View on Fast Food (W5)

First and foremost, I am not one to really eat fast food. I hate the way it smells and tastes. Even as a child, when my mother would go through a drive-thru, she would try to get me to eat something but I always refused. There was just something I did not like about it. Plus, for some reason, as a child I knew it was bad for me and there was no way I was going to eat bad food. Granted, I do occasionally get a chicken quesadilla from Taco Bell, but other than that, I try to stay as far away from fast food as possible.

Honestly, until this blog I had not thought about the fact that other countries do not regard fast food the way the United States does. The only other country that I have been to is Canada and the places that I have been in Canada did not have a McDonald’s (from what I remember) except for in the travel plazas.

I think that one of the major reasons that Americans are in love with fast food is because they have a fast lifestyle. Americans are a part of the few countries that work as much as they do. Americans are constantly on the go. Not only do they have a job, but they might also have one or two more that will not allow for a home cooked meal. If they only have one job, often times, they are parents of children that need picked up after school or have extracurricular activities and thus, they once again have no time to really prepare a healthy dinner. Fast food offers people the chance to grab something quickly when they do not have the time to otherwise make a perfectly good dinner for their family.

Another reason that I think fast food is mainly an American thing is because I know that Americans are becoming dependable on the idea of instant gratification. I am not sure how other countries are, but as generations stand now, Americans are very demanding. They want what they want, when they want it. Fast food works perfect with that.

Since I have only been to Canada, all I can say is that it seems as if they were less involved with major corporations leading their lifestyle than mom and pop stores and restaurants. Granted, I am sure places like Montreal and Toronto have plenty of corporations/fast food joints that are similar to what Americans have. A lot of the restaurants that my family came across while we were traveling were more local and thus the food was fresher and healthier. It was nice to eat fish that had been caught in the lake that we were sitting next to. There were no added preservatives or chemicals which fast food is known for (as well as been critiqued for). I think many other countries take pride in the food that they cook and find time to cook it for their families so that future generations can create the same thing. Unfortunately, I believe a good majority of America lacks that.