I was out with some friends recently and we stopped at a fast food joint.

“FUDGE, what in the world am I going to eat here?”

[Don Gorske seems to be fit for eating such a poor food choice. Is he a freak of nature or does skipping the fries and soda have a part in his diet?]

And yes I tried to persuade the group out of it without sounding like a pretentious prick who knows everything about nutrition and healthy eating, but sometimes when everybody else wants to go there, you just have to make the best of it and go with the flow.

The most common misconception about fast food that I hear is the burger, or main entree for the fast food aficionados, is the most dangerous item on the menu. Yes, the refined white bread, low quality beef, chicken, fish, or whatever mystery meat the establishment serves the paying customer is an issue. But equally serious damage can be found in your side choices!

How?

First off, it’s not on our radar when ordering. Most establishments have combo meals with the only difference between them being the toppings or the number of patties stacked on top of each other.

Where do you think the billions of advertising dollars are going to be spent?

The same’ol soda and fries or the sexy slabs of beef stacked to the ceiling with toppings galore dripping down to the floor?

Another sly menu trick is on the list of entrees (for those places not called fast-food joints by society but offering much of the same junk).

They don’t want to waste ink or printed space with pictures of standard sides so they usually have one small line (just to make it even more hidden) at the bottom of the list telling you what the standard sides will be with all of the entrees.

[Anybody see a steamy mouth watery picture of the fries or soda in this 30 second ad? I don't.]

So your side usually includes a soda and french fries, hash browns, chicken nuggets, or other deep-fried objects disguised as food.

Time for a deep fry rant…

These are all absolutely soaked in deadly trans fats from the industrial hydrogenated vegetable oils they use to fry all of these items.

There have been various studies, non bigger then a 9-year Harvard study, which indicated that as little as 1-2 grams of trans fat per day can have serious degenerative internal effects in your body such as inflammation, clogging and hardening of the arteries, heart disease, various forms of cancer.

Still not scared by the internal effects?

How about the external effects?

Your flat stomach turns into belly fat pretty damn fast!

Consider that a typical fast food meal of a breaded chicken sandwich (or fish sandwich), along with an order of fries can contain as much as 10 grams of trans fat!

Add on a cookie or those pocket apple pies for dessert (which are usually made with deadly margarine or shortening), and now you’re up to about 13 grams of trans fat with that entire meal.

If 1 gram a day is slowly killing you, imagine what 13 grams is doing!

And that was only one meal that you ate. Some people are consuming 20-30 grams of trans fat per day, and not even realizing what they’re doing to themselves internally.

Sorry, this post was about how to eat a reasonably healthy meal on the rare occasion that you’re forced to eat fast food.

*When I say forced, please feel free to substitute hand-cuffed, black mailed, or that torture scene in Casino Royale with the bottom of the chair cut-out…

1. Avoid the sodas

They’re nothing but chemicals along with heavily processed high fructose corn syrup which will surely end up as extra belly fat. Don’t even think about the diet versions of your favorite pop either. Water is always the best drink, but if you need something with flavor, go for the iced tea.

2. Sub the sides

Don’t be afraid to ask about subbing the fries out for a alternative healthier side like salad or baked potato. Just be sure to keep the dressings to a minimum and hold off on the processed cheese.

3. Breakfast with Dr. Seuss

The best choices are an egg, ham, and cheese on an English muffin (not on a croissant, which is full of trans-fat), or one of those fruit and nut salads.

4. Stay Grilled with lunch or dinner

The best choices are a grilled chicken sandwich, chili, a grilled chicken salad without croutons (more trans-fat), or even just a plain cheeseburger.

But Mike, bodybuilding magazines also suggest I throw away the bread and just eat the meat?

My response to this stupidity?

Unless you are directly in front of a composter (highly unlikely), your being a jerk to the environment, so cut it out. *I have a rant but I’m exercising self-control and besides one rant is enough for one post…

So next time you’re out at one of these places, remember these tips and choose smart!