Fast food; it’s terrible for you, period. We all do it from time to time, though. There’s something about the convenience of eating fast and easy, the low prices and (let’s face it) the tasty food that we can’t stop eating.
We might not stop going to fast-food restaurants anytime soon, but we can at least avoid the unhealthiest and dirtiest items on the menu. According to this list, based on health experts and fast-food employees, these are the unhealthiest items around, so read on and try to avoid them; you’ll thank us later.
#12 – Extra-large sizes
OK, this is not an item, but we have to start with the most crucial advice. Fast food is not that bad if you eat it now and then, and you monitor your portions. When it comes to healthy eating, how much you eat is more important than what you actually eat.
Supersizing your fast food meal is the quickest way to health problems. It’s not the fries; it’s the fact that you eat half-a-pound of them.
#11 – Breakfast items
Breakfast items in non-breakfast fast-food chains are not the place to have the most important meal of the day. For starters, a burger joint might serve breakfasts as an additional source of income, but since breakfast is merely an afterthought, it’s poorly designed, and comprise the most processed foods on the menu.
We’re sure you’ve never seen actual eggs in McDonald’s, that’s because they don’t use any.
#10 – It’s the fries
If you had a diet soda and a burger, a fast food meal would actually not be so bad. Most of the time, it’s the fries that add loads of unnecessary carbs and trans fats to your diet. Fries are tasty, sure, but they’re greasy and incredibly unhealthy. We know it’s hard but ditch the fries.
#9 – Popcorn in movie theaters
Popcorn in movie theaters is not only one of the most overpriced food items in the market, but it’s also often past its prime. Popcorn can be days old, as last day’s leftovers are mixed with new popcorn every day. Although popcorn is not actually unhealthy, the artificial flavorings, that are definitely not real butter, are just wrong and will take a toll on your health.
#8 – Chili
We’re not sure who started it all, but now you can find chili in almost every fast-food chain in the country. You can often top your hot dogs and burgers with the stuff too, and that’s scary. Homemade chili might be a hearty, satisfying meal, but processed chili is something else. It comes in bags, and no one knows where it comes from. Is it the best meat around? We don’t think so, so stay away from it.
#7 – Anything with melted yellow cheese
American cheese is not really cheese, but we love it anyhow. Liquid yellow cheese, nacho style, is even less cheese and more… well, no one really knows what’s in that yellow, creamy liquid that comes in gallon bags. Considered an industry secret, not even producers want to tell us what it is, so just forget about it, there’s probably no cheese in it, anyway.
#6 – Chicken sandwiches
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to have something that’s not beef for lunch, but chicken sandwiches have a problem: they’re not very fashionable. This means that chicken patties sit there for a long time, frozen for weeks or even months. There’s more: ground chicken is something you don’t want to eat, considering it probably doesn’t have chicken breast or thighs. “Alternative” chicken parts, all that’s left after removing the better-prized pieces, are used for ground chicken; everything.
#5 – Salads
Salads are healthy, right? Not as much in fast-food restaurants. They’re not popular items either, so salads aren’t as fresh as you’d wish them to be. Fast-food salads come in huge bags, and who knows if they’ve been adequately sanitized. What’s worst, studies have shown that some salads, with their included dressing, have more calories than burgers or subs.
#4 – Nuggets
As with chicken patties, companies make nuggets with all the hard-to-sell parts of a chicken, and lots of starch and trans fats. They’re often mixed with MSG, which is why we can’t stop snacking on them. Adding to the problem, they’re deep-fried, and the breading is the perfect sponge to soak up all that used frying oil.
#3 – Thick, doughy pizzas
Bready pizzas are quite unhealthy, and not because pizzas are junk food, traditional pizza can actually be part of a healthy diet, but because they’re too much bread. Thick pizzas, like most of the ones sold in the famous chains, are all bread and little toppings. One perk of working at a pizza chain is that you can make yourself a pie, guess what: Employees stop doing so after a few weeks.
#2 – The fish sandwich
If you know something about food, you know fish is very perishable, and there’s a reason perishable food doesn’t mix with the fast-food industry. There’s no time to make it well, or keep it in the right conditions, either. Fresh and fish sandwiches don’t belong in the same sentence, and that alone is a reason not to get the fish combo.
#1 – The soft ice cream
Why are the tastiest items the worst things to order? We really feel bad about saying this, but never trust an ice cream coming out of a machine. For starters, there’s never time to clean them, on top of that, there’re loads of preservatives, saturated fat, artificial colorings and flavorings in your favorite creamy treat.
It’s not so bad
OK, fast food is not very healthy, but there’s good news, as long as you don’t overdo it, you’ll be fine. Stay clear of the items above and enjoy your favorite fast-food restaurant every once in a while. Eat healthy and exercise; cheat meals are great motivation to stay fit.
