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On the fast food trail

By Melissa Martilotta, MS, RD, Director, Nutrition Clinic, University Health Services

Grabbing a meal on the run is a common part of our daily routine. In fact, Americans eat out an average of four times per week, often at fast food restaurants. For college students who are trying to meet the demands of classes, assignments, campus activities, a social life, and for some students even a part-time job, fast food often seems to fit in perfectly with their lifestyle. It's easy to find, cheap, and of course as the name implies, fast.

Today there are over 500,000 fast food restaurants in the world. These restaurants can be found almost everywhere. But can this type of eating be healthy for students or for any of us?

With Americans consuming one-third of all calories away from home—nearly twice the amount as just ten years ago—it’s easy to point the finger at the fast food industry and blame it for the obesity in this country. Not surprising since “value meals” or “super sized meal” can pack up to 2,100 calories, which is more than the total recommended daily calorie intake for most people.

In truth, no fast food splurge blows your diet. What counts is what you eat in a day or over several days—what you eat over a period of time. Nutrition is about balance. And that also means moderation!

Because of consumer demand, fast food restaurants are adding foods that are both good for you and delicious. In addition, more fast food restaurants are providing nutrition information to help consumers make informed choices.

So, the answer is “yes”—you can eat healthy and still eat fast food. But keep these pointers in mind:

• Be aware of the trend toward big, deluxe or super size portions. Paying just a few cents more for a "value meal" or an upgrade to a "super-size" snack may seem like a good deal, but a new report says your waistline winds up paying the price.
• Balance fast food meals with other food choices during the day. The recommended daily allowance for one full day consists of approximately 2000 calories and 65 grams of fat. To be on the safe side, limit your fast food meal to no more than 1/3 of those amounts.
• Go easy on the mayo and salad dressing.
• Choosing diet beverages can save you more than 300 calories.
• Choose fried foods less often. Rely mostly on grilled, broiled, and steamed foods instead.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest recently surveyed current offerings at popular fast-food establishments and picked the five best menu items based on fresh, low-fat ingredients, taste and convenience. The top five picks were:

• Wendy's Mandarin Chicken Salad: 420 calories
• Burger King Chicken Whopper Jr.: 350 calories
• Subway's Low-fat Subs: 310 to 370 calories
• McDonald's Fruit & Yogurt Parfait: 380 calories and 2 grams saturated fat. (Skip the granola and it drops to 280 calories)
• Burger King BK Veggie Burger: 330 with less than two grams saturated fat. It's the first meatless sandwich from a burger chain.

Also check out the nutrition content at your favorite fast food restaurant:

• McDonalds (click on “Nutrition Info”)
• Burger King
• Subway
• Arby's (click on menu/nutrition)
• Kentucky Fried Chicken

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