That's Fit

At any kind of restaurant or fast food chain where you have a choice of what size beverage to order, what do you usually end up choosing? According to statistics, most people land right in the middle, not the largest option but not the smallest either. Everything in moderation, right?

Not if the fast food chains can help it! They want you to order the biggest, baddest of everything and they're don't have any scruples against using tricks to get you to do it. For example they've figured out that by simply calling a medium a "small," a large a "medium," and creating a new, even bigger "large" size they get people to order more -- i.e. they keep ordering the middle size, which is of course, bigger (and more expensive).

Ugh, I'm so sick of fast food chain games.

Via psfk

I remember back when I was in high school (what my son would call the "olden days"). When my friends and I finally scored drivers licenses and cheap used cars, we smelled freedom. Almost every day we'd escape the school's cafeteria and go out to lunch. We wouldn't go home or bring healthy, packed lunches to an off-campus spot to eat. Instead, we'd hit one of the fast-food joints downtown. It was a terrible habit to get into -- unhealthy and expensive.

Not too many years from now, my son will have the same freedom. We live practically next door to the local junior high and high school. I hope, when he has the freedom to leave school grounds at lunch, he opts to come home more often than not. I'd rather have him leave fast-food as an occasional treat, and choose healthful foods more regularly. (Though, if he brings home several teenage friends for lunch, my grocery bills will skyrocket!)

I just read an article which proves that students going out to lunch is a health decision parents and schools worry about around the globe. Short of preventing high school students from leaving the school campus, all we can do is teach our kids the importance of good nutrition from a young age. Then, hopefully, when they're old enough to do so, they make good choices.

Healthy fast food? Could there really be such a thing? A West Hollywood restaurant in California called O!burger seems to think so, and they're not talking cold sub sandwiches either. Burgers, fries, and shakes make up a good part of their menu, along with veggie burgers, yogurt smoothies, and salads.

Their main claim to fame (and health) is that they're 100% organic and striving to be eco-friendly in every way they can. They do have a healthy sounding veggie burger made of spinach and corn, but no mention of fat grams or calories. Is being organic enough to make such a broad claim like "healthy?" Unfortunately I don't live in the area and can't go try it for myself but if you do then give it a shot and let us know what you think!

There are many reasons that fast food isn't exactly a healthy choice. Most items are high in fat. The calorie count is certainly up there, too. But, there's a new reason to avoid fast food -- sometimes the sense of humor of the staff is a little off.

OK. So it's not fair to generalize. But this one Burger King restaurant in Ohio has some employees with a seriously strange sense of humor. An employee thought it would be funny to take a bubble bath in the restaurant's large, stainless steel sink. Another employee filmed the soapy caper and other employees -- including a manager -- looked on. The video was posted on MySpace.com, but has since been deleted.

Burger King released the following statement: "Burger King Corp. was just notified of this incident and is cooperating fully with the health department. We have sanitized the sink and have disposed of all other kitchen tools and utensils that were used during the incident. We have also taken appropriate correction action on the employees that were involved in this video. Additionally, the remaining staff at this restaurant is being retrained in health and sanitation procedures."

I should hope so. After all, I don't think this is quite what was meant by the "employees are required to wash hands" policy.

A recent report reveals that fast-food kid's meals have too many calories. This would be the point that you say "No, duh!"

Quite unsurprisingly, nearly every combination of the kid's meals at KFC, Taco Bell, Sonic, and Chick-fil-A are too fattening. Restaurants -- like McDonald's and Burger King that offer apple slices or other options instead of fries fared a little better. Subway came out on top, with 12 of its 18 possible kid's meal combinations under a reasonable amount of calories.

The study deemed a reasonable amount of calories as 430 -- based on the fact that the average 8-year-old should eat 1,200-1,300 calories a day.

Check out your knowledge about fast food and calories -- take this AOL Health quiz!

We now know that a city the size of New York can ban trans fats altogether. But is it possible for a city the size of Los Angeles to ban fast foods? The LA City Council thinks so, and they plan on doing just that for a whole year according to recent news.

OK, they're not banning all fast foods. Rather, it's a ban that will keep new fast foods restaurants from opening up in the LA area for a year. But just what defines a fast food restaurant? Here's the criteria: "any establishment which dispenses food for consumption on or off the premises, and which has the following characteristics: a limited menu, items prepared in advance or prepared or heated quickly, no table orders and food served in disposable wrapping or containers."

It's thought this move will help reduce rising obesity levels in the LA region. That and help independent sit-down restaurants establish roots. What do you think of the move? Will it work?

I know that every time that I make an effort to lose a few pounds, the first thing I think is usually not, "Hmmm, maybe Taco Bell for lunch." Fast food restaurants are often trying to change that unhealthy image, and Taco Bell is no exception. They have their "fresco" menu, nine items with nine grams of fat or less. And in Oklahoma City, they're giving away one free taco to residents as a reward for their weight loss efforts.

The restaurant teamed up with the local mayor in a city-wide weight loss challenge. When residents reached 100,000 pounds lost, Taco Bell decided to give everyone one free taco. I initially wanted to be critical of this partnership, since fast food is often loaded with fat, salt, and excessive calories. But I'm starting to think that Oklahoma City residents may have found that happy balance between eating right and enjoying a healthy indulgence now and then... even a free taco.

What do you think?

After dragging their feet for months, McDonald's has finally caught up with their competitors. The fast food restaurant has changed the oil they use for cooking their French fries to one that's trans fat-free. Though other restaurants had already made the switch, McDonald's was worried that the change would affect the taste of their trademark fries.

A few weeks ago, my husband told me that McDonald's now offers a salt-free Big Mac. I can't find any evidence that he's right about that one, but, in any case, my response was "Why would you want to eat something like that anyway?" It's ingredients like salt, fat, and sugar that make McDonald's meals taste the way they do, and those same ingredients disguise the fact that what you're eating is ultimately junk. I can see why McDonald's was worried about the change.

Any improvement is a good one, so now when you do indulge in an order of McDonald's fries, you won't have to worry about the trans fats. But keep in mind that you do still need to worry about the fat, sodium, and calories. Learn more about healthy fast food picks with AOL Body's slide show about diet-friendly fast foods. And don't forget to sign up for our Summer Quick Fix challenge!

When you're grabbing a meal on the run, most of us know better than to order our meal with fries. Why? They're loaded with fat and sodium, and will make a big caloric dent in our daily intake.

But when a sandwich isn't enough, what can we get to go with our fast food entree? Most places now offer sides of stuff like salad, fruit or other healthy fare. And at Wendy's, you can even enjoy potatoes without having to order them deep-fried and covered in salt -- you can order a baked potato on the side.

But are baked potatoes a healthier option than fries? One would think so, based on the fact that they're cooked in the oven instead of the deep fryer. But what baked potatoes lack in deep-fried goodness, they make up for with add-ons like sour cream, bacon bits, butter and cheese. Still, how bad can it be? You tell me.

You've been going strong with your healthy eating plan, but then -- from reasons unbeknownst even to you -- you suddenly find yourself in line at a fast food restaurant. Don't panic. Everything is going to be just fine.

As you make your way up to the counter, look confident. Don't show any signs to other customers or staff that you don't belong there. Just breathe normally and smile. You may be tempted to protect your cover by keeping things simple; that is, ordering by number. Resist this temptation. Instead, look the person at the counter in the eye and tell them that you'd like a grilled chicken sandwich. Plain. Ooooh ... what temerity. How dare you walk into their joint and order something plain. Well, you just did, and judging by the stone cold look on your face, they'll know not to question you. But then, just when they think you can't possibly turn their world any more upside-down, you're going to ask for a side of mustard. Since mayo and ketchup have a fair amount of either fat or sugar, you're going with the yellow stuff. Again, don't flinch or show any signs of disquietude.

Next, they'll probably ask you if you want a meal or just the sandwich. This is probably a test to see if you're the real deal or just some health narc working the fast food circuit. Look them dead in the eye and say, "Yeah, make it a meal. Only, I don't want fries. Give me a side salad." Now, at this point, don't be surprised if people start dialing friends and family on their cell phones, telling them that they think something's going down and that this may be the last time they ever speak with them. Good, now you have them scared.

So, I tried the new Havana Chicken (with a touch of lime) Lowest Fat! burrito from California Tortilla yesterday. And, boy, was it a tasty burrito. Mesquite chicken, Mexican rice, black beans, spicy low fat Havana sauce with a touch of lime, fresh salsa and romaine.

One of the things I like about getting burritos at California Tortilla -- besides the chance to sample the varied hot sauces from their Wall of Flame -- is that they offer a small and regular size. Most restaurant burritos are made one size -- huge. They're often more than I want or anyone should have. Another bonus within this Mexican food chain: lite versions of menu items.

That means in the case of my new Cuban burrito discovery, if you opt for the small lite version you're taking in less than 4 grams of fat and less than 30 carbs. If you want to try one, there are locations in several states including my home state of Virginia despite the name. Ironically, there are no locations listed for California. You might also check out the listing of grand openings planned to see if there is one planned for your area. California Tortilla gives free burritos and drinks to all patrons during certain hours on the first day of business for all new restaurants and a free burrito every week for a year for the first 10 people in line. (My town was the lucky one in February!)

We know that the fast food burgers and fries are waist expanders, but it's easy to forget about the damage also caused by unhealthy drinks.

A study in the journal Obesity shows that our intake of liquid calories has doubled in the past thirty years. A whopping 23 percent of our daily calories now come from drinks!! Seem impossible?

Well, not when the large Coke you order at McDonald's has just about the same amount of calories as a hamburger; a chocolate milkshake has close to the same number of calories as a Quarter-Pounder with Cheese; and that a cup of hot chocolate has around the same amount of calories as three Chicken McNuggets.

See how possible it is?

Every now and then, we find ourselves in a bit of a bind. We're on the go, we're hungry, and we need to eat. Like, now. But, the problem is, the only available option is fast food. This is where a diet that is firmly placed on its tracks can suddenly become derailed.

Take, for example, the Wendy's Classic Triple hamburger. Apart from the very high protein content (70g), you'd be hard pressed to find anything else healthy about this mammoth meal. Let's start with the whopping 980 calories. Then, as you probably expected, it's loaded with fat; 59g to be exact (25 of which being saturated fat). It also has 38g of carbs, 2,090mg of sodium, and 215mg of cholesterol. In sum, this thing is a heart attack in a bun!!

If possible, opt for a much healthier bowl of chili or even a grilled chicken sandwich. And, if you're ever in a pinch and aren't sure what the healthy meal option is, you can either visit a website like DietDetective.com or even text message DIET1 (which is actually the numbers 34381) and list the name of the restaurant and the food. Within seconds, you'll receive a text message back that contains the nutritional content of the food you entered.

Occasionally grabbing breakfast on the run is one of those inevitabilities. After all, who hasn't overslept or woken up only to find that the last bit of cereal milk has been usurped by the last breakfaster? And grabbing breakfast on the go is better than not having any at all.

Yahoo health recently rated the top breakfast choices. Here are some picks:

• McDonald's: Fruit n' Yogurt Parfait -- 160 cal, 2 g fat
• Starbucks: Spinach, roasted tomato, feta and egg wrap -- 240 cal, 10 g of fat (but lots of protein and fiber)
• Jamba Juice: Jamba Light smoothie -- 150-160 cal, 0 g of fat
• Dunkin' Donuts: Four powdered donut holes -- 260 cal, 15 g of fat
• Burger King: Nothing. Their food still has trans fats.
  

Want to find out what other breakfast dishes made the cut? Click here for the full list.

Since my return to working in an office (at least on a part-time basis,) I've been giving some consideration to lunches. The consensus, at least among most of my co-workers, is that bringing your own lunch is not only healthier for the wallet, but healthier for the waistline too. But these days, it seems like healthy choices are available everywhere -- even fast foods joints have some sort of customizable salad option, and with nutritional information often available, it's easy to make a healthy choice. And considering I don't spend every day at the office, eating out two times a week isn't such a financial burden.

But I'm curious -- is it more common to buy a lunch or bring one? Judging by the line-ups in the food court, I'm inclined to say that bringing your lunch is a thing of the past, but then again, the microwaves at work come with their own set of line-ups. So what about you?