Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Healthy Fast Food - Is There Such a Thing

By KC Kudra

Perhaps you are surprised to see the word healthy next to the words fast food but if you are a fast food fan, the good news is that it is possible to include this kind of food and still eat healthily.

That is not to say that you should stuff yourself full of fast food three times a day but the occasional treat is fine, whether it is juicy, succulent southern fried chicken or a cheeseburger and fries. Now that more people are aware of healthy eating, fast food restaurants are also offering healthier choices and nutritious side dishes as well as the traditional fast food fare.

Confusing Fast Food Options

One in four Americans will eat fast food every day and many fast food options give you enough fat, sodium, and calories to make up your entire daily requirement. Also, a lot of people are fairly unknowledgeable about nutrition and do not choose their meal well. You might think that a salad is a healthy option but some salads contain fried meat, deep-fried croutons, and a creamy, high fat dressing which makes it comparable in calories to a cheeseburger.

The only way to know exactly what ingredients are in your food is to prepare your own. You might not consider yourself much of a cook but some recipes are so simple that absolutely anyone can make them.

Making Fried Chicken the Healthy Way

You can make your own delicious fried chicken recipes at home and you can also make the right amount. In fast food restaurants, you normally get a massive portion and feel like you have to finish every last bit of it because wastage is bad.

Satisfying your craving for fast food once a week by making fried chicken recipes at home means you are less likely to give into temptation and visit fast food chains, pigging out on huge helpings and ordering high calorie milkshakes and fries to go with your chicken or burger.

If you want to lose a few pounds, perhaps you might like to know about oven-fried chicken. This is basically a baked chicken recipe in a crispy batter. It actually tastes just like fried chicken but without all the fat and calories. Actually, some people prefer oven-fried chicken to deep fried chicken.

Whether you want to indulge your craving for deep fried chicken once a week or make healthy oven fried chicken recipes instead, you can incorporate fried chicken as part of a healthy diet, as long as you practice moderation and eat plenty of fruit, vegetables and other foods too.

The saying "a little of what you fancy does you good" is true and there is no harm enjoying fried food occasionally, as long as you eat a balanced diet. Serve your homemade oven fried chicken with mashed potatoes, corn on the cob and a generous helping of green beans and you have a healthy, nutritious meal, which tastes wonderful. - 15266

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