What's In A Meal? Article - Food And Drink Articles

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What's In A Meal?

People buy fast food because it's cheap, quick, and heavily promoted. Some of its popularity is due to the fact that for under $5. 00 you can usually get a filling meal. However, fast food is inexpensive because it is usually made with cheaper ingredients such as fatty meats, refined grains, and added sugar, sodium, fats and fillers.

Author: B Carney

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Fast food is a multi-billion dollar industry which is continuing to grow at a rapid pace. Now that more North Americans are leaning towards a healthier lifestyle, the real growth is with chains that perceive to have a healthy eating image.

Fast food outlets often provide quick drive-through service. These allow food to be ordered and delivered to you without leaving your car which further speeds up service. Fast food is now served at restaurants, stadiums, airports, zoos, schools and universities, on cruise ships, trains and airplanes, at supermarkets, petrol stations and even in hospital cafeterias. Fast food is any food that is quick, convenient, and usually inexpensive. Vending machines, drive-thru restaurants, and 24 hour convenience stores are probably the most common places to find fast food.

Fast food is often highly processed and prepared in an industrial fashion. Most menu items are generally made from processed ingredients prepared at central supply facilities, frozen, and then shipped to individual outlets where they are reheated or cooked (usually by grill, microwave, or deep-frying).

Hundreds of millions of people buy fast food every day without giving it much thought, unaware of the subtle and not so subtle ramifications of their purchases. Eating fast food every once in a while is not going to cause you any major problems, but fast food is dangerous to your health when eaten often. If you want to eat healthy, prepare your own food. Then you'll know exactly what goes into it because after all, you are what you eat.

One university study found that a high-fat diet appears to alter the brain biochemistry in a similar way to drugs such as morphine. They say this is due to the release of opioids - chemicals in the brain - that reduce the feeling of being full. They found there are changes that take place in the brain when we are frequently exposed to a high-fat diet. They believe that it is very plausible for humans to become addicted to high-sugar and fatty foods.

North Americans have been taught to eat wrong. For example: Did you know that not only is bad to drink an iced cold soda, but drinking anything with meals is bad for digestion? The liquid dilutes the stomach acids, making it more difficult for your body to break down the foods you eat. It fills up the stomach, and causes people to chew food less thoroughly. Makes you wonder why the diet industry advises you to drink a large glass of water before meal time doesn’t it.

Fast food is far more appealing for people who can't afford a large grocery bill, and need to feed everybody right away. Convenience is not always the best way. Foods that are high in fat, sugar, and salt are leading the global epidemic of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses. Also, fast food is inferior in flavor and nutrition, compared to a nice home-cooked meal.

Just as Wal-mart and Home Depot have proved to be the death of family businesses in small communities, fast food has done the same to many Mom and Pop restaurants whose service and quality far out weighted any fast food chain.

Fast food is convenient but not always clean. Many fast food restaurants now allow their customers to see their food being prepared. This is due mainly because of sanitary concerns and rebellious teenage employees. If you can, take a close look at the employees and the environment when choosing to dine out. If it makes you wonder about its cleanliness habits, then it may be best to go somewhere else for supper.

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