Fast Foods (Essay Sample)

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Fast Food
Introduction
As the world becomes more demanding and people rushing with time, the practice of cooking or waiting for a standard meal has dropped. People want to have a bite of something quick and resume their daily busy schedules. This has led to the rise of fast foods in restaurants, hotels, shops, and along the streets. Fast food is food intended for ready use, consumption, or availability. They include foods that are easy to prepare and can be served with the minimum possible time. Examples of fast foods include grilled chicken, doughnuts, burger patties, hamburger, salad bar, premixed shakes, and tuna salad sandwiches (Webb and Eleonor 67). In most cases the consumers of fast food do not pay attention to the significance or quality of what they consume. This is because fast foods are tasty, cheap and convenient as opposed to going for main meals. Despite these advantages, fast foods have their other side of the coin. They have large amounts of calorie, fat, and sodium that is harmful to human health if not taken with caution. Individuals have to find a way out of such consequences of fast food and observe healthy eating habits and diet. For individuals observing their weight, it becomes challenging in choosing what to eat when it comes to the fast food menus. Fast foods have dangerous consequences such as causing atherosclerosis, diabetes, and obesity diseases (Blake 78). However, it is possible to avoid these consequences by practicing healthier ways of fast food selection and consumption.
One of the controversial issues in nutrition is whether fast food can be healthy for its consumers. It is challenging for one to observe a healthy eating diet while regularly taking fast food. This is due to the fact that fast foods are originally characterized by saturated fat, calories, sodium, and trans-fat (Epston 35). They also lack fiber, vegetables, and fruits, and they tend to have low percentage of nutrients. Such reasons make it challenging and tricky for one to observe healthy diet from these foods.
Contrary to the notion that fast foods are not healthy, these foods are not harmful to human health in totality and they should not be avoided completely (Schlosser and Wilson 115). Health practitioners allow consumption of fast foods once in a while to quench one’s craving for them. However, consumption in a regular basis becomes unhealthy and unadvisable by nutritionists. The adverse effects of these foods last longer and may be fatal in the long run. Regular consumption of fast foods increases the levels of cholesterol, sugar and salt, and therefore they have less minerals and vitamins compared to other meals. Dangerous consequences of fast foods include their cause for diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, and obesity (Wilkins 85). Cardiovascular health issues are caused by high levels of cholesterol and salt which are in fast food in high percentages. These are the main cause of atherosclerosis. Diabetes on the other hand is as a result of high levels of sugar in the body. Most fast foods are characterized by high sugar levels. These foods also contribute to obesity because they are rich in calories and fats.
A way out to the consequences of fast food is moderation, both in whatever fast food one is fond of and how often one consumes it. It is a matter of choice and good choice of fast food ensures a healthy diet. Healthy fast foods are readily available but one has to take caution because even the healthy choice of fast food may have side effects if keen considerations are not taken. Things to consider while keeping a healthy fast food diet include taking meals with not more than 500 calories (Blake 78). One fast food meal taken by an adult contains up to 836 calories (Epston 35). Therefore, it is prudent for one to be keen of the amount of calories subscribed to each fast food you are served. Another tip for a healthy fast food diet is going for meals with higher levels of protein and fiber with lower fat. It is healthy to consume food with fiber, good quality protein, and whole grain. Foods with low amounts of saturated fats are healthier than those with trans-fats. A blending of one’s own foods to the fast food can also be a way out of the consequences of fast food. When planning to visit a fast food restaurant, it is wise to carry along some dried fruits, seeds and nuts, pear slices or apple, yoghurt, cheese, and carrot sticks. The reason for such extra carried foods is because fast foods always have insignificant level of important nutrients such as fiber and vitamins. The additional foods act as compliments which makes the whole meal healthy (Webb and Eleanor 67).
Fast foods are addictive and the consumers find them time saving, cheap and convenient due to their tight day to day schedules. It therefore becomes a challenge for one to find a way out of cravings for such foods especially for those with busy calendars. However, there exist tips of getting a way out from fast food and hence avoiding consequences like suffering from diabetes or obesity (Webb and Eleanor 67). The fist tip is for one to gradually reduce at least a fast food one at a time. One fast food out of the diet means avoiding a lot of unhealthy consumption of stuffs like calories, salt, and sugar. It is challenging to stop taking all the fast foods at once and there this approach is more realistic.
Setting rules and being disciplined individually is another way out of fast food consequences. Putting up self restrictions and being disciplined to observe them is important for the effort against fast food cravings. For instance, making a habit of cooking every evening and every lunch time when time is sufficient. This creates a habit of liking home-made food and it reduces desire for fast food over a given period. The food prepared at home is healthy and with time one will prefer to eat at home than to buy meals at fast food restaurants.
Fast food eating habit can be reduced by replacing something different with the fast food of one’s favorite choice. This should be taken as a healthy practice and not as a punishment. Such an attitude enhances commitment in reducing the consumption of fast foods (Blake 78). When one has the desire for a certain fast food, it is wise to take something else such as a fruit to quench the craving. Consumption of fast foods seem cheap and affordable in the short run, but when one considers the amount spent over a stretch of time, it is realized how costly yet not beneficial to health they are. Therefore, cutting the amount of money spent on them helps to reduce the consumption rate which leads to healthy eating habits (Webb and Eleanor 67)...