Eating Healthier Fast Foods Introduction

Fast food items are often seen as the cause of obesity. But there are some choices you can make that are much healthier than others when choosing fast food. Today’s parents work, take children to activities after school, and are very busy. It is often hard to cook a meal at night and very easy to run by and get fast food. This chapter is intended to help families cut back on fast food by increasing awareness of the nutritional content of fast foods and making healthy choices when eating fast food.

This chapter provides information to parents on how to recognize and choose healthier fast food options and how to encourage children to do the same.

Learning Objectives:

• Compare fast foods on a menu to make healthier food choices.
• Develop strategies to encourage family members to make better food choices when they eat out.
• Construct a healthy meal from a menu.