The fast food industry was built on the increased activity of modern families. As fewer people were willing to take the time to eat at home, they began taking advantage of quick meals that could be ordered and received within a few minutes. Fast food is convenient not only for families coping with after-school schedules, but also office workers catching a quick meal during their lunch break. Today, fast food is completed integrated into our lives. In fact, it is hard to imagine life without it.
Of course, just because we depend on it doesn’t necessarily make it good for us. Although the trend has been toward healthier foods recently, most fast food fare is remarkably bad for our health. This is especially true for those seeking low-carb meals, including both dieters and diabetics. Most nutritionists are alarmed by the high fat content found in many fast foods. However, the carbohydrate levels are often staggeringly high as well, especially when the meals are paired with a sugar-sweetened soft drink.
You basically have two different things working against your health at fast food restaurants. The first is the predominant cooking method of frying. French fried potatoes are the main offender, but other fast food menu items rely on frying as well. A steady diet of high-fat, high-carb meals is a sure ticket to the cardiac unit at the local hospital.
The second issue with fast food is portion size. While regular meal portions may be acceptable, most fast food establishments offer the option of 'up-sizing' the meal for a fraction of the cost. When these larger portions are consumed, carb grams, fat gram and kilocalories shoot off the scale.
The best bet for low carb eating at fast food restaurants is to go for the healthier items that may not be the flagship product. Most outlets offer salads paired with light dressings. If you add grilled chicken to the salad, you can put together an excellent high-protein, low-carbohydrate meal. Just be sure to check the nutritional value on your salad dressing selection.
Although you may feel powerless in the face of slick marketing by fast food chains, remember that you are ultimately responsible for what you put into your body. An occasional indulgence in fast food will not do you in, but this kind of eating should not become a regular fixture in your weekly diet.