What is Fast Food

Fast food is any kind of food that is convenient and also quick. A person can buy fast food and snacks and this particular type of food is usually inexpensive. Some of the most common places to find fast food are vending machines, which are found in many buildings, and restaurants that have a ‘drive-thru’ section.

Fast food has become popular since you can get a satisfying meal, for a low price, often under $5.00. This food can be so inexpensive because cheap ingredients are put into it. These ingredients include high-fat meats and foods that have lots of unhealthy components like saturated and trans fats, and cholesterol. These unhealthy ingredients replace some foods rich in nutrients, like fresh fruits and vegetables.

What’s in Fast Foods and What Fast Foods Miss Out On

The typical fast food meal - a cheeseburger (with a limited amount of vegetables), French fries and a milk shake - is high in fat and sodium, but does contain different components from all food groups. Even though these are part of all food groups, there is not enough to be considered a serving in categories such as fruits and vegetables.



Fast foods can be high in protein, iron, and vitamin B, but they are lacking calcium and vitamins A and C. The only fast food item that does contain calcium is a milkshake, but it can be high in fat and contain more than 800 calories! All fast food contains a lot of sodium, no matter what kind of food it is.

The items that are ordered at a fast food restaurant determine the amount of calories that a person takes in. The calories in a typical meal can range from 900 to a huge 1,800! A burger with every topping has about 600 calories in it, but a normal cheeseburger has only about half as much. Just think, simply drop a few toppings to drop more than half of the calories. I don’t see why not!

It is very important to watch what you eat, especially at a fast-food restaurant. Before you order something, make sure that you know what you’re eating. Try to choose salads and grilled foods, for they tend to be lower in fat than fried foods.

Fast Food Statistics

In 2000 alone, Americans spent more than $110 billion on fast food. That was more than they spent on higher education. Isn’t a good education more important than eating relatively unhealthy food? Compare the price of fast food to some education costs. That is a lot of fast food!



Americans also spend more money on fast food than on personal computers, computer software, or new cars. They spend more on fast food than on movies, books, magazines, videos, and recorded music all combined.

Trans Fats

There are four different types of fats that our food is made up of: polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, saturated, and trans fats. Though our body needs fat in our diet, the trans fat is the worst one of the four and we don’t need very much of it. It is recommended that we should only consume a maximum of 3 grams daily. It has been found that 5 grams a day for many years increases your risk for heart disease by 25%. Most people consume way too much trans fat in one day. These people should drastically change their eating habits so they don’t take in too much in one day.



KFC is the fast food restaurant that has the most trans fats in its food. Click on the link at the bottom of the page to find out how many calories are in certain fast food meals.

What are Trans Fats?

The term ‘trans fats’ is an abbreviation for trans fatty acids. Foods with fats or oils with a large amount of trans fat have a longer shelf life (they last longer) than most foods containing other fats. Trans fats also help produce the flavors and textures that make fast food so tempting. An example of this is the trans fats in pastries which give them the ‘melt in your mouth’ sensation.

Where to Find Trans Fat

Trans fat can be found in a variety of food items such as vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, cookies, snack foods, and other foods that are made with or fried in partially hydrogenated oils, especially fast food. In the above products, up to 45% of the fat content may be trans fat. Unlike the other three types of fat, trans fat is mainly formed when food companies turn liquid oils into fats that have a solid form. An example of this is margarine. To do this, they use a special process called partial hydrogenation.



Trans fats are found naturally in some animal-based foods, but they are more commonly found when partial hydrogenation occurs. Store-bought packaged foods must have the trans fat levels on the label of every package in the store and the food cannot have more than a certain level of trans fat. Fast food restaurants are not required to follow the same rules, which is why trans fats are still used extensively.

Fast Food Effects on Teens

Eating a lot of fast food meals causes teens and young adults to gain more weight. A reason for the extra weight gain is because one fast food meal often has almost enough calories needed for a whole day. A teenager needs around 2,000 calories a day, give or take depending on the gender, age, size and the amount of physical activity they do in an average day. Eating too much fast food also increases the risk for developing insulin resistance, which can result in type 2 diabetes. Having diabetes is a major risk factor for developing heart disease.

Some studies show that people who ate at fast food restaurants more than twice a week gained an extra ten pounds and had a greater risk for insulin resistance. According to studies, males visit fast food restaurants more often than females do.

Making Healthier Food Choices

If you are having fast food more than once a week, try to make healthier choices when ordering it. Some tips are:
• Choose foods that are broiled or grilled instead of fried foods.
• Have low-fat salad dressings.
• Have a salad or soup (not cream based) instead of fries.
• Use mustard or ketchup instead of mayonnaise.
• Order smalls items instead of "super-sizing."
• When ordering a sub or sandwich, select leaner meats like turkey or grilled chicken.
• Choose water, low-fat milk, or diet soft drinks instead of regular ones, fruit drinks, and milkshakes.
• When ordering pizza, add veggies instead of meat.
• Try to add fruits and vegetables to your meal. For example, have lettuce and tomato on sandwiches or burgers.



It’s extremely difficult to eat in a healthy way at a fast-food restaurant, even though the restaurants have introduced healthier items to the menu. Many fast food restaurants, like McDonald’s and Burger King, have introduced healthier items such as salads. Try to have those instead. If you want something else, like a burger, have a smaller one so it does not contain as many calories and trans fat. When you go to a fast food restaurant, remember it is better to eat healthier items!

Bibliography

1.
http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/fast_food.html
2.
http://www.linksnorth.com/nutrition/diet.html
3.
http://www.harperacademic.com/catalog/instructors_guide_xml.asp?isbn=0060838582
4.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060609/tansfat_charts_060612/20060613/
5.
http://www.fda.gov/FDAC/features/2003/503_fats.html
6.
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/iyh-vsv/food-aliment/trans_e.html
7.
http://womenshealth.about.com/od/girlshealth101/a/fastfoodteenwei.htm