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Quick Bites: Making Fast Food Nutritious · Talking FACS

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  Welcome to Talking FACS, what you need to know about family,
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  food, finance, and fitness.
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  This nationally recognized, award-winning podcast is hosted by the University
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  of Kentucky Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Program.
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  Our educators share research knowledge with individuals, families,
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  and communities to improve quality of life.
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  Whether you travel frequently for work or you often find yourself serving as
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  the taxi driver for your children as they engage in one activity after another,
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  the reality is that fast food might be a part of your weekly eating plan.
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  Welcome to Talking FACS, where we share research-based information that you
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  can use to strengthen your family, your community, and our state.
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  I am your host, Mindy McCulley, Extension Specialist for Instructional Support.
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  My guest today is Dr. Heather Norman-Burgdolf, who is our Extension Specialist for Food and Nutrition.
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  And Heather, we're going to talk about fast food and how it's a part of life,
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  and you can get quick bites, but you can also have nutritious picks.
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  So we're going to make fast food work for our listeners. Welcome.
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  Yes, it's good to be here and talk about something that is just so practical
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  and such a part of our lives. Let's start with the big picture.
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  Obviously, fast food's everywhere. It's on every corner. Even the smallest communities
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  that we go to have at least one fast food joint in their community.
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  And for many, it's a regular part of life. So what should we keep in mind when
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  it comes to nutrition? You're exactly right.
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  So I even think about my own personal life, having busy schedules,
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  you're caring for your family, you might have long work hours.
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  And so that quick meal, the drive-through, it's a practical choice.
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  It's a way that you can feed yourself and your family. And so you even mentioned
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  in the rural communities out there,
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  in some communities, fast food chains and quick serve restaurants may be the
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  only option to buy food in addition to maybe a dollar store or a small local grocer.
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  But luckily, fast food doesn't have to mean poor nutrition. It's about making
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  some smarter choices, going back to the basics, thinking about our food groups
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  and how to build a balanced meal.
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  And essentially, we want to try to aim and include as many different types of
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  food or food groups in our meal or snack because that variety is going to really
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  help us feel full and nourished.
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  Heather, I am so glad that you mentioned it doesn't have to mean that we're
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  only making poor choices because I remember the kids' meals when my children were small.
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  You know, you only had the option of French fries and a soft drink.
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  And now you can get applesauce or you can get chopped fruit and you can get
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  milk and juice or, you know, you don't just have to get the soft drinks and the French fries.
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  And so I think that we have come a long way in making healthy choices when it
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  comes to not just the kids' meals now, but also the adults' meals as well. Yes, for sure.
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  So when we are staring at the menu board, what should we look for?
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  All right, great question.
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  So some of these things may seem common sense, especially if you think about
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  my plates or kind of our guidelines for what our meals look like.
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  But, you know, try to prioritize lean protein. So thinking about grilled chicken
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  or turkey, there's lots of different types of fast food restaurants that have
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  a focus, whether it's a burger chain or sandwiches,
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  you know, there's a lot of different options out there. Look for whole grains.
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  This could be oatmeal when you're getting breakfast on the go.
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  Some sandwich restaurants have whole grain bread. You mentioned milk.
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  There's low fat dairy, milk, cheese, yogurt is often a side or an option at some.
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  And then fruits and veggies. Yeah, you mentioned apples or chopped fruit,
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  a salad, or even thinking about adding vegetables to the entree,
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  whether that's a wrap or a sandwich. There's opportunities to build in veggies there.
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  This is where we want to be mindful of sodium, saturated fat,
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  and added sugar. These are often high in fast food.
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  These specific types of nutrients are linked to health risks like heart disease
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  and high blood pressure. So if we try to prioritize some of those nutritious
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  picks, we're going to naturally reduce the amount of sodium,
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  saturated fat, and added sugar in our meal.
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  So let's talk about strategy. What are some practical tips for ordering smarter?
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  So I think it's helpful to have a couple of these tucked in your back pocket
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  because these strategies help you to not be overwhelmed.
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  Because often fast food restaurants have large menus with a variety of foods in different forms.
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  If you know this in advance, you can plan. Planning is going to be really, really important.
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  Many of the menu items can be customized to your preference.
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  So we're going to take advantage of that when you can. This is going to allow
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  you to have some control of the nutrients you're taking in with whatever that
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  meal or snack is that you might be grabbing quickly.
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  And something we can use to kind of help us is to understand the language that
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  that restaurant uses on their menu board.
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  So we want to look for keywords like baked, roasted, grilled as signs of an
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  option that may have less saturated fats.
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  The term a la carte is also, or maybe side items, is something that we also can use.
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  These are often items that are sold separately from a meal. So they could be
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  paired with a meal, maybe to make it a more balanced snack or meal.
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  So maybe you're adding on a yogurt to add some, you know, healthy fats and some
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  protein to make you feel more full.
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  Or you could pair together those side items or those a la carte items to make
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  your own meal or snack. So just because they don't naturally come together as
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  like a combo doesn't mean you can't mix and match some of those items.
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  That's where you might find your fruit, some dairy, things that really would
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  add nutritional value to your meal.
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  Also, the terms value, deal, combo, they might not be the best option for you, right?
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  Like they're trying to sell that to you to make you think there truly is some value to that.
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  So if you can customize the deal potentially
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  split it with someone else Or see if you could swap an item into that value
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  meal or combo so that actually meets your nutrient needs And then i'm glad you
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  brought up kids meals because they don't have to be just for kids They tend
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  to have a smaller portion size Like you mentioned,
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  they tend to have additional nutritious options for sides and beverages And
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  so maybe you're not as hungry as you realize so a kid's meal is all that you kind of need, right?
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  To meet that need and you feel some hunger and then you have a more balanced, smaller meal.
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  So take advantage of that. And then I mentioned planning ahead when possible,
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  checking the menu online in advance.
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  You might feel rushed if you're in the drive-thru and there's cars behind you
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  and you don't have the time to kind of like actually take a minute and look
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  at what the options are and how you can customize something.
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  But if you can potentially look in advance and already have an idea in mind,
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  you might feel less rushed and
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  may be more likely to make that nutritious choice when you're on the go.
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  Again, adding veggies when possible, choosing water or milk when possible.
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  And potentially, you know, if you're dining in, many quick serve restaurants
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  now will offer you a refill for on the go to take with.
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  And maybe, yeah, you enjoy that beverage with your meal.
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  And then when you leave, you just decide not to take a refill with you.
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  So it's just really kind of small tweaks and changes.
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  Maybe tuck a couple of those, like I said, into your back pocket.
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  So the next time you go in, you make your decision, you're adding in some nutritious food options.
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  Well, and I personally love the option of looking at the menu in advance because
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  when you personalize that menu,
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  like, say, take some sauces off, then you can also figure out how that reduces
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  the sodium content and how it reduces the calorie content and the fat content and that sort of thing,
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  which maybe you can do that quick math when you're sitting in the drive-thru,
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  but that's beyond my capability anymore. Well, that's hard.
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  People behind you have got kids in the backseat, you know, yelling.
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  So it can be hard in the moment to do that. Yes.
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  So I personally love to do that in advance so that I have an idea and I'm like,
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  okay, this is my calorie budget or this is my sodium budget for today.
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  And this is how I make it work.
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  So can you give us a few examples of balanced fast food meals?
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  Yeah, this is where it can get super practical. So it is going to largely depend
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  on the type of fast food restaurant we're at. Like I said, we've got all kinds.
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  You have some that are Asian inspired. You have sandwiches.
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  You've got Mexican inspired. So it could potentially look different.
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  Obviously, burger chains are pretty popular. And so consider a bulked up burger.
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  Maybe instead of a double, you are sticking with a single patty.
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  Maybe you add in some veggie toppings or try some new veggie toppings you've never tried before.
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  Keeping that to a small fry, maybe adding that a la carte side item of some
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  apple slices or a small yogurt.
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  And then, you know, tea is popular here. Maybe instead of sweet tea this time,
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  maybe you try a half sweet, half unsweet iced tea instead.
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  Just so that you can see if you like that and maybe your taste buds can adjust.
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  I know breakfast on the go is super popular. If you can just run through a drive
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  through, grab a breakfast sandwich or something like that, you know,
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  try an egg sandwich on an English muffin, but instead pair that with yogurt
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  or, you know, take an apple with you from home.
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  On the go so that you've kind of balanced out that meal and
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  then consider a lightly sweetened iced coffee instead of
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  that fully sweetened larger beverage
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  and then another example from a
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  taco or mexican inspired restaurant would be a bowl
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  with grilled chicken brown rice vegetables salsa you can really bulk up the
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  nutrition by adding black or pinto beans with a meal as well there's actually
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  tends to be more vegetables on a menu when it comes to a taco place or a place
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  where you can build kind of your own bowl or meal.
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  So take advantage of that, what's available to you, and maybe try something new.
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  So fast food used to be the cheap option.
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  And that is not so much the case anymore. So what should families consider? This is true.
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  Prices seem to be rising. Feeding a family of four at a fast food restaurant
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  can cost $30 or more for just one trip.
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  And so if you're doing that regularly, that truly adds up over time.
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  So for example, if you eat out as a family of four just once a week for four
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  weeks or a month, that could total $120 or more over the course of a month for family.
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  So while fast food may still offer convenience, it's worth comparing those costs
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  to what the same amount could buy you at the grocery store.
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  Those grocery trips could be a week or more of groceries for your family.
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  So, and convenience is important, but just weighing that, maybe just stepping
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  back and saying, oh, how much money am I actually spending at fast food and making small tweaks?
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  And then we do know that planning meals at home can stretch your budget further
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  and give you more control over nutrition.
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  But again, consider how that matches up with the stage of life that you're in,
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  how busy you are, your schedule, and whether or not paying for the convenience
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  is worth it for your dollars.
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  So any final advice for our listeners as they are trying to eat better while they're on the go?
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  Yeah, so if you find yourself visiting fast food restaurants regularly,
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  small, consistent changes really do matter.
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  And this could simply be, you know, trying a grill sandwich over a fried or
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  adding fruit the next time.
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  These changes do add up over time and can support your overall health goals.
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  On the other hand, if someone is listening and fast food is more of an occasional
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  treat for them, they enjoy it, you know, every once in a while because they
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  crave it, just enjoy the experience without overthinking every choice.
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  This is a place where people tend to have some guilt about their food choices,
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  and we don't have to do that.
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  We don't have to add a moral value to the types of foods we're eating.
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  But just ensure what you're doing, the choices you're making,
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  line up with your nutrition goals, your health goals, and your financial goals.
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  Because what matters most is the pattern of your eating habits over time and
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  not just any single specific meal. Because we like to say moderation, right?
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  Yep. Heather, thank you so much for your time.
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  These quick bites have been very engaging and definitely will make a difference
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  in how many people think about the way that they enjoy fast food. Thank you for having me.
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