It seems most of us can't get enough fast food and it seems to be a lot healthier than it used to be. Junk food heaven is becoming a dieter's dream as fast food outlets answer the call of consumers' changing taste buds.
Now on the menu are salads, skin-free chicken and toasted sandwiches, not to forget the subtle changes of extra salad on our burgers and less cheese on our pizzas.
Doctor Stephen Dann is a marketing lecturer at Griffith University.
He says it is up to consumers to see through the slick commercials and decide for themselves what is and is not healthy.
"At the moment with fast food we're seeing a lot of companies trying to bring in healthy alternatives and in the junk food market bringing in baked goods," he said.
But Dr Dann warns that our judgement of the health value of food is often simply based on appearances.
"A lot of times it's what people feel and the emotional response. If they think it's healthy - they can see a piece of lettuce and they can see some greenery in the burger - they think it's actually a healthier choice and a healthy alternative," he said.
"Some of the alternatives they're providing look good on the surface but it's up to us as consumers to be aware and read the fine print."
With that advice in mind, we decided to put some well known fast food outlets to the test.
On our menu were pizzas, burgers, kebabs, pies, salads, sandwiches, sushi, and muffins, all found in a typical shopping-centre food court.
Nutritionist Trudi Williams was sceptical of how nutritious some of the new "healthy alternatives" would prove to be.
"If you're eating fast foods everyday of the week then you have to be very, very careful of what you're choosing," she said.
"I think it's pretty well impossible to avoid fast food entirely, so it's a matter of how you include it in your diet and how you include it in your day."
We measured the protein, total fat and saturated fat, sugars and total carbohydrates in each of the foods.
Mark Dawson supervised the tests we had performed at Symbio laboratories and was pleasantly surprised with some of the results.
"Basically the felafel comes up really well. It's a very healthy-looking takeaway meal," he said.
With a microwaved chickpea patty and no sauce, nothing was leaner than the felafel kebab with only 0.2 grams of fat.
Fat content
- Uncle Tony's felafel kebab (no sauce) 0.2g
- Muffin Break fruit bran muffin 0.4g
- McDonald's Caesar salad (no dressing) 1.6g
- Chicken and pasta salad 2.0g
- Sushi 2.4g
- McDonald's ham and cheese toasted sandwich 2.6
"When you look at them ... it's very basic food and that's what you're after when you're after fast foods - something very simple and plain," Ms Williams said.
What may surprise you is how our made-to-order sandwiches performed.
A chicken, cheese and mayonnaise sandwich had almost as much fat as a meat pie and more fat than a hot dog with chips.
"Watch out for those sauces. Maybe go for a chilli sauce or a nice spicy sauce. Don't go for those creamy sauces," Ms Williams said.
But what about the real junk food?
"Things that were high in fat were as we'd expect with the fried food, particularly the burgers and the French fries or chips," Mr Dawson said.
KFC chicken and chips tops our list of no no's.
"You're getting more than a third of your energy need in one serve and unless you burn it off, it goes on as fat in the body," Ms Williams said.
Fat content
- KFC 3 piece chicken and chips 16.9g
- Sausage roll 14.2g
- McDonalds' fish and chips 13.9g
- Hungry Jacks' Whopper with fries 13.5g
- KFC Caesar Twister 13.2g
- McDonalds' Big Mac and fries 13.18g
"Always think about what other foods you're choosing that day," Ms Williams said.
"So if you're having a lot of burgers that don't have a big fruit and vegetable component, make sure your other meals make up for those missing elements."
In general, a chicken burger has less fat than a red meat burger and surprisingly, pizza is not a bad option - with half the fat of most burgers and the same fat as a chicken schnitzel or a cheese and mayo roll.
The secret to keeping healthy while eating fast food is moderation.
"Take a lot of care out there and you'll be able to find something that's fast but healthy," Ms Williams said.
"Why not grab a piece of fruit? It's fast."
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