply the quantity you get them in that is the problem. So, instead of going for a burrito, try a burrito bowl with brown rice and grilled chicken -- and skip the guacamole. It's also not a bad idea to eat half at the restaurant, then take the other half home for another meal.
Muffins
Muffins, and most other baked goods, found in fast food restaurants are full of saturated fats -- and probably some trans fats too. If you find yourself in need of something fast for breakfast, then a bran muffin is always a good choice. If no bran muffins are available, then a plain bagel can do the trick in a pinch.
Burgers With Double Beef
Sometimes you just must have a big, juicy burger. But if you tend to go for a burger with a double patty, you may want to slow down. There's no real reason to have that extra patty when one is enough to fill you up. The extra patty only adds calories and fat that can make you feel sluggish for the rest of the day as your body works to break it down. If you must have a burger, go for a single and try to add as many fresh vegetables as you can.
Fast food isn't something you want to eat everyday, but it's not always something you can avoid either. Making small changes can have a big impact, so use your know-how about healthy eating when it comes to fast food menus and you should do OK!
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