September is over which means that technically our No More Fast Food Eco-Challenge is over. As I was telling people about what we were doing the majority seemed to think we were crazy and that it would be "impossible" to do. People asked why we were doing this challenge. There are a few reasons:
* Fast food makes you feel like crap. Sluggish, greasy, gross
* There is a ridiculous amount of sodium in fast food (1040mg in a Big Mac)
* No way is any of the food local
* Some companies are known for destructive environmental practices
* Money doesn't grow on trees so there are better places for us to spend it
Regardless of why we were doing it I still thought it would be hard too...more so for Joey than me. But it really wasn't all that hard. Here is what made it easy.
* I stocked us up with homemade burgers and buns so if we craved that we easily had it on hand
* I made sweet potato fries in the oven instead of buying deep fried french fries
* I bought pizza shells and toppings so we could make our own pizza at home
* I started to menu plan again so had what we needed each night
* I prepped food the night before if required (ie: chopping toppings, marinades)
I did slip up once. I had just walked 35 km and I was exhausted and just felt like Wendy's. I craved their spicy chicken sandwich and dipping my fries into Joe's chili. I had no ability to make dinner that night and decided to just eat what I craved.
I can't say that I feel "better" after only a month. I think it takes longer to get it out of your system. But both Joe and I do agree that overall we feel healthier because we made smart meal choices. This Eco-Challenge isn't ending here. We both agreed that the pizza we have been making at home is better than what we had been buying from a local pizza place. The fast food burgers can not even come close to Joe's homemade burgers.
Want to know the nutritional information in your fast food? Check this out.
Related Posts - Check them Out
Weekly Eco-Challenge: Plastic Problems
Weekly Eco-Challenge: Waste Streams
The Earth is Part of Us
An interesting challenge. Glad it worked out for you. With the new habits in place you will be feeling healthier in no time! Love your blog. Have been reading it a couple of weeks and really relate to your eco-quest x
ReplyDeleteI used to have the best eating habits...I barely ever ate fast food at all. But Joe is a 'fast food junkie'! Well mostly just burgers he loves them. So now that we always have something on hand at home for him it makes it easier to feed his 'habit' :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome, good luck with keeping it going!
ReplyDeleteHow did you end up doing Meegs?
ReplyDeleteGood! Besides one time getting pizza and one time getting hoagies (both times when we just had too much going on and were too tired to do anything else), we've been fast food free for over a month! We're going to keep going and see how long we can do. I don't crave it at all anymore.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I crave is fries with gravy.
ReplyDeleteI hear you on this. My family gave up fast food last year (we still eat it from time to time, but extremely rarely). When we tell people that McDonalds is no longer an option for us they don't seem to understand. They look at us like we are nuts.
ReplyDeleteOnce we stopped eating fast food going back to eating it was hard. The last time we ate at McDonalds my husband spent the night throwing up. We are glad that we don't eat it any more.
And it is not even like the burgers are good! Home made burgers (veggie, beef, turkey, chicken)are a million times better.
ReplyDeleteI don't eat fast food, but I think it's hard for many people because sometimes (especially in airports), that might be your only option. I always try to take lots of healthy and organic snacks. Otherwise, we usually cook at home and do left-overs for lunch.
ReplyDeleteI am your newest GFC follower. I found you through Green & Natural Mama Thursday.
All Natural Katie
allnaturalkatie at gmail dot com
http://allnaturalkatie.blogspot.com
You are so right Katie...traveling can be the worst. I used to travel about 90% of the time for work and found it nearly impossible to find healthy alternatives when on the go. Thankfully the hotels I stayed in had better options!
ReplyDeleteGreat challenge, Jenn! JP and I dont really eat out that much. We go to Chipotle which using organic ingredients and tries to source their food locally...food with integrity! And we get the occasion pizza from a local restaurant. We dont do the fast food restaurants and once you stop you dont want to go back! :)
ReplyDeleteOh how I wish we had one of those here!
ReplyDeleteI love the ways that you avoided fast food. It's really not hard to do once you take the option of having fast food off the table. I haven't had it in years, and although I have to admit that Burger King french fries somehow seemed like the Holy Grail to me when I was pregnant, I never actually gave in ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up at the Green & Natural Mamas Linkup!