Healthy fast food – a contradiction in terms?
We all know what it can be like at work: constant stress, meetings, and deadlines. Sometimes the only way to have any lunch at all is to eat at your desk. And yet, even on days like this it's still possible to enjoy a healthy balanced diet.
The brain uses up about a fifth of all the energy we absorb in the form of food and drink. You can boost your personal motivation, resilience and concentration by eating a varied diet containing the right balance of carbohydrates, proteins, fats and liquids.
Maybe you simply don't have the time to relax and have lunch in the restaurant or canteen, but this doesn't have to be a problem. If you choose the right mix of ingredients, a sandwich, burger or other type of fast food can still make a healthy meal.
- Sandwiches: A sandwich, if possible with wholemeal bread, ham, chicken, tuna, dried meat or cheese – eaten along with a salad, raw vegetables or simply a piece of fruit – is a balanced meal.
- Salad: A mixed salad featuring tuna, egg, prawns or cheese is a good basis, and a piece of wholemeal bread can provide all the necessary carbohydrates.
- Quiche: Quiche with cheese or vegetables has a carbohydrate-rich pastry base, a protein-rich component of some kind (e.g. eggs, cheese, milk, ham or tuna) and vegetables. If the quiche does not contain vegetables, you should combine it with some fruit or vegetables. Pastry, whether shortcrust or puff, contains a lot of fat, so quiche should only be eaten occasionally.
- Hamburger: The burger element in a hamburger can often be quite fatty. However, a simple hamburger combined with a salad is a relatively balanced meal because the meat component is not excessive. However, a double hamburger with fries is an extremely high-calorie meal which should be eaten very occasionally.
- Kebab: A kebab consisting of bread, meat and vegetables (tomatoes, salad and onions) is a complete – if sometimes too large – meal. However, since the proportions of the individual components can be less than ideal, it can be a good idea to ask for more vegetables or to eat a piece of fruit or some vegetables along with your kebab.
- Asian food: Takeaway meals consisting of rice, meat and vegetables or soups which contain everything can be perfectly balanced. However, you should be aware of the relative amounts of carbohydrate and protein in your meal and ensure that it contains enough fruit and vegetables.
Contribution to your health
SWICA supports persons insured under a COMPLETA PRAEVENTA or OPTIMA plan with contributions towards nutritional analysis, nutritional advice and courses on conscious healthy eating.
01.02.2017
In the event of further health-related questions, SWICA customers can contact the santé24 telemedicine service free of charge on +41 44 404 86 86. A telemedicine practice licence allows santé24 physicians to provide additional medical services in cases that are suited to a telemedicine approach. SWICA customers can also use the BENECURA medical app to carry out a digital SymptomCheck and receive recommendations about what to do next. During a subsequent phone call with santé24, customers can decide for themselves whether to release their information from SymptomCheck to santé24.
