Fast Food Pros and Cons List

Fast food has become a staple of American culture, an ingrained part of who we are as a people. Its affordability and convenience are unparalleled, but the media typically focuses on the drawbacks. Even though the disadvantages are numerous, few people can resist heading to that drive thru window. Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons.

List of Pros of Fast Food

1. Convenience.
A parent who is working and trying to take their kids to all of their practices and obligations may not have time to sit down and prepare a home cooked meal for their children. When you are running late, it can be tempting to skip a meal, but in reality, this will only slow your metabolism down. Eating a fast food meal is better than skipping it entirely.

2. Healthy Options Are Available To You.
When you pull up to the drive thru, it can be difficult to notice all of the healthy options that are available, thanks to all the pictures of French fries and hamburgers. However, all fast food restaurants offer salads and other healthy options to their patrons, if you are willing and able to take the time and look. The option may not seem feasible, but it is very real.

3. Quality Is The Same Across The Board.
For those who travel on a regular basis, fast food is often the way to go, because no matter where you are, you know exactly what you are getting yourself into. The quality of the food is the same, whether you are on the East Coast or the West, or even overseas. Being able to obtain a meal that you will definitely enjoy, at a price that won’t stretch your wallet is a great plus.

List of Cons of Fast Food

1. Unhealthy Food.
Fast food is typically dense in calories and a person will gain weight if they rely on fast food as a regular dining option. Any time food is mass produced, a certain level of health is sacrificed. The amount of preservatives and chemicals that are used in mass produced foods are not meant to be consumed with any sort of regularity.

2. Mystery Ingredients.
When you head out to a fast food restaurant and purchase items that claim to be “all natural”, there is no guarantee that you are actually eating all natural food. Chicken nuggets and items of this nature are not always made from real chicken. Mystery meats are used and a variety of researchers have discovered that fast food restaurants purposely use these phrases to sidestep federal regulations.

3. Cheap For A Reason.
While fast food supporters point to the low cost of fast food as an advantage, the food is cheap for a reason. The quality of the food is typically low, which is why the fast food chain can afford to sell it as cheaply as they do.