Summer is the time when we often like to grab "fast food" on the run.  Many of these fast foods say they're healthy, BUT are they really?  We live in a society of "fast food" pretenders.  Foods that pretend to be healthy but in reality wreck your health.  Here's 8 foods (& drinks) to watch out for!

1. Caesar Salad:  The dressing for this salad is most often loaded in saturated fats.  Try either eliminating the dressing and using lemon juice and a small amount of olive oil or ask for the dressing on the side and only add 1 - 2 tablespoons.
2. Diet sodas:  While these have no calories, they have been shown to increase appetite and cause other health problems.  Drink water.
3. Enhanced or vitamin water:  These are enhanced more with sugar than vitamins.  Drink plain water.
4. Breakfast muffins:  Loaded with sugar and fat and low in protein, they are not a healthy balanced breakfast and often top 500 calories.  Pick a different breakfast or eat a smaller portion of the muffin and add some protein to the meal.
5. Iceberg lettuce:  This lettuce has very limited nutritional value.  Choose a darker green lettuce; the more color, the more vitamins and minerals it will have.
6. Commercial coleslaw:  Most often it is loaded with dressings that are high in omega-6 fats (too much omega-6’s increase your risk of heart disease).  Take the dressing on the side or choose raw veggies as a side.
7. Commercial fruit smoothies:  These are often packed with sugar and have very little protein. 
8. Energy bars:  Often loaded with unhealthy fats and sugars.  They are not much more than an oversized and overpriced candy bar.

If you are looking for a healthy fast food alternative for those times when you're in just too much of a hurry to prepare a proper meal or snack, check out my favorite shakes and bars here.