According to the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over one-third of young people consume fast food on a regular basis. Moreover, the 2015-2018 study has revealed that students of schools and colleges consumed on average 13.8% of all calories they receive in a day from fast food.
The negative consequences of excessive fast food consumption should be pretty clear to all. Not only can it lead to higher obesity rates among the population, but regular consumption of junk food can lead to a variety of other health issues that can get in the way of students’ success in school and life in general.
Now, what are the alternatives? On the one hand, it’s easy to understand why students choose fast food – their schedules are too busy. Being loaded with lots of schoolwork, young people rarely get a chance to cook their own meals. But how to change this? A part of the answer might be academic help. Busy students can turn to specialized paper writing services to write a essay for me and get some of the load off their shoulders to save more time for cooking healthy meals. But even if cooking isn’t really your thing, there are always some alternatives to fast food that you can choose in a store or restaurant, and we are going to tell you about them!
Healthy Snacks Instead of Chips
When you are in college, the chances are that your day is pretty busy. Often, you may not even have time to have a normal meal during the day. Or you might need to have something quick to eat during your study sessions. That’s when you grab some snacks.
As was mentioned earlier, essay writing services like DoMyEssay can help you take off the academic load. Still, you will need to buy something for a quick snack during the day. But this doesn’t mean that it can’t be healthy. There are plenty of alternatives to chips and other unhealthy snacks. To name a few, there are fruits and veggies, nuts, multi-seed crackers, etc. So shop for your snacks the right way!
Roasted Veggies Instead of French Fries
French fries are crispy and delicious, which is why students often get them in restaurants and even buy frozen fries to cook at home. But they are hardly healthy. Luckily, there is a much healthier and vitamin-rich alternative to french fries – roasted vegetables.
What are the benefits? Roasted veggies are typically available in most restaurants and can also be quickly cooked at home. So it is a great alternative to fast food. In terms of health, veggies can provide you with lots of minerals, fiber, and vitamins. And they are no less crispy and delicious than fries.
Avocado Toasts Instead of Hamburgers
If you are used to grabbing a hamburger for a quick breakfast before lectures, you need to know that there is a much healthier yet delicious alternative – avocado toasts.
Avocados contain monounsaturated fats that prevent heart diseases and obesity. They are also rich in minerals, vitamins, and fiber. And there are so many variations of toasts that you can make – plain whole-grain toasts with avocado, salt, and pepper are good, but if you add some egg, tomato, salmon, bacon, or other toppings of your choice, your toasts will be even more delicious.
Juices and Fruit-Infused Water Instead of Soft Drinks
The majority of students are huge fans of pop. They consume soft drinks like Cola, Fanta, Sprite, and others on a daily basis. Needless to say that this isn’t very good for their health. Such beverages contain too many added sugars, which can result in insulin and leptin resistance, weight gain, and many other health problems.
What alternative options do you have? Choose juices over pop! But only choose natural juices that come without added sugars. Alternatively, if you want to keep your body hydrated, you can also opt for fruit-infused water, which is even more refreshing and healthy. To make such water, you just need to add fruits, vegetables, and herbs of your choice to your water.
Fresh Dips Instead of Full-Fat Dips
Just like you love french fries or chips with different dips, you will likely enjoy your healthy alternatives (e.g., crackers or veggies) with some dips too. But don’t rush to opt for well-known unhealthy options.
Instead of purchasing dips full of vegetable oil, cream, artificial additives, and other unhealthy stuff, cook healthy fresh dips yourself. Don’t worry! It won’t take too much of your time. All you need is a basic Greek yogurt dip and some extras of your choice, such as lemon juice or herbs. Also, you can make a dip of avocado. And if you have no time at all, replace full-fat dips with healthier alternatives like hummus. Trust us! It will be just as delicious.
The Bottom Line
We bet that every modern student realizes the importance of having healthy eating habits. After all, the food you consume has a direct impact on your mood, energy levels, and health in general. But finding healthy alternatives to fast food can be hard.
Hopefully, after reading this article, you will have more ideas on how to replace fast food with healthier options without wasting too much of your time. Use these tips to stay healthy and fit!
