“Hi. My name is Pat. And I “was” a fast-food Momma.” Sound familiar? Or maybe, you fall into the category of being the crowning queen/king of the drive- thru, order out, pizza delivery service connoisseur. If the pizza delivery boy tells you that you’re his “biggest customer” in sales, don’t take that as a compliment! Without realizing it, I was crowned that honor (a long time ago) with over 300 sales in one year. Yikes!
As a mom of three boys, I bounced from the ball field to school and home for many years, while feeding my three whatever was easiest and most convenient at the time. Back in the day, the drive thru window was my dining room table. Even though I knew the food wasn’t the best choice I justified my decision based on two primary reasons: Convenience and cost. I also rendered my decision based upon how I was “raised”; my dad “treated” us kids to a Burger Chef meal (one of the earliest versions of a fast food burger chain) every Friday night. “So what was the harm?” I’d reason to myself. “Wasn’t I raised this way?”
Now, in hindsight, I wish I had realized how off track I really was and what the result of those decisions would mean in the coming years. Not only was my choice of a meal forming my kids habits it was also “misleading” them into believing that what I was feeding them was a good choice (far from it). A recent conversation with a woman whose husband owned over 60 fast food chains got me thinking about this subject, again, when she proclaimed (in defense), “We have healthy meals!” As I tried not to smirk, smile or grimace, I told her that there was more to the “Chicken Salad with crumbled blue cheese” than people realize (extremely high in sodium, packed full of preservatives – lettuce doesn’t naturally last as long as it does in a fast food chain unless it’s been enhanced with chemicals – and full of hidden content in the calories). Just choosing a salad or a grilled chicken sandwich doesn’t mean you’re choosing a healthy meal. Here’s why:
*Everything we eat should contain healthy, unpreserved carbs, protein and fats.
*Food served in fast food chains contain chemicals to keep them preserved for longer than usual periods of time.
*The “healthy” menu selections are promoting the healthier choice between the obvious (fried versus grilled, salad versus french fries, etc.).
*The average fast food meal is full of calories (800-1000), high in saturated fats (usually more than 8 grams) and filled with refined sugar (See http://fastfoodmarketing.org/fast_food_facts_in_brief.aspx to learn more)
Unless you review the nutritional guide, then you are not making an informed decision. I don’t know anyone (other than myself) who will actually do that before they eat, but I have learned a valuable lesson in doing so: I stay healthier and I don’t gain “unexplained” weight.
If your goal is to practice wellness, then part of that goal is to stop eating blindly. Fast food companies spend a lot of money courting our business, realizing that we’re a “time poor” society. If you find yourself falling into that category, simply practice doing one thing before you drive thru one more fast food chain: Ask for a nutritional guide. You might just be surprised what you’ll read.
Quick Tips for Wellness: Plan ahead. Read the labels. Think about “how” your food was prepared. Each one is a step toward a healthier you!
Quick Tips for Wellness ™ Copyright © 2012, All Rights Reserved
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