Four Fast Food Alternatives

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It’s no secret that our modern society has a weight problem. Statistics show that more than half the total population of Australia and New Zealand is overweight or obese. More than half! These alarming statistics don’t apply solely to adults – they also show that more than 30% of children under the age of 18 are either overweight or obese.

This shocking trend is only getting worse from year to year; we are actually far more obese than we were just a few decades ago.

Apart from a change of movement and lifestlye trends, an overwhelming factor is the overabundance of tasty and high-calorie food. If you were to eat 1,000 calories worth of whole, nutritious foods, you’d have a very big and satisfying meal. Alternatively, if you have a medium-sized meal at a fast food joint, you would easily consume more than 1,000 calories with very little nutritional benefit, and probably still feel hungry shortly after it.

We do need to be more mindful of the escalating weight problem we have. One way is to start looking for better alternatives to these addictive fast food options, which play a huge contributing factor in our growing waist lines.

Here are four options to try:

1. Prepare meals at home

A reason why so many people resort to fast food is they don’t prepare healthier meals in advance, or have healthy food options in the house. We are more inclined to make poor food choices when we are hungry and time poor, so planning ahead is key. Set aside some time over the weekend, plan your dinners throughout the week, do a shop for the ingredients and put together whole foods in bulk for the week. Then, simply put everything you prepare in Tupperware in the fridge or freezer, and you’ve got ready ‘fast’ meals for the entire week.

Some ideas include:

• Boil/bake potatoes and sweet potatoes;
• Bake or grill chicken, pork, and fish;
• Boil rice;
• Boil or steam broccoli, carrots, spinach, etc.
• Make a large portion of Bolognese

Preparing meals and food in advance not only makes healthier choices easier when you are time poor, but you’ll also feel obligated to eat the food because you’ve invested time and money in the preparation.

 

2. Healthy snacks

Instead of grabbing quick snacks at the nearest drive-through, shop or cafe, prepare some healthy snacks ahead and bring them with you. For example, fresh fruits such as kiwis, pears, apples, oranges, and berries take no time to prepare (all you need to do is wash them) and are a great substitute for chocolate bars, milkshakes or whatever your weakness may be.

Another option is to make a trail mix consisting of nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and some grains. This makes for a filling snack in the afternoon and provides you with energy.

 

3. Healthy easy meals from the local grocery store

Many supermarkets these days offer excellent alternatives to fast foods. These include:

• Oven-baked chickens. Not only are they usually cheaper to buy, but they are also a quick and convenient way to cover the protein portion of your meals. All you would need to do is make a side dish such as vegetables, a salad, potatoes or rice.
• The salad bar. There are many options to pick from, however, go easy on the dressings – even better substitute the dressing for a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. You can easily include some canned fish, beans, whole grains, cottage cheese, or yogurt to make a simple, healthy meal.
• Oatmeal. All you need is some water or milk for the oats to soak in (alternatively, you can microwave for one to two minutes). Once they’re done, add some fruit (fresh or frozen), nuts, honey, cinnamon and you’ve got the perfect protein-rich meal filled with vitamins, minerals, and fibre.

4. Smoothies and protein shakes in the morning

We are often in a hurry in the morning which makes for the perfect excuse to skip breakfast or eat make poor choices. However, protein shakes and smoothies can make for a reasonable substitute, a five minute on the go meal to start your day on the right foot.

Want a protein shake?

Mix a banana, milk, vanilla extract, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, peanut butter and some vanilla protein powder (optional).

Smoothies are another option that offers an excellent way to add lots of fruits and veggies to your diet quickly. If you use some ingredients strategically, you can also make them high-protein.

For example, mix a cup of Greek yogurt, half a cup of unsweetened milk, some berries, half a cup of peanut butter, and some ice cubes and you’ve got yourself a delicious, refreshing smoothie. And don’t forget the veggies, add some spinach, a handful of frozen zucchini/courgette or frozen cauliflower and you’ve got a veg boost as well – we promise you won’t taste the veg amongst everything else in there!