Straits Times Life!: Our love-hate relationship with fast food needs an intervention

Even fast-food companies now offer healthier options, letting diners switch fries out for corn, soda for juice and having meat-free, plant-based burgers.

But are all these actions enough to move the needle on the hold that fast food has on us, and make us eat better? Although there is increased awareness and availability of healthy options, what is also needed is a re-framing of our mindset on how we look at food.

To really make a difference, our palette needs to be “reprogrammed” to prefer natural whole foods.

By definition, whole foods are foods that are as close to their natural state as possible, minimally processed, and free from additives or artificial substances. Fast-food items are the opposite of this – they contain empty calories with no real nutritional value, and are high in saturated fats from a combination of processed ingredients and seed oils.

Our taste buds are wired by such food to hanker for them more because of the flavour-boosting preservatives and additives. Our stressful lifestyle makes us reach for comfort food, for that greasy burger that is readily available, relatively cheap and totally satisfying.

Perhaps a more targeted approach is needed. 

Making it mandatory to include the nutritional and caloric value of a quarter pounder is a good idea, but a better message to convey is that not all calories are created equal.

The 420 calories in a micronutrient-laden bowl of quinoa with grilled zucchini and salmon, topped with a chimichurri sauce, will do more good for your health than the 420 calories in that burger. As whole foods are often less calorie-dense than processed foods, they are more filling due to their higher fibre content. You feel satiated with fewer calories.

Most fast-food chains use ultra-processed seed oils, like sunflower and canola, to fry their fries, mainly because they are cheaper than higher-quality, less-refined oils. Such refined oils are stripped of nutrients and high in omega-6 fatty acids that contribute to the onset of chronic illnesses and inflammation in the body.

Any exhortation to watch your calories has to be followed by a message on the benefits of eating more whole foods.

The micronutrients and vitamins in a whole foods diet will not only boost overall health, but also improve your sleep, moods and mental well-being. In comparison, a diet of ultra-processed food with its high glycaemic index can cause rapid spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels, leading to irritability, fatigue and mood swings.

Flipping our taste buds cannot happen overnight. The addictive nature of fast foods means there is no switch you can turn on to kick-start the process of preferring more unprocessed foods. 

Overhauling your diet takes time, and a good start is by introducing small habits, like reaching for an apple with almond butter instead of a pack of potato chips. I started by having a green apple every day before dinner.

Still adamant on getting your junk food fix? One way is to add more vegetables in your burger, or opt for the small portion of french fries alongside a packet of apple slices. Simple swops allow for more leeway in having “cheat days” when a quick burger meal is the only option.

Changing course

I did not enjoy my Filet-O-Fish meal, probably because I knew I was not getting much nutrition from it.

We are all guilty of caving in to a new taste experience – the salted egg bagel or chocolate-dipped churros. After a stressful day, sometimes junk food, like a greasy, fatty, sugar-laden treat, fills a void.

Perhaps when it comes to eating habits, a simple approach is best. For instance, people in the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa, where many live to be 100 years old or more, remind themselves before the start of a meal to stop eating when their stomachs are 80 per cent full.

Another way is to start preparing your own meals at home, which is not as difficult or time-consuming as some would think. If we can spend time doomscrolling on Instagram, we can easily make time for building a pantry of staples such as herbs and spices, and google simple recipes.

And it is probably cheaper to buy raw materials to cook meals that can be kept in batches for the week ahead and can be savoured at the end of the workday, instead of ordering a mee goreng from the prata place.

Finding the right diet that fits our individual needs and lifestyle requires having the knowledge of how the food we eat impacts us nutritionally, and then working out how to eat better at every meal.

I am a big believer in intuitive eating, where I tune in to my body’s cues on hunger and fullness to decide what and how I consume. This is a non-restrictive pattern of eating that lets me indulge in my cravings for comfort food like ice cream during that time of the month.

After a couple of years of being on a largely whole-foods diet, I now do not care for the taste of processed food.

Fast food is not going anywhere any time soon, so we need to adopt healthier eating habits by changing our mindsets on what we consume. Everyone should embark on this life-long journey towards a more informed and sustainable relationship with food.

• Chan Fang Lynn is the founder of home-based business Loaded Gun Kitchen, which sells plant-based dips and spreads.