What is it about fast food that makes it so unhealthy? Although I find the typical fast food burger to be unpalatable I have always believed that was because they consist of small, thin patties of low-quality meat served on over-thick, badly cooked white bread buns. And the french fries are usually stale, bland, and mushy. I don't understand why anyone would want to eat fast food anyway, but they do. Well, here is some science that may help you cut fast food out of your diet, and we'll talk about some healthier alternatives that can help you satisfy your cravings.
Do you know what oxysterols are? You may have heard the phrase "oxidized lipids" instead. These are oxidized fats and you eat them when you eat foods that have been fried in reused oils, such as are used in restaurants (not just fast food restaurants). Those french fries, donuts, and fish sticks you love so much are loaded with oxysterols, oxidized lipids, also known as "fats fried in reused oil".
Doctor Fred Kummerow is the leading authority on these kinds of dangerous fats and his research has revolutionized our understanding of dietary health practices. According to Dr. Kummerow, oxidized fats and trans fats (hydrogenated oils) are leading contributors to heart disease.
Another doctor, Ellsworth Wareham, long ago gave up on eating animal protein and adopted a vegan lifestyle. Both he and Dr. Kummerow have lived well into their 90s and beyond. Both doctors point to fried foods as a major source of concern about everyone's diet.
So now that we know what the bad stuff is, what is the good stuff? Well, short of changing to a vegan diet I recommend you do more home-based cooking but don't re-use your oil.
Also, instead frying your potatoes I heartily recommend that you bake them. Baked "fried" potatoes are considered to be much healthier, especially if you flash-fry them yourself. Flash frying is a process that helps potato wedges maintain their shape and texture when you bake them. If you buy "bake fries" at the store that means they will have been flash fried in an industrial vat and you know that oil is used more than once.
For your burger you can try some healthier alternatives, including turkey burgers, vegan burgers, and even bison burgers. These foods won't taste much like the beef you are accustomed to but you can season them with spices and herbs to make them into new food flavors you'll grow to love over time.
I like to substitute crisp young green beans for french fries, especially on those rare occasions when I dine out.
The food manufacturing industry has finally responded to public demands to stop using trans fats but they are still pre-frying too many foods. The restaurant industry may be introducing some alternative cooking methods but they still rely on deep fryers. We have a long way to go before our convenient foods are as safe to eat as foods you learn to prepare properly at home.
