Fast Food Will Cost you more than You Think

Fast Food is a part of daily life for many. It's not always by choice but a convenient option in the fast paced world we live in.

Fast Food definition - is food that can be purchased and served quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered fast food such as TV dinners, typically the term refers to food which is cooked in bulk in advance, kept warm and sold from an outlet. Outlets may be stands or kiosks, which may provide no shelter or seating, or fast food restaurants(also known as quick service restaurants.)

This was a regular option for my family for awhile, after my wife and I worked all day being pretty tired and all we had to do was mention take-out to the kids and we instantly became the best parents in the world.

When you think of fast food the first thing that comes to your mind are all of the major U.S. franchise corporations like McDonalds,Burger King,Wendy's,KFC, and many more.

There's a twist when it comes to living in a largely populated city like Philadelphia, as the number of these types of businesses are multiplied.

What I mean is that in a 4 block radius of my home there are not any major Franchises but there are mom and pop operations like Chinese take out,Pizza Shops,Philly cheesteak and hoagie shop and it seems that every corner store has a deli area in the back of the store.

One thing I know for sure is that eating these types of food along with the soda or beer to help wash it down definitely puts the weight on.

You've seen the articles and tv cooking shows that tell you that a certain hamburger or sandwich can account for the majority of the suggested calorie intake for the entire day.

Before we get into the calories just look at a few Fast Food Facts.

Oklahoma City,OK has been the breeding ground for Fast Food franchises because of cheap land and uncongested traffic.

There are over 300,000 fast food locations in the U.S.

It was projected in 2006 that Fast Food business would reach 143 billion dollars in sales.

When it comes to this type of food you have to be concerned with your calorie,cholesterol,and fat intake which isn't always pretty. Always keep in mind that the suggested calorie intake for men is 2,600 calories and women 2,000 calories a day to maintain your desired weight.

Great Food Storage,Safety,and Preparation information for Your Home

McDonalds Big Mac 600 calories/ 85 mg cholesterol / 32 grams of fat

McDonalds Supersize French Fries 610 calories/ 0 mg cholesterol / 29 grams of fat

Dominos Pizza 4 slices of sausage and pepperoni and a 16 oz soda 1000 calories/ 62mg cholesterol / 28 grams of fat

Fast Food Surprises

Arby's Light Roast Chicken Sandwich

276 calories / 33 mg Cholesterol / 7 grams of fat

Burger Kings Crunch Chicken Salad

142 calories / 49 mg Cholesterol / 4 grams of fat

Wendy's Chilli

210 calories / 30 mg Cholesterol / 7 grams of fat

The economy is pretty rough right now along with a son in college has made us tighten our wallet and purse, and the take out adventures are far and between (thank goodness we didn't have an adjustable mortgage).

But we still like the taste of fast food so I am going to purchase one of those copycat restaurant recipe books and make my own take out and casual dining dishes as I know that I will save a considerable amount of money.

One day I bought all of the ingredients to make Philly style hoagies, cold cuts,vegetables,italian rolls to make turkey hoagies for the family. Guess what? Rave reviews they said they tasted better than the ones from the hoagie shop, top secret-you need to buy the Dietz and Watson hoagie oil.

I kinda tallied up the groceries and it came out to approximately $13-$15 this included a 99 cent bag of chips and a .99 two liter soda. If I had ordered 4 turkey hoagies,a two liter soda and a bag of chips it would have easily have been $24 or more.

With that being said will I ever stop eating fast food NOT!!! Will I continue to eat Philly Cheesteaks,Hoagies,Big Macs and Whoppers of course.

But will I make a commitment to slow down my fast food intake for health reasons and financial reasons definitely.