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Seriously lets talk about food the way it is

4K views 44 replies 19 participants last post by  cheflayne 
#1 · (Edited)
Lets get one thing clear:

1. People eat fast food because it tastes really good and they just dont care that it is killing their health.

2. Restaurant food is NOT tastier than fast food, it is just healthier and kind of interesting - so good for snobs also and other people whose minds float in the clouds rather than in the real world.

3. Healthy food is cheap and needs to be prepared at home.

Thanks for your attention.

And if you are going to say that restaurant gourmet food is tastier than mcdonalds - if you think hard enough that it is, it becomes.
 
#2 ·
1. People eat fast food because it tastes really good and they just dont care that it is killing their health.

Really? I though people eat fast food because they want something fast and filling and cheap.

2. Restaurant food is NOT tastier than fast food, it is just healthier and kind of interesting - so good for snobs also and other people whose minds float in the clouds rather than in the real world.

Really? Take that same fast food and put in on a plate with real silverware, a wait person, tablecloth and dining room....but it still fast food..

3. Healthy food is cheap and needs to be prepared at home.

Really? A bag of potato chips is cheaper than a bag of apples.....Many people can't afford to eat healthy because that food is expensive. It IS cheaper to eat crap.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Fast food is inferior food because they use inferior ingredients and preparation methods. I can agree that most fast food doesn't taste bad but if you give me a choice between even a step up to say a Ruby Tuesday cheddar burger on a pretzel roll, I'm taking that over a big mac every time.

KFC chicken doesn't taste as good as most any mom and pop diner because they use scrawny little chickens and the stuff sits under heat lamps drying out so that it can be fast.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Lets get one thing clear:
You said that and then you went on to talk about three points. Which of the three is the one that you wanted to make clear?
Lets get one thing clear:

1...

2...

3...
I think it is more that people are used to and conditioned to fast food and the sugars that are in them. Pavlovian dogs. I used to love McDonald's and Coca-Cola.

Over time my diet has slowly shifted to one where I pay more attention to what I put into it. I can not tell you the last time I ate at a fast food place, but it has been a few years. I actually lived for a few years on some islands where their were no chain fast food joints. I do remember the last I ate at a McDonald's though and I remember my reaction was one of stunned amazement that at one time I actually liked this so called food. This was not the way I remembered it being at all! The same reaction to Coca-Cola.

I have really gotten into global street food and it far surpasses the wildest dreams that a Big Mac ever had. Last year I got introduced to a nacatamal made by a tiny little old grandmother in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. OMG! I think it cost a buck, who cares! Conch fritters and ceviche made on the dock by the owner of a fishing boat in Caye Caulker. Can it get any fresher! Goat rotis in the BVI. Com tamt in Little Saigon. The list goes on and on. It also inspires me in my cooking at home and I have only scraped the tip of the culinary iceberg that is global street food. So many flavors. So many cuisines and cultures.
Thanks for your attention.
I am sorry....I digressed...what were you saying?
 
#9 ·
Lets get one thing clear:

1. People eat fast food because it tastes really good and they just dont care that it is killing their health.
Interesting premise. You've not supported it with anything other than your opinion. If you look at the sales, at least in the US, most of the big name fast food chains are having a poor year. McDonalds, Burger King, Wendys, all down this year.

Taste, certainly there are people who love it and don't care about the health but as a percentage of the population, I suspect it's low based on the sales of other restauarants and grocery stores. Again, pending evidence, I think the generalization is overly broad and useless.

As to the really good taste claim, again the evidence doesn't really support the claim. It's not the worst thing I've eaten, I'll grant that.
2. Restaurant food is NOT tastier than fast food, it is just healthier and kind of interesting - so good for snobs also and other people whose minds float in the clouds rather than in the real world.
It's not necessarily healthier or interesting. Again very over generalized. There are good examples of healthier and better and fatty and salty as well in both restaurant and home cooking. And there are times I want fat and salt.
3. Healthy food is cheap and needs to be prepared at home.

Thanks for your attention.

And if you are going to say that restaurant gourmet food is tastier than mcdonalds - if you think hard enough that it is, it becomes.
Healthy food can be inexpensive, but tends to have a time commitment many can't make or don't the have skills for. It can be and is prepared in many places.

While you make a final point about perception is reality, it's not universally true that everyone perceives McDonalds food as tastier. The evidence of people in this thread is proof enough.
 
#16 ·
@phatch
I've just been reading the quarterly reports articles in CNN Money, Forbes, and such.

McDonalds publishes many reports.

http://news.mcdonalds.com/Corporate/Press-Releases/Financial-News
MacD

In October, U.S. comparable sales decreased 1.0% amid strong competitive activity. To restore business momentum, the U.S. is revamping its marketing approach, simplifying the menu and creating a new organizational structure. These initiatives are designed to better address consumer preferences and the competitive dynamics of the local markets in which we compete by bringing decision making closer to our customers.

WOW! this is innovative, I can't believe someone hadn't thought of this before./img/vbsmilies/smilies/talker.gif
 
#17 ·
I wasn't allowed to eat fast food until I was a teenager, and the only things I liked from there were the animal crackers (remember those?) and the ice cream. Most fast food is gross, makes me feel sick--but yeah, I'd have the occasional Burger King chicken sandwich or burger. It's not really even cost-effective anymore.
 
#18 ·
I wasn't allowed to eat fast food until I was a teenager, and the only things I liked from there were the animal crackers (remember those?) and the ice cream. Most fast food is gross, makes me feel sick--but yeah, I'd have the occasional Burger King chicken sandwich or burger. It's not really even cost-effective anymore.
You're so right, it's not cost effective anymore! I'm shocked at how much these "burgers" cost considering what little meat is in them.

When I eat McDonalds I inevitably get a tummy ache right afterwards, especially if I have an egg mcmuffin. Without fail.

The french fries are good when they are fresh out of the fryer, but you have to eat them fast because in less than 5 minutes they freeze into something that is not identifiable as a potato anymore.... and they stay that way for years as I have come to find out when I was cleaning out my old car lol.

I'll go out of my way for a McRib every year when they roll around again but then regret it afterwards - they also seem to be getting sweeter as the years go by.

The burger at BK is almost decent, if I have to eat a fast food burger it will be BK. But the french fries are terrible as are the chicken nuggets.

Wendys - Chicken nuggets are goo, I won't go near their burgers or their fries.

KFC - I try to avoid at all costs but I don't hate their hot wings.

Popeyes - good stuff, guilty pleasure

White Castle - you can't pay me enough to eat those

At the end of the day I get a much better sandwich at the local deli and a better burger at a diner, unless I'm after a quick french fry or some fried chicken I have no reason to go to a fast food restaurant, it is always my last choice. Does that make me a snob? Don't know. Does it make me live in the clouds? Nah. I just have better taste than that.
 
#19 · (Edited)
The burger at BK is almost decent, if I have to eat a fast food burger it will be BK. But the french fries are terrible as are the chicken nuggets.

Wendys - Chicken nuggets are goo, I won't go near their burgers or their fries.
Interesting input kk.. I agree burger king has a nice burger just because they really do have that "flame broiled" thing going on and it stands apart from other places in that flavor. The other day I was at the car wash next to a BK and it was POURING smoke and the whole place smelled like a backyard BBQ.

I have to say, at least in the past, both of my older brothers worked at Wendys and told me the meat is legit, it's never frozen, trucked in every day or other day under refrigeration. I have a lot of fond memories of Wendys.. frosty over milkshake any day!

But.. the BEST fast food burger I ever had.. you have to go way way back.. 26 years now for me. Checkers. The checker burger was well seasoned with salt and pepper, good quality beef, the veges (red onion, shredded lettuce, tomato, pickles) were fresh and crisp and more than anything.. they used real cheddar slices. Those days are long gone though .. no real cheddar on them anymore /img/vbsmilies/smilies/frown.gif
 
#20 ·
Interesting, I've never been to Checkers.  I have fond memories of Hardee's when my Mother would always buy me a chicken sandwich from there after my violin lessons.  Good times.  There are no Hardees where I live now.

About the Wendy's burgers, I don't like their flavor.  I think they put cumin in the spice mix.  

Now there are new fast food places and Chipotles is fantastic, good quality ingredients, fast service and wonderful food.  It's pricy though.  And there is a Korean fried chicken place called Boc Boc that has UHMazing chicken AND it's organic.  

Taco bell I can do without.
 
#21 ·
Haven't had McDonald's since the 1970s. Can't stand the smell when I pass one. I don't remember eating at a BK probably since the 1960s and know I never ate at Wendy's. There used to be a KFC in the parking lot of the neighborhood grocery store and that smell nauseated me as well. I was very thankful when it closed and was replaced by a totally unnecessary bank. Not exactly fast food but I can't stand the smell of Dunkin' Donuts, either.

I agree that Chipotle is pretty good, but that's the only chain fast food I think I've eaten in at least 30 years.

I live in a very ethnically diverse part of Chicago. My go-to fast food options are bahn mi shops and falafel joints. There used to also be a great Korean market with ready-made take out Korean "street" food, which I miss terribly.  Just the idea of regular American fast food leaves me cold. Maybe because I was vegetarian for about 30 years. It never even occurs to me to eat it. 
 
#22 · (Edited)
My son, an engineer with a multi-national, was on his first trip to Taiwan and at lunchtime the engineering staff announced they had a special treat; they proudly took him to.. a McDonald's.

He later said he hadn't been in a McD in about eight years and, with any luck, it would be another eight before he was in one again. As far as I know, he has succeeded in keeping that resolve.

He also says that, when the crew takes you to a local restaurant (Chinese, surprisingly enough) you need to ask very carefully about the ingredients, or you may find yourself eating something really astonishing.

Bon Appetit!

Mike

Our one FF indulgence is Subway. We've always found them a dependable place for a nice - not sensational, but nice - and clean Italian Sub, for which I have an incurable fondness
 
#23 ·
My freaking mother-in-law proudly announced once that she'd treat us to McD's for dinner--and I could not believe it. That is not dinner, that is desperation "food." and the fries suck if you don't wolf them down within 2 minutes of them being out of the fryer.

So I'm planning Christmas dinner at my home, and I just ask her if she has any extra chairs--and she suggests that we just go to Little Caesar's. Little Freaking Caesar's! For Christmas dinner? Cheap-ass gross pizza?

I simply said "No."

I don't want to be a snob, but that's just the unthinkable for me.
 
#25 ·
Never cared for the flame broiled burgers @ the King.

Believe it or not, the nearest McDonalds, Wendy's Burger King, are 70 miles away....(hard to believe these days as they are everywhere)

I can live with that.

I can't remember that last time I had fast food. I do remember that I get a weird stomach afterwards.
 
#26 · (Edited by Moderator)
Ah I love love love this topic, and I'm especially interested in class issues in food.

Just a few parameters/thoughts:

1. We're talking about a few categories of food here.

"Fast food" (the chain, multinational store kind), "fine dining" (the independent, sit down, expensive, small food on big plate kind), and "home food" (the kind you associate with a village, farm, your grandmother, Rachael Ray, etc.).

2. It's kind of funny, because the way I see it, fast food can be both "healthy" and "unhealthy", as with fine dining, as with home-cooked food.

I once had a pretty clean egg white cheddar sandwich from some random shop in Boston. It was as fast as fast food gets, and it was $2. I also once had lovely gnocchi in butter and shaved parmesan in a swanky Italian restaurant in downtown SF. I think I did better healthwise with the $2 sandwich.

You'd probably do better eating a turkey subway than a hearty risotto. But let's say you're a single mom working two jobs. You don't have time to stir and stir with a serene Alice Waters-esque face on, plus you have a gazillion things on your mind, so you grab a fast food $4-ish turkey sub while rushing to your next shift.

3. When you're poor, "healthy food" might be lower down your priority list.

First off, compulsory reading for anyone claiming to be interested in both food and social justice issues. This is Linda Tirado, she talks about poverty and food choices - http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/sep/21/linda-tirado-poverty-hand-to-mouth-extract

Let's just imagine fast food is indeed all unhealthy junk, way more terrible than any restaurant food.

It's still cheap, it's still fast. Without even talking about taste, cheap + fast still means a lot to an exhausted working class person with a tiny lunch budget. I've never been in this situation, lucky me. But I'd totally understand a person with zero f**ks to give about whether their lunch is gluten free, low fat; too spent on a tight budget to count their calories.

4. Actually, I have more questions about the moral and aesthetic meanings we attach to food.

How did we learn to self-flagellate over food? And how did we develop an eye for presentation? The very moment we talk about "food choices", we enter a mode of thinking that assumes everyone thinks of food as choice, a representation of bodily discipline and a refined palate.
 
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