On fast food.

That stuff will kill you. Seriously.  It’s almost like fast food companies want us all to keel over from heart attacks before we are fifty. The junk that goes into fast foods have zero healthy benefits to our bodies.  Why, eat something that is void of nutrients and makes you feel terrible. Because, it’s so easy to do. Because, if you don’t know better, those flat patties taste good, familiar. Today, 35% of American’s over 20 years old are obese. We got this way by making unhealthy food choices and not exercising. Fast food chains are made to suit our busy, ‘I want it right now’ lives. Quick, cheap and easy sounds great. Well, it’s killing us.  But it doesn’t have to be that way.  With just a little planning we can make healthy eating just as easy.

First things first. Wake up and eat. Breakfast starts our days of on the right foot, energized and ready to go! Eating within an hour of waking revs up your metabolism and helps burn fat and calories all day long.  Morning time is also a busy time for folks and many people don’t have time to make a meal that early.  Fast food choices are loaded with sugar and fat and will weigh you down all day.  Think about making healthy breakfast bars or whole wheat pancakes on the weekend and freezing them for an easy grab and go quick weekday meal.  Just pop them in the toaster! Hard boiled eggs make a great protein rich ‘fast food’ and when paired with a banana doesn’t get much cheaper or easier.

Brown bag it.  None of us need the extra fat and calories pumped into fast food meals.  Bring leftovers from the night before. Sandwiches are easy to make and pack. Hummus and pita chips with a bag of veggies make a tasty lunch. If you’ve got to run out for lunch consider your local health food store salad bar. Subway and local sandwich joints let you customize a perfect lunch, don’t forget to add lots of veggies.  Here in Portland I know there are lots of tasty, vegan and veggie food carts, fruit smoothie stands and better options for lunch.

After a long day cooking can seem like a real chore. Try to find recipes that seem fun. I love heating up the BBQ and sitting outside enjoying the fresh air while grilling chicken burgers, corn on the cob and tons of veggies.  Pre-package meals are loaded with sodium, usually more that we need in a whole day!  When you do cook, make enough to freeze for later.  Soups and crock pot meals can be easy and help make meal time quick, and you know you are getting healthy, quality food.

Check out Manifest the Best for more recipes.  I like to keep things simple. Healthy eating and taking good care of our bodies shouldn’t be a chore. Don’t be fooled by fast food claims. And trust me, you have the time. Make the time. Or really, you’ll run out of time.





(Thanks to FreeDigitalPhotos.net for the yummy pic.)