Those So-Called Fast Food Healthy Alternatives

I just wrote about eating healthier and trying to make smarter choices especially while on the road.  I even noted the recent controversy over McDonald's new oatmeal and how it's not so healthy once you get outside of the sound of good wholesome oatmeal.  It was a New York Times reporter, Mark Bittman, who uncovered the high sugar content and other ingredients that weren't easy to say if at all.  I remember hearing over and over again that if you can't say it, don't eat it.  My e-mail today contained one from Every Day Health with an interview with a nutritionists who tackled some of the worse fast food "healthy" food choices.

Oatmeal was the first food due to the toppings or other sugary additions added which takes away from the healthy goodness of a high fiber, whole grain meal.  I already knew the made to order yogurts had to be chalked full of the same old bad sugars and I was right as it made the list along with fruit smoothies.  This is another example of what the health gurus tell you in that you should not drink your calories.  The infamous baked potato was next but a potato on the surface is not bad for you rather it's when you pile on the butter, sour cream, cheese and bacon bits.

This one was a surprise for me as I never really thought about it but the vegetable sandwich made the list due to the oil, cheese and sodium.  A Blimpie Veggie Supreme has a whopping 1,106 calories per the article!  Of course the fancy coffee drinks made the list but luckily, I don't drink nor like coffee.  I was also surprised to see the turkey burger made the list due to restaurant preparation.  The chicken salads were included but that was a no brainer as anything with breading is usually bad in terms of calories but oh do they taste better!  It's sort of like watching a movie with Johnny Depp and never getting to see him.

To read the entire article, click here.  In summary, I'm trying to get to a mind set where I eat for survival and every now and then, eat for pleasure but within reason.  I used to find myself rewarding myself with food and still do so it's a habit I need to get over along with the stress eating that I'm notorious for.  I learned about stopping the cycle of food rewards via Pete Cohan who is a weight loss guru out of the UK.  He's very motivational and really has great tips on getting healthy which leads to weight loss.