HEALTHY EATING: Navigating fast-food rules

BY CAROLYN O’NEIL

Just because a food is fast doesn’t make it fattening. “Fast food” has long been associated with bags bulging with greasy burgers and fries. But simplistic nutrition advice to avoid drive-through windows and the affordable fare at quick-serve restaurants is outdated and unrealistic.

And, it’s not even helpful. It’s sort of like driver’s education — sure, you can avoid being in a car accident by staying away from cars. But isn’t it better to learn the skills needed to navigate safely?

In the same way, modern nutrition advice should offer specific suggestions based on what works for your lifestyle, taste buds and pocketbook.

So here, then, are some road rules for a fast-food “Diner’s Education.”

Fast-food lane: It can be a green light. From burgers to bean burritos, the offerings at food places dotting the highways and on every corner of every town include standardization and convenience. Most offer grilled versions of chicken sandwiches, an array of fresh salads, yogurt parfaits, veggie burgers, whole- grain buns and reasonably sized basic burgers. Some even have registered dietitians on staff to help with recipe development and to provide nutrition information for menu items in the stores and online.

Fast and fit: Keep your eyes on the road and you’ll notice a new generation of fast-food eateries with a primary mission of serving healthier fare. Evos, in Sandy Springs, cuts the fat and calories by serving Airfries,which are baked not fried, and features naturally raised hormone-free beef burgers and chicken breast sandwiches. There’s even an organic low-fat milkshake, cholesterol-free soy hot dog and a fillet of trout sandwich with reduced-fat herb mayo on the menu.

Friendly for waist and wallet: Technomic Inc., a food service marketing firm, polled about 1,200 people recently and found that 74 percent of respondents agreed that healthy foods cost more than unhealthful foods in restaurants, and 44 percent said their budgets prevented them from eating healthfully. Can nearly two-thirds of people polled be wrong? Yes! Most fast-food places price their healthier options near the price of other items. Skip the extra slice of cheese on your burger and you’ll save money and calories. Certain chains, including KFC, price lower-calorie grilled chicken menu items in the same range as their fried chicken to be certain that consumers can order healthful options without paying more.

Don’t turn off the caution light completely: Skip the bacon, extra cheese and goopy sauces. Use half the dressing packet on your salad and save 100 calories. You’ve heard it before — but it bears repeating — beware biggie-sizing, super-sizing and super-value combo meals. Surprise everyone by asking to super-size the portion of lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles on your burger. You’ll increase the size of your sandwich and get more fiber in your diet with few additional calories. Got to have fries? Memorize this line: “And I’ll have a small order of fries, please.”

Carolyn O’Neil is a registered dietitian and co-author of “The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous!” E-mail her at carolyn@
carolynoneil.com.