While most fast foods are based on cheap, unhealthy ingredients, many fast-food establishments now offer healthy alternatives. Some major chains even focus exclusively on providing healthy fast food. These can be life-savers when you don’t have the time or energy to cook a healthy meal.

Fast food has earned a bad reputation over the years, largely because of its large portion sizes, high fat and sodium contents, and processed ingredients. This is of great concern for Americans with the adult obesity rate currently sitting at an all-time high.

10 Pros and Cons of Fast Food

• History of Fast Food.
• Pros of Fast Food. Saves Time. Variety and Affordability. Anytime Food. Healthy Choices. Nutrients Information.
• Cons of Fast Food. High Calorie Food. Risk of Obesity. Digestion Issues. Can be Expensive. Alters One’s Body.

Fast food outlets should be banned because they do a lot of malpractices going on in order to attract customers. For example, they cook food in poor quality oil which is very harmful to the human body, and often fast foods are packed in plastic polythene which harms the environment too.

Yes – Street food should be banned: The quality of oil and the raw food items that are used in cooking may not be suitable to maintain good health. A lot of these street foods are junk foods that are unhealthy and addictive. Street food carts are often exposed to dust and vehicular pollution.

17 healthy versions of your favorite junk foods that are actually worth buying

• MAC & CHEESE: Banza.
• CHIPS: Siete Grain Free Tortilla Chips.
• BREAD: Dave’s Killer Bread.
• CHEESE DOODLES: Pirate’s Booty Aged White Cheddar.
• ICE CREAM: Yasso Greek Yogurt Pops.
• LOLLIPOPS: Yum Earth Organic Pops.
• BEEF JERKY: Biltong Beef Jerky.

Here are 15 of the unhealthiest junk foods in America.

1. Pop Tarts. Kellogg’s Pop Tarts have been around since the 1960s.
2. Arby’s Curly Fries.
3. Popeyes Chicken Tenders.
4. Cinnabon Caramel Pecanbon.
5. Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino.
6. Outback Steakhouse Bloomin’ Onion.
7. Burger King Oreo Shake.
8. Corn Dogs.

Here are five well-planned cheat meals to give you a metabolic boost and stop you feeling deprived of your favourite foods:

• Naked cheeseburger and sweet potato fries.
• Mac ‘n’ cheese with chickpea pasta.
• Fish tacos.
• Pancakes.
• Loaded nachos.

Our Top 5 Healthy Chips

• Bare Veggie Chips.
• Saffron Road Baked Lentil Chips.
• Eat Your Vegetables Chips.
• Beanitos White or Black Bean Chips.
• Baked Ruffles Cheddar and Sour Cream Potato Chips.
• Chili Cheese Fritos.
• Cheetos.
• Kettle Brand Potato Chips.

Potato chips are a food that is considered rich in calories but not nutrient dense. You will want to consider potato chips a sometime food instead of an everyday food because of the caloric content. It’s a matter of balancing out your calories with the calories you can burn off.

• Chips: Food Should Taste Good. Food Should Taste Good.
• Marshmallows: Smashmallow. Snackapade/Instagram.
• Cheese puffs: Hippeas. Hippeas/Instagram.
• Gummy candy: SmartSweets. Amazon.
• Granola: gr8nola. Amazon.
• Cookies: Lenny & Larry’s. Lenny & Larry’s/Instagram.
• Candy bars: Larabar.
• Flavored popcorn: Angie’s Boomchickapop.

Simply7 Snacks Instead of potatoes, these tasty snacks are made with either quinoa, hummus (chickpeas) or lentil bases – all of which are naturally gluten free. The hummus chips, for example, have 40 percent less fat than regular, fried potato chips, yet still have that characteristic crunch you’d expect from a chip.

Because of popcorn’s high fiber content, its low calorie count and its low energy density, popcorn is considered to be a food that can aid in weight loss. For example, popcorn has been shown to make people feel fuller than a similar calorie amount of potato chips.

Veggie straws These airy, crunchy, straw-shaped crisps contain no protein or fiber, lack nutrients, and are only slightly better than potato chips because they contain a little less fat. For a healthier, authentic veggie alternative, try munching on celery sticks or baby carrots with a tasty dipping sauce, like hummus.

Channel Stress Away From Salty and Crunchy Snacks What you may be craving is something crunchy, like salty potato chips and pretzels (Snyder’s own personal vice). Cravings for salty, crunchy foods might indicate “frustration, anger, stress, or resentment,” she adds.

Recommended. But while it’s common knowledge that indulging a chip habit too often can lead to weight gain, it may also affect mortality rates, researchers have now shown.

Salt cravings are common and are usually the result of factors such as boredom or stress. Occasionally, a salt craving can be tied to a medical condition or a sodium deficiency.

What causes salt craving? Salt craving is a compelling or extreme desire to consume salt or salty foods. Craving for salt is a common symptom of Addison’s disease (decreased production of hormones by the adrenal glands), dehydration, and electrolyte imbalances. It can also be seen in rare kidney disorders.

Higher risk of hyponatremia (low blood levels of sodium) Hyponatremia is a condition characterized by low levels of sodium in the blood. Its symptoms are similar to those caused by dehydration. In severe cases, the brain may swell, which can lead to headaches, seizures, coma, and even death ( 27 ).

The 16 Healthiest Salty Snacks

1. Salted macadamia nuts.
2. Sardines.
3. Homemade sweet potato chips.
4. Olives.
5. Edamame.
6. Whipped goat cheese dip and veggies.
7. Veggie chips.
8. Salted avocado slices or guacamole.

Eat these foods: Look for foods rich in potassium, since this electrolyte will help your kidneys flush out excess salt. When in doubt, think fresh fruit and veggies, since many have high levels of potassium. Bananas, strawberries, leafy greens, melons, citrus fruits – all of these are great sources of potassium.

That is the role of the kidneys. Urine is a liquid waste formed by the kidneys as they filter the blood….Excretion.

Researchers have found that using lemon juice and/or zest can help people reduce their sodium intake by as much as 75 percent, since lemon is a natural enhancer that intensifies flavors. Salt is one of the oldest cooking ingredients known to man.

Chronic caffeine intake increases urinary sodium excretion without affecting plasma sodium concentration.

Drinking lots of water helps flush sodium from your kidneys; staying hydrated will also help you feel less bloated.

Black coffee contains a number of micronutrients, notably potassium, magnesium and niacin. The sodium level is very low.

Incorporate foods with potassium like sweet potatoes, potatoes, greens, tomatoes and lower-sodium tomato sauce, white beans, kidney beans, nonfat yogurt, oranges, bananas and cantaloupe. Potassium helps counter the effects of sodium and may help lower your blood pressure.

Hyponatremia is more likely in people living with certain diseases, like kidney failure, congestive heart failure, and diseases affecting the lungs, liver or brain. It often occurs with pain after surgery. Also, people taking medications like diuretics and some antidepressants are more at risk for this condition.

It might raise your chances of things like enlarged heart muscle, headaches, heart failure, high blood pressure, kidney disease, kidney stones, osteoporosis, stomach cancer, and stroke.

6 easy steps to reduce sodium in your diet

1. Cut the salt, keep the flavor.
2. Don’t add so much table salt.
3. Find flavor in herbs and spices.
4. Skip the condiments or choose low sodium versions.
5. Wash canned or frozen vegetables.
6. Read nutrition labels.
7. Think natural.
8. Low-sodium meal plan: A one-day look at a low-sodium diet.