HealthyLife Articles

Category: Nutrition

Nine Tips For Healthier Fast-Food Meals

Nutrition

Fortunately for the millions of Americans who eat at fast-food restaurants each day, choices are no longer limited to burgers, fries, and shakes. Most chains offer fruits, salads, baked potatoes, soups, and whole wheat products in addition to traditional choices. Here are some suggestions for more nutritious fast-food meals.

* Read nutrition information on the fast food restaurant’s Web site, brochures in the restaurant, or on the package.

* Avoid fried foods. Choose baked or broiled ones instead. If you order fried food, remove the breading (it sops up most of the grease).

* Order pizza with mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, and peppers instead of pepperoni and sausage.

* Avoid mayonnaise-laced salads. Instead, opt for fresh, unadorned fruits and vegetables. Use low-fat or fat-free salad dressings.

* Steer clear of bacon bits, croutons, rich salad dressings, and fried noodles.

* Use high-sodium condiments like mustard or pickles sparingly. And do not add salt to fast food. It doesn’t need it.

* Ask for low-fat milk, fruit juice, or plain water instead of soft drinks.

* Use skim or low-fat milk instead of cream or nondairy creamer in your coffee or tea.

* Avoid high-fat, calorie-rich pastries and dessert. They offer very little nutrients. Opt for fruit cups and apple slices.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
A Safer Way To Bring Home The Bacon

Nutrition

Meats like bacon, bologna, frankfurters, pepperoni, and salami have been cured to stop the growth of bacteria, delaying spoilage. Curing gives these meats their reddish pink hue and distinctive flavor. Scientists have discovered, however, that nitrites and nitrates, compounds used to cure meats, might be converted into dangerous cancer-causing substances called nitrosamines when cured meats are digested. Luckily, scientists also discovered that vitamin C can help to prevent formation of nitrosamines. So now, meat processors must by law include some form of vitamin C in cured meats.

To further ensure the safe consumption of cured meats:

* Don’t let bacon or other lunch meats sit unrefrigerated for more than a few minutes. They can still spoil at room temperature.

* Cook bacon in a microwave oven. This produces lower levels of nitrosamines than pan frying or oven cooking.

* Always drain fat from cooked bacon, since drippings contain twice as many nitrosamines as the meat itself.

Despite these precautions, cured meats are still high in fat and sodium, so you should eat only limited amounts regardless of the threat of nitrosamines.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
What To Know About Irradiated Food

Nutrition

Have you seen the Radura symbol on fruits or vegetables in your supermarket? If so, do you know what it means?

This symbol indicates that the food has been irradiated, a method of food preservation approved for use on produce by the Food and Drug Administration. Irradiation kills microorganisms that spoil food. Irradiated food isn’t radioactive. Irradiation leaves no residue on food and it doesn’t affect flavor. Proponents of irradiation say it reduces the need for chemicals typically used to keep food fresh longer.

Those who oppose irradiation say essential nutrients in food may be destroyed, that eating food that’s been irradiated may cause cancer or other debilitating conditions, and that irradiation may be hazardous to the employees and residents of the area surrounding a food irradiation site. But studies haven’t conclusively identified any harmful effects of food irradiation.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026