5 Healthy Alternatives to Fast Food
Fast foods may be easy and quick but it is a fact that they destroy your health. If you are looking for healthy alternatives, five of them are listed below.
Supermarket Smorgasbord
Skip the drive-thru and hit the grocery store when you want a ready to eat meal. Almost all the stores have healthier options like salads and grilled poultry or fish in their sections with fast food. You can also opt for baby carrots and a container of hummus or mini bananas if you are too short of time.
Fast Casual
The concept behind fast casual is to have fresher food prepared faster in short time. As more and more people are opting for healthier lifestyles and eating habits, many eateries have also come up that serve freshly prepared meals containing healthy ingredients. For example, you can order hormone and antibiotic free chicken prepared in rice bran oil or soybean oil, water, cumin, black pepper, chipotle chili, oregano, garlic. Don’t forget to check the nutritional facts and calories counts. You can always read about different ingredients online.
Pack a Meal
There can’t be a better way to eat healthy than preparing your own meals. You can always try new combinations and if you are short of time just toss a handful of vegetables such as sliced mushrooms, chopped red onion, baby spinach leaves, grape tomatoes, kale, and a small scoop each of chickpeas and quinoa. Drizzle balsamic vinaigrette, olive oil or your favorite dressing for a healthy lunch. Italian herb seasoning also goes really well with these options.
Whipped Up Options
Smoothies are an excellent substitute for sugary sodas. If you want you can turn it into a balanced meal by including healthy carbs, good fats and lean protein. A combination of fruits, nuts and veggies with a dollop of almond butter or oats can prove to be really healthy. Enhance the taste and aroma of your smoothies with ginger or cinnamon which are also rich in antioxidants. You can always make a variety of smoothies and freeze them and thaw them a little before going out.
Prepared Meals
If you are busy the whole week and don’t get time to cook or prepare meals during the week, then opt for doing it at the weekend. Make your own frozen dinners and pack them in insulated containers or Ziploc bags. These foods can always be reheated and enjoyed. Stews, stuffed pepper and chicken, soup and sauteed vegetable cups are some great options. Flavor them with herbs, olive oil and garlic. Another healthy option is a low sodium organic veggie broth with cubed baked sweet potato or wild rice and a portion of cooked lean protein, such as lentils, cubed chicken breast, or extra lean ground turkey make for a satisfying meal. Freeze portion-wise in containers and voila! You have a whole week’s meals prepared and ready.