One of the most
popular dishes in the world, Pizza has found itself in the middle of
conversations about advantages and disadvantages of its utilization. Today’s
life is rushing hour so there is nothing better than getting a ready meal. Notwithstanding
how much the chef’s praise the benefits of fresh food, towards the end of a
hard-working day, even as one returns home all tired and hungry, a pizza or a
burger can be bonus, that is food prepared and served quickly is termed as
'fast food'. Such type of food suits perfectly into the fast paced life of a
working individual however scientists
tested the impact long term effects of pizza on the metabolism. Pizza can
actually be very dietary meal that can provide plenty nourishment to our body and
metabolism.
The most evident advantage
of fast food is that it saves time. In today's fast-paced life, in addition the
time an individual has to spend in the kitchen, cooking a meal also requires
one to make a trip to the supermarket to buy the ingredients for the dish. Then
there is the added effort and time consumed in washing and peeling the
vegetables. All this makes eating fast food score more preferably over cooking
a meal for a busy individual. Besides time, cost saving gives fast food an edge
over the meal prepared in the kitchen. If one lives alone, then it is cheaper
to buy a meal at the supermarket instead of cooking it at home. Also certain
fast foods like fries and burgers come pretty cheap.
Fast food does raise health concerns. However, if careful, you can find some
options on the menu of a fast food restaurant that could be healthier. Salads
are a smart choice. Go for bread products that are made from wheat bread.
Select for lean meat. If you could choose between the fried and boiled options,
order the boiled preparation. Avoid ordering carbonic drinks when you are
thirsty. Go for fruit juices, low-fat milk, and diet soda. Is there anything
better than plain water to quench your thirst? These days, nutrition
information of the food served (and ingredients used) is displayed in the menu
card. You could always resort to the 'make to order' option that certain fast
food outlets offer, where you could restrict the use of ingredients that are
not healthy. As dessert does not play an important role in the fast food meal
menu, you can keep yourself away from delicious and tempting sugary dishes.
If you don't put veggies
on your pizza, maybe it's time to start. Onions are rich in sulfur compounds
and flavonoids which help to maintain a healthy immune system and may reduce
the risk of certain types of cancer. Onions have also been shown to promote a
healthy heart. Other veggies that can add antioxidant and nutritional punch to
pizza are artichokes, spinach, red peppers, broccoli, and even slices of
steamed squash. A veggie filled slice of pizza is a tasty way to get your daily
vegetable quota.
That layer of cheese that
makes your pizza slice rich and gooey is a good source of bone building
calcium. Some studies have also shown that a high calcium diet can help to
reduce the risk of colon cancer. Despite these benefits, cheese is also high in
fat, so cut the cheese in half and double up on the tomato sauce for a
healthier slice of pizza.
Even pizza crust can be
healthy if made from whole grains. Before you make your next homemade pizza,
search the internet for a recipe for whole grain pizza crust and you'll be
adding fiber to every delicious bite you take.
With a few minor changes,
you can enjoy the great taste of a hot slice of pizza without even a twinge of
guilt.Negative health issues can
come if pizza is made with no regard for its end quality (poor quality
ingredients, bad recipes, etc). Frozen pizzas and ones created in large pizza
chains have in the past been criticized for their amounts high salt, fat and
calories. One of the largest pizza chains on earth Pizza Hut in one period of time sold food that enclosed more than
twice the daily recommended amount of salt for an adult.
Advantages of Fast Food
Besides time, cost saving gives fast food an edge over the meal prepared in the
kitchen. If one lives alone, in that case it is cheaper to buy a meal at the
supermarket instead of cooking it at home. Also certain fast foods like fries
and burgers come pretty cheap.
Fast food does increase health concerns. However, you can find some options on
the menu of a fast food restaurant that could be healthier. Salads are a smart
choice. Go for bread products that are made from wheat bread. Opt for lean
meat. If you could choose between the fried and boiled options, order the
boiled preparation. Avoid ordering carbonic drinks when you are thirsty. Go for
fruit juices, low-fat milk, and diet soda. Is there anything better than plain
water to quench your thirst? These days, nutrition information of the food
served (and ingredients used) is displayed in the menu card. You could always
resort to the 'make to order' option that certain fast food outlets offer,
where you could restrict the use of ingredients that are not healthy. As
dessert does not play an important role in the fast food meal menu, you can
keep yourself away from delicious and tempting sugary dishes.
Disadvantages of Fast Food
Usually, fast food is higher in soya, fat, sugar, oil, fried meat, salt,
cheese, mayonnaise and obviously calories. The maximum disadvantage of fast
food is the difficult effect that it has on one's health. It is a truth that
fast food is more unhealthy than home-cooked meals, as it contains higher
amounts of unwanted nutrients like salt, fat and various types of additives
(artificial chemicals). It may contain damaging bacteria too. Frying destroys
most of the necessary nutrients from the food. Very small amounts of vegetables
and fruits are normally present in fast food. Moreover, 'serving larger
portions' when most people don't need extra portions has led to several health
problems. We require a small amount of salt to maintain the health of the cells
and tissues. Fast food being rich in salt, adversely affects the heart health
and the overall health of an individual. Such type of food is an important
contributor to obesity in the American population. Obesity is on the rise, and
a direct link is being cited between fast food and obesity in children.
Given the inactive lifestyle that we show the way today, the overload fats and
calories that we take in with fast food is not used up completely. The result
is that these collect in our body as fat drops that cause complication like
cardiovascular diseases and other related diseases of the heart. With obesity
come other problems like high blood pressure and diseases of the joints. It is
like a chain reaction set off by fast food and carried forward by our harmful
lifestyle. In fact, a recent study has shown that people who live within
walking distance of a fast food restaurant are at 13% higher danger of
suffering from strokes than those who live a substantial distance away.
The greater the number of people at a meal in a fast food restaurant, the
larger is the bill. Eating at fast food outlets is economical only for a single
person. Going out to a fast food eating joint with family once in a while won't
matter much. However, frequent visits to such restaurants with one's family can
become quite an expensive affair, besides being unhealthy.
Fast foods joints are also being seen as a factor that is making a number of
families spends less and less time together. Family meal time is something that
is considered as an opportunity for all the members to come together and share
their experiences. However, the fast food centers are rapidly eating into this
quality time. This is particularly true about youngsters for whom a fast food
center is a good place to hang out with friends and peers.
Fast food is a discovery of the modern times. Ready-made food being served fast
and right in front of us is like a blessing after a hard day's work. Although,
like everything, it has its own pros and cons. mentioning a few points about
the advantages of fast food does not mean that I am denying its weakness. It is
a fact that high amounts of fats and salt in fast food are raising concerns
about their unpleasant effect on health. However, by making some smart choices
while placing the order and also resorting to an active lifestyle, we can
definitely reduce the weakness of fast food.
Miss Thanatphat Jaroensasipattana ID:523080329-4
