Fast Foods

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Fast foods are a way of life for many American families, and eliminating fast foods may not be realistic. The challenge is to teach children and adolescents to make wise food choices when visiting fast-food establishments.^[1] Fast foods are prepared in places of unhygienic conditions, kept it for long periods of time and repeatedly heated to make them tastier. In the endeavor to make them more palatable the nutritional value of fast foods is given secondary importance.^[2] Fast foods are historically an important part of Turkish household food consumption and expenditure. Factors encouraging this growth include education, income, work and consumption patterns, together with the increasing number of fast food chains and hypermarket complexes.^[3]

Fast foods are laden with saturated, hydrogenated and trans fatty acids; refined flours, refined sugars and preservatives. It fills the gap in our stomachs, but not in our nutrition.^[4] Fast foods are a major part of life in America. Most people eat from one to three fast-food meals a week. Fast foods are probably the biggest source of trans fats in our diet. Many fast foods are cooked with a lot of oil, and very often in ultra-hot oil high in trans fats.^[6]

Fast foods are pre-prepared meals that are served quickly at several restaurants strategically located throughout nearly every American city. But there is a downside to the convenience they provide, they simply are not good for us.^[7]

Fast foods are high in fat, sodium, and sugar while low in essential nutrients. The consumption of fast foods has had a direct impact on the increase in childhood obesity among American youth.^[8] Fast foods are showing up on airline flights and in airports. The food industry spends $30 Billion annually to convince Americans to eat their products.^[9]

Fast foods are probably the biggest source of trans fats in our diet. Fast foods are foods already made or cooked to order within minutes for consumption. Beef/ham/cheese-burgers, fried chicken pieces, fried fish, milk shakes, chips, salads, pizzas, stuffed baked potatoes and sandwiches are some of the universally available fast foods. Fast foods are ready-to-eat foods served promptly after ordering. Some fast foods are high in calories and low in nutritional value, while other fast foods, such as salads, may be low in calories and high in nutritional value.

Fast foods are made tasty, "stable", cheap. They are made to have a long shelf life so they won't spoil.^[13]