Healthy Food vs Fast Food, Which is Better?

Today, many food trends are popping up in all people, starting from a healthy diet, eat foods that are popular on social media and eat fast foods become people’s culture in eating patterns. Moreover, in this pandemic era, we can easily order foods without have to leave our home, plus with more cheap prices, large portions and delicious flavors, make people addict to eat them every day. But, do you know, are fast foods good for your health? Or healthy foods are good solution to maintain your body still healthy during this condition? However, many people believe that healthy food is better consumed in order to maintain our health. Here, there are many different impacts that are felt by our body when we eat healthy foods with fast foods that can prove and strengthen the evidence that healthy food is better for us.

First, the impact when we eat healthy foods is that our body weight can become ideal and healthful, but fast foods can gain your weight and cause the obesity. This is happening because healthy foods contain many substances to fulfill nutritional needs of the body, such as carbohydrate, mineral, vitamin, protein, fat and fiber. Healthy foods that contain a lot of nutrients can be obtained from rice, side dishes such as fish, meat, tempe and tofu, then fruits and vegetables. Fruits, vegetables, lean protein and whole grains are useful to supplant high-fat and calorie foods so they make you full longer. Eating these foods is highly recommended in order to maintain an ideal body weight, but we must also pay attention to amount of food we eat and what types of food we should eat. The recommended portion of rice for a meal is the size of a fist or 100 grams per day. Meanwhile, amount of food that we must eat is healthy food with balanced nutrition, which contains complete nutrients, such as carbohydrate, animal and vegetable protein, mineral, vitamins, fat and fiber. By eating foods that are recommended and not excessive, your body will be healthier and your weight will be maintained.

In contrast with healthy foods, fast foods can increase our weight and cause overweight if we eat them. Although, there are fast foods that contain vegetables, but they are low nutrient and high calories. According to dr. Arina Heidyana that is quoted from klikdokter page, burger has nutritional components that are needed by the body, including carbohydrate, protein, and fiber. However, the goodness of these nutrients is “lost” by the content of other ingredients that damage the goodness. 

“Burger contains high of calories, saturated fat, and sodium. So, although this typical American food contains vegetables such as lettuce and some pickled cucumbers, the other ingredients are more detrimental,” she said.

Besides that, the foods that contain high calories can cause the gaining of the body’s weight. The body takes a long time to burn calories so the excess of calories settle inside the body and make your weight become gain. The delicious taste of the fast foods also makes us want to eat more of it.

Second, healthy foods can control the blood glucose in the body, but fast foods can increase it. For diabetics, eat healthy foods are solution to control blood glucose in the body. Various healthy foods that have lower sugar and carbohydrates such as whole wheat bread, fruits that contain lots of water and fiber can reduce and control blood sugar level. In contrast with healthy foods that are good for diabetics, fast foods actually worsen blood sugar level in the body. It is because fast foods contain high in added sugar and refined carbohydrates, so the sugar content in the body will increase. Not to mention, if fast foods are made by using artificial sweeteners. It will cause insulin resistance in the body and hyperglycemia or excess bloods sugar. Sugar content in the blood will remain in the bloodstream in a long time, so it can worsen diabetes.

Third, healthy foods can reduce the risk of serious illness, but fast foods will cause the serious illness. To prevent chronic disease, it’s necessary to do a healthy lifestyle, including eat healthy foods. Incoming nutrition in our body, affects our body condition and our health. The nutrients that our body need must be fulfilled so we can avoid all serious diseases. Fruit and vegetable that have rich of nutrition are able to ward off illness. An example of fruit that have rich of nutrition is banana. Banana is rich of carbohydrates, protein, vitamin A, B, C, fiber, potassium and magnesium which are very useful to maintain healthy heart and blood-vessel and reduce the risk of kidney disease. However, apart from eating healthy foods, we also have to balance it with other healthy lifestyles and exercise regularly.

Unlike healthy foods, fast foods will cause the serious illness. According to dr. Samuel Oetoro, SpGk. (K), all instant foods contain high sodium. The body’s limit for consuming sodium in the form of salt, namely in the chemical formula NaCl is 5- 6 grams or equal to 1 teaspoon. Instant noodles, for example, contain high sodium salt that exceeds the maximum limit. 

“The danger isn’t felt now, the danger (eating instant food or fast food) is the same as you are investing. But, investing in disease,” said dr. Samuel Oetoro.

In people’s lives today, there are many cases of hypertension at a young age because of overeating fast food, for example instant noodles. While the effects of eating fast food are not felt at the moment, they slowly accumulate and eventually cause the sickness, such as coronary heart disease and cholesterol in the future.

Fourth, healthy foods can make your skin look younger and firmer, but the fast foods can trigger acne in your face. When you take care of the nutrition of food that you eat, indirectly you are also taking care of your face to keep it healthy and youthful. A study that have been published in 2019 at Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that men and women who ate vegetables, fruit and fish, had fewer fine lines on their skin. Moreover, if you eat foods that contain carotenoids, your skin will be maintained and become firmer. According to dr.Rizal Fadli on halodoc page, he said,