Eating fast food may be inevitable for some, but weight gain doesn’t have to be.

Sandra Meister, a graduate student in the nutrition and dietetics department, decided to research several area fast food restaurants that accept Huskie Bucks in an attempt to find healthier dining options for students lacking in both time and money.

“I was inspired to do the research after speaking with NIU athletes last semester about nutrition,” Meister said. “I went online to check out the kinds of food that the cafeteria was serving and ran across restaurants in DeKalb that accept Huskie Bucks.”

What started as a small project quickly became a full-fledged research opportunity.

“I was immediately interested in finding out what food choices these restaurants offered and it inspired me to go out and collect menus, or find menus online,” she said. “I am in no position to tell students never to eat fast food again; that is unrealistic. Instead, I can lead them in the right direction to make good choices while they are there.”

In her research, Meister analyzed the menus of 19 area restaurants, producing a 16-page report listing the best options from each, while also offering advice on healthy dining.

“There are more healthy choices out there than I thought there would be,” Meister said. “On each menu, I was looking for the leanest meats possible for sandwiches, low-fat dressings and condiments and side items.”

Ultimately, moderation is key, Meister said.

“Eating burgers, fries and pizza every day is not OK,” she said. “Foods such as these, along with candy, chips and pop should be treats, eaten in small portions every now and then.”

These foods are nothing more than empty calories, meaning they are high in fat, calories and sugar, but have very few nutrients, Meister said.