Fast Food- Eating on the run

Fast-food and take out restaurants are everywhere in North America, even in hospitals and schools. According to food industry statistics, fast food restaurants serve more than 60 million North Americans each day.Some critics blame this growing reliance on fast-food, which is typically high in fat and calories, and the super-sizing of portions for the fact that more than 50 percent of adult North Americans are overweight. Though defenders note that most fast-food establishments offer some lower calorie, more healthful fare, the overwhelming majority of the foods we eat at fast food chains-the burgers, fries, hot dogs, fried chicken, and pizza-are in fact loaded with fat, salt, and calories, and have very little fiber.

Most fast-food is high in saturated fat. Fried foods also tend to contain significant levels of trans fats, the man made fats that are created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil to make it more solid and stable. Trans fats are now believed to be as bad for health-or even worse- as saturated fats.

Fast-food chains like Macdonald’s and snack food manufacturers like Frito-Lay have made commitments to reduce trans fatty acids and saturated fats in their products and to introduce more-nutritious menus or food items. Many fast-food establishments have added a variety of healthier choices to their menus, including salads, grilled foods, baked potatoes, soups, whole-grain buns, fruit cups, low-fat frozen yogurts, and juices.

Some chains also provide a nutrition analysis on their websites or make copies available in their restaurants to help nutrition-conscious diners eat healthfully. And if you log on to www.fatcalories.com, you will find nutritional information on foods from a number of different fast-food chains.

According to a survey done recently, North Americans love fast food. They consume more than 7 billion hot dogs each year, and the average North American consumes more than 100 orders of French Fries and approximately 150 slices of pizza annually.

So, now, you have a fair idea how fast-food has become a part of our lives and no doubt we are “eating on the run.” Next, we will be discussing about the most fast foods consumed and their nutritional values to know more about their effect on our health.