My Kind of Fast Food

Image from fastfoodcenter.com

Does this scenario sound familiar? You've had a long day at work, taking care of children, running errands, cleaning the house, fill in the blank. You are starving and the thought of having to spend time cooking a meal is not at the top of your list. The $1 menu at the local fast food restaurant is calling your name. It's quick. It's cheap. It's the perfect solution. Wrong!

According to McDonald's nutritional information, the quarter pounder with cheese comes in at 510 calories and 26 grams of fat. Add a large order of fries for another 500 calories and 25 grams of fat. That is 1,010 calories and 51 grams of fat! I won't depress you by mentioning the calories or fat grams in a large soda, you've probably figured out by now that it isn't pretty.

When I started this blog, my goal was to develop plans or strategies for coping with the everyday issues that we all face when trying to live a healthy lifestyle. You can read about it here. Eating right is one of the biggest challenges many people face in our fast-paced society. Planning and organization is the key. With a little preparation once a week, I find that I can create my own version of "fast food". Not the kind that will make the scale rapidly creep up, but the kind that our bodies need.

I'm sure I don't have to tell you that eating fresh fruit and vegetables is essential to your diet. I have found that if I set aside time once a week, usually just after my weekly grocery shopping, to cut up enough fruit and vegetables for a variety of meals each week, it is fairly easy to get nutritious meals on the table in short order. Trim up your vegetables and put them in storage containers to keep them fresh until you are ready to use. Don't forget to chop up extra vegetables to add to salads.

If you pack a lunch, prepare small bags of fruits or vegetables that you can easily toss in a bag before rushing out the door in the morning.

For quick salads, I like to keep a large bag of baby spinach on hand. With the addition of some of the vegetables I chopped earlier in the week, a salad can come together in no time. Pre-shredded carrots and cabbage and grape tomatoes can be added to salads if you don't have time to chop vegetables. I like to keep a large salad in my refrigerator at all times. My daughter has been known to choose a salad as a snack in the evenings because it's already prepared.

Hard boiled eggs are a great source of protein, especially the egg white that contains high levels of protein, but low levels of fat. I like to prepare a dozen at a time. They are great for any time of the day and they are also a perfect choice if you don't have a lot of time in the morning for a decent breakfast. Just take a few with you. Personally, I don't care for the yolk, I toss them.

A friend recently told me something that I wish I'd known years ago. A turkey breast can be cooked in a crock pot. Turkey breast is delicious, full of protein and low in fat. Just place a 5/12-7 pound turkey breast in the pot before work. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 6. There is nothing better than coming home to the aroma of turkey. Chicken and pork tenderloin are other options. Look here for more recipes.

Image from ehow.com

When I am planning to run a lot of errands and know I will be out for hours, I like to take a small bag of almonds with me. I buy almonds in bulk and make my own bags. This is much less expensive than buying individual bags and I control the portion size. Toss a few bags in your glove compartment or purse so you won't be tempted to head to a drive-through.



Finally, during the fall and winter months, I keep a case of bottled water in the trunk of my car. Not only do I save a lot of money by not pulling into a gas station or fast food drive-through when I need a something to drink, I save a lot of calories by not choosing a sugary soda.



If you are willing to do a little prep work, you can make healthy choices without spending a lot of your precious time.