Fast food franchises have not ignored consumer demands and have made the effort toward healthier menu options.

• Processed food. Regardless of their best intentions, the huge demand for fast food items prevents most franchises from providing fresh food made to order (regardless of their marketing). Almost all of the items you purchase at a fast food restaurant is processed. In order to maintain consistency throughout the franchise, food is prepared in gigantic factors and then distributed to different locations. Since much of the flavor is destroyed in processing, they then have to add artificial additives to give the food taste.
• For consumers trying to watch their waistline or just eat healthier, fast food can sabotage your best efforts. Of course moderation is key to a healthier lifestyle so one trip to the drive through will not wreak havoc on your diet, however one trip per week or more could certainly have a negative impact. It is believed over consumption of fast food is contributing to the growing number child and adult obesity in our nation.
• Chicken has long been thought to be a healthy alternative, however unless you avoid fried chicken it actually has more calories and fat than burgers. Considering the huge popularity of chicken nuggets and children, parents should consider how much fast food their kids are eating.
• Fast food restaurants will likely include calorie information in the future to those who want to know how many calories are in the items they are eating. Until then you can always go to your favorite fast food chain’s website to find nutritional information or inquire at the store. Remember portion control as well when dining out. Most meals in the US, fast food meals included are simply much larger than you need. Avoid super sizing and eat only until you are full.

It is unlikely that Americans will give up their love affair with fast food, however consumers should make the effort to educate themselves about what they are eating. Nutritional information is readily available if you are willing to look. While it may be easy and convenient to hit the drive through for lunch or a take home dinner, it could cost your health in the long run if you are not paying attention to what you eat.

Now that you know what to look for when ordering you have a bigger question to consider.  Is it worth it to pay more money for food that is potentially unhealthy?  We are all looking for ways to save money and with many menu items (dollar menu excluded) rising upward in price, one must consider if grabbing a meal at the drive through is actually better than just buying the ingredients to prepare a nice dinner at home.  Some areas of the country are reporting the cost of going to a fast food restaurant close to $10 per person, meaning a family of four will spend $30-$40 for fast food. 

Choose you menu items carefully, avoid over consumption and alternate between fast food and other dining options to reduce your out-of-pocket costs and negative health consequences.

The High Cost of Fast Food Convenience was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

People may say that eating at fast food places is essential because of busy schedules. Parents need to feed their brood on the run and they tend to think the value menu is really that expensive. But the reality is – it adds up. While it may seem convenient to swing through the drive in and pick up a cheeseburger for less than a buck, it is not really financially-savvy to do this, especially when it happens several times in a week. Not only is it not cost-conscious to eat at the fast food joints, it is also an unhealthy choice for your family.

Sure, we all live busy lives but the reality is that saving money and sticking to a budget requires sacrifice and actual work. Your family will not find financial freedom without effort behind it.

Funny enough, the solution to the ending the fast food cycle is pretty simple and will only require an afternoon of your family’s time. Plus that time spent together is quality so you can kill two birds with one stone. By incorporating a food prep day into your week night or weekend day, you’ll find you can save lots of trips to the fast food places you frequent and keep your family on a better schedule, eating a healthier diet.

A food prep day constitutes pre-preparing meals that you can grab on the way to the soccer game or cheerleading practice. A good time to do the preparation is after your big trip to the grocery store. Start making a point to buy foods that freeze well. There are probably tons of recipes on the internet for foods like this and by copying or printing out some of your favorites you will begin to see how easy it can be to save money.

Here are 3 quick ideas to get you started – one for each meal of the day:

Breakfast

Burritos – Scramble some eggs and fry up some bacon or breakfast sausages. Add the basics to a plain tortilla and have the family add their favorite burrito ingredients, such as shredded cheese, salsa, and whatever else they can come up with. Do not add condiments yet. Once the burritos are completed, they will be wrapped adequately for freezing and when ready for eating, they will need to be microwaved or reheated in the oven. After heating, go ahead and add some mayo or ketchup.

Lunch

Bagel Sandwiches - Create a regular sandwich on a bagel, which may hold up better when defrosting than sandwich bread. Pile on your favorite meats and cheeses. Since you don’t have to heat up a sandwich when you want to eat it, go ahead and add the mustard, mayo, or any other condiments you like.

Dinner

TV Dinners – Save sectioned containers you may get from other dinners and fill them up with leftovers. Toss them in the freezer for a fast dinner when you have no time to prepare. Preparing foods that reheat well like spaghetti, rice, chicken, and potatoes will help reduce the amount of food thrown out each week.

While there is some initial work involved, you will be happy to have foods you can take on the run to ball games, to work, and at night when you finally get home and you are too tired to make food. Plus, you’ll be saving money each week that can go into a savings plan for the family’s future.

Breaking the Fast Food Cycle was created by and is property of American Consumer News.