Video: Jamie Oliver, “Fast Food”

By WorldLink Staff | November 11, 2013 | Leave a Comment

Fast food may be cheap, convenient, and tasty at first, but does it truly nourish us? In this video from Nourish Short Films, chef Jamie Oliver explains why fast food leaves our bodies hungry for something more.

What’s your favorite healthy “fast food”? Join the conversation on Facebook.

What Can You Do?

We get it. You’re busy. We’re busy, too. Most of us would happily cook a nutritious, delicious meal if it meant we could skip filling out those expense reports for the boss, mowing the lawn, and hauling the kids to soccer practice.

We’d eat better if we only had the time. But we don’t. And so we steer into the drive-through, order the fried combo #4, and try as hard as we can to convince ourselves that it’s no big deal to indulge in fast food “just this once.”

But it is a big deal. Through the miracle of modern science, many fast food items are products that are designed to enlist your body’s own physiology in a campaign to turn you into a repeat customer. Pretty quickly “just this once” becomes twice, or three times, or four.

That’s why it’s crucial to have a Plan B. Some suggestions:

At home: Stock your pantry and refrigerator with quick, nutritious options such as breads, cereals, pasta, and prepared pizza crusts; fresh, frozen, or no-added-salt canned vegetables; fresh and dried fruit; and quick-cooking whole grains such as 10-minute brown rice and couscous.
At work: None of us has extra time to spare in the morning, so pack your lunch the night before when you’re cleaning up from dinner. (Remember, leftovers–with one new ingredient added to keep them fresh–make great lunches.) Don’t get stuck in a sandwich rut; mix up your menu with hot and cold foods, too. Soups, stir-fries, and spaghetti will stay warm in a Thermos, while a cold pack (or, better, a frozen water bottle) will keep yogurt or hummus cool for dipping cut vegetables.
On the go: All of us have made poor food choices when we were starving and our next meal was nowhere in sight. Equip yourself with healthy snacks–nuts, dried fruit, or trail mix, for example–to save yourself from a junk food binge.

And, as always, shop wisely!