Avoiding fast food can be a hard thing to do, especially when chains are on every corner. Not to mention it’s fast, easy, the food fills you up, and can be more practical for some families. On the other side of the spectrum, there are side effects to consuming these unhealthy fast food products. Type two diabetes, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, depression, or being overweight are some of the many outcomes of eating fast food on a daily basis.
A poll on Twitter asking, “how often do you eat fast food a month” establishes that fast food is not a huge part of some people’s lives. 57 percent of the 92 people who voted answered that they only eat fast food a couple times a month.
Matthew Godfrey ‘20 admits to being one of these people. “We know how bad it is for us, but we still eat it because it is addicting and easy,” Godfrey said. Godfrey isn’t the only person in this situation. 20 percent of the 92 people in the poll confessed that they eat fast food a couple times a week.
How often do you eat fast food? (We are collecting data for an article and would like as many responses as possible!)
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Health teacher Heather Ferris stated that “people should eat fast food in small doses, not on a regular basis.”
She added that “fast food should be an indulgence, not a regular type of thing you eat.” Ferris also believes that “people can afford to feed themselves at home just as easily as they can afford some of the fast food options.”
A week long experiment from Oakton Community College analyzed that fast food meals cost $87 while whole ingredients from grocery stores were only priced at $43. Not only can fast food meals cost double the amount of money than homemade meals, but they are also doubling the risk of you getting a number of diseases. If you have time to make homemade meals rather than eating out, here are three easy tips to avoid eating fast food meals regularly.
- Plan your meals ahead
Once a week, have a short family meeting to discuss what meals you are going to eat that week. Knowing the meals are planned for that week will help you stay organized while grocery shopping. Some easy meals you can make are crockpot meals, soups, spaghetti, etc. Planning your meals ahead will ensure a smooth and easy week, free of fast food.
- Keep those leftovers
When planning your meals , plan to make more than your family can eat. Leftovers from the dinner before is a perfect solution to an easy to go lunch. Making a bigger portion can ensure that everyone in your family has lunch the next day, without having to buy fast food.
- Healthy and easy snacks
Having healthy snacks easily accessible around your house will make you more prone to snacking on that item. Snacking will tide you over until dinner and keep your mind off of the unhealthy fast food that your stomach is silently screaming for.
Featured Image Credit: Maya Avelar / The Foothill Dragon Press
