Quick answer: it doesn't have to be.
Today is National Fast Food Day...and despite the (often deservedly) bad rap that fast food restaurants have garnered, there's still a lot of good things to say about the concept. From the website punchbowl.com:
The concept of ready-cooked food for sale can be attributed to the Ancient Romans. In many cities, street stands or "thermopoliums" (small pub-like shops) offered hot sausages, bread, and wine to patrons on-the-go.
Thousands of years later, in 1867, the first American fast food restaurant opened in New York. It was a hotdog stand on Coney Island!
Today, fast food is an American staple. There are over 300,000 fast food restaurants in the United States alone, making it nearly impossible to drive down the road without going by at least one fast food chain restaurant.
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| BeefARoo's Summer Berry Salad |
Pictured above is the Summer Berry Salad from a local fast food chain (northwestern Illinois) called Beefaroo.
Yep, kind of a goofy name...but would that there were Beefaroo's all over America. Why? Because along with all the other stuff that's terrible for you, Beefaroo boasts a varied menu of choices that are both healthy and delicious. Witness the Summer Berry Salad's nutrition facts:
Nutrition Facts
Beef-A-Roo - Summerberry Salad
| Calories | 321 | Sodium | 608 mg |
| Total Fat | 14 g | Potassium | 0 mg |
| Saturated | 0 g | Total Carbs | 21 g |
| Polyunsaturated | 0 g | Dietary Fiber | 5 g |
| Monounsaturated | 0 g | Sugars | 0 g |
| Trans | 0 g | Protein | 24 g |
| Cholesterol | 15 mg | ||
| Vitamin A | 0% | Calcium | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 0% | Iron | 0% |
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
But, you say mournfully, I don't have Beefaroo where I live.
I maintain that you can find healthy choices at almost every fast food outlet these days, even McDonald's.
And not just salad. Fast food "joints" (as my dad used to call hamburger places) now offer grilled chicken sandwiches, soups, veggies,yogurt parfaits, even oatmeal.
On most diets, even a small burger is OK if accompanied by a side salad instead of fries.
So...inquiring minds want to know.
Will you be celebrating National Fast Food Day with a visit to your favorite eatery?
Let me know in my comments section!
1 comment:
I enjoy a good hamburger, and I find the ones I like best are at "Culvers" I also like McDs and frequent it often. I like the salads and today I had a Happy Meal, with a hamburger, onion, tomato and lettuce, baby fries, apple slices, and a small coke.
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