Food from some of the world's most popular fast food brands. (Photo: AFP)

Fast foods are quick, reasonably priced and readily available alternatives to home cooking, but they are typically high in calories, fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt.

But in spite of the known nutritional inadequacies, fast foods are here to stay. Simply cutting them out of the diet seems unlikely for a variety of reasons. Fast food consumption has become an almost weekly, and in some cases daily, event in many lives.

This trend is worrying as increased consumption of these meals have been implicated in the rising prevalence of obesity and obesity-related diseases.
But can fast food truly be healthy? Is there such a thing as a healthy fast food? Of course.

What could be healthier than a fresh-picked fruit or faster for that matter ? Fruits and some vegetables may be eaten raw as part of a healthy well-balanced diet. However, while fresh fruits can be quite satisfying and are some times used to replace meals, very few persons see them as more than a snack or something to be eaten in addition to food.

Nonetheless there are healthy fast foods. All foods by virtue of the fact that they provide nutrients are nutritious and in the correct amount can in fact be part of a healthy well-balanced diet.

Fast food qualifies as a part of a healthy diet if it:

. Contributes to part of one or all of the basic food groups
1. Milk dairy products
2. Servings of breads cereals/grains
3. Servings of fruits/ servings of vegetables
4. Serving of meat or meat substitutes to equal six ounces

. Allows you to keep the following nutrients low in the diet:

1.Sugar
2. Fat, especially saturated and trans fat
3. Salt
4. Calories