Businesses are run to make money
With all the advertising done these days businesses want you to believe that they are there for you. They you to believe that your important to them. They try very hard to make their products as enticing as possible so you come and buy them. However, businesses are there to separate you from your money. To entice you with whatever they think you need to get your hard earned cash.
Fast food businesses are no different. They advertise smiling faces, special times with friends, delicious food and even memories to share. Honestly when done right restaurants and fast food chains can do exactly that. I remember many birthday dinners with my family at a variety of restaurants with good food and good memories.
Something to keep in mind though is that fast food restaurants care little for your health. They want to make sure the food is as tasty as possible so you come back many times and purchase their burgers, fries, pizza, chicken or whatever. They offer sweet tasty treats like ice cream and soda and enticing promotions all to get you back to spend your money. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, late-night its all good as long as you spent!
But is it healthy?
Is it economical?
It is pretty obvious that the answer is Not really on both counts!
Breakfast with my wife
Just today I had a nice breakfast with my wife at Denny's. I enjoyed the company. I enjoyed the little cheat from my diet. My strawberry french toast was very tasty and the server was very pleasant. Overall it was exactly what the chain restaurant wanted it to be. Something I would want to come back for.
But let's take a quick look at the price and nutrition.
Nutrition / Calories
Now in Canada restaurants want to offer large portion sizes. Why? They want to make bigger sales! My wife was looking through the menu for something inexpensive as she wasn't that hungry. In the end I suggested she order something from the senior menu. She was taken aback because she isn't a senior. At that I had to assure her that they will still sell you the food from the senior menu....but that they don't promote it because it is a smaller portion size. She balked a bit thinking that the smaller portion size wouldn't be enough. To her amazement the smaller portion was adequate and she was happy with what she got.
Yes, that's me, my breakfast and my photo
However, as it was a special occasion she insisted that I get a "regular meal" which I did. So, I got a wonderful strawberry french toast with strawberries and cream cheese. It also came with egg, sausage, and bacon.
Cost : $18.59
Calories : 1,500
Now as terganmarket I've been blogging about the prices of food. Pork as bacon of sausages is the least expensive meat. Two slices of bacon $1.20 and about the same for the sausage @1.20. Eggs are less expensive. A dozen for $3.79 so roughly $0.70 for two eggs. Bread is 16 slices for $3.99 so four slices about $1.00 and another $0.70 to buy the eggs. As for the strawberry, cream cheese and sugar? Maybe another $1.00.
Total food cost for the meal : $5.00
If I eat out all the time I am paying at least TRIPLE what I would pay at home for food!
But the bigger problem is nutrition
Something people don't usually look at on the menu is the number of calories but I look at those carefully. I only need about 2000 per day and maybe less as I get older. My one breakfast gave me virtually my entire calorie requirement for 24hours. If I ordered a large drink I would probably be at my daily requirement.
However, there isn't a branched carbohydrate in the mix of my meal. It is primarily carb with a bit of protein. It also has a lot of sugar, salt and oil to make it tastier. Vitamins? Nope. Minerals? Nope. Fiber? Nope. Well, perhaps it has some but it certainly isn't a complete meal!
So, I've been overfed and under nourished. I'll have a positive experience so I want to go back and spend my hard earned money to make a corporation a little richer. Plus I'll be hungry in a few hours.
Do you see the problem here?
I wasn't taught to cook growing up
Unfortunately I wasn't taught to cook growing up. Once I left home and was on my own I ate a lot of fast food. Sure I looked for the best deals to try and save some money. I also looked at prepackaged food at the grocery store. However, the take and bake or prepared food in the grocery store is also made by corporations trying to maximize profit often at the expensive of nutrition. Prepared dinners have a lot of fat and salt. Canned meals often have loads of salt. Anything from the bakery typically has a fair amount of carbs, sugar and oil. Anything from the deli...preservatives and salt.
Sure many of the products I ate tasted very good as was the design of the business that made it. Get me to heat and eat their product and come back wanting more. Make themselves wealthy and make myself fat. There is a song by Adam Sandler (yes the actor) in his album Corduroy Blues which goes:
What made a millionaire out of Mr. Frito-lay ...made a fat Motherfu**er out of me
Taking control of food and nutrition
Which is why these days I'm trying hard to cook with basic ingredients. I'm working to post my findings about nutrition and prices as terganmarket on #earnspendgive and try to find and post nutritious recipe's as tergan on #foodiesbeehive. I'm also trying hard to teach my sons lessons that I was never taught -- "How to be food self sufficient"
I'm very much a novice at doing it but I'm learning. I'm learning to save money. I'm learning to find the best nutrition in my food. I'm learning how to buy ingredients which are shelf stable to make myself more prepared if there are shortages. In doing this I'm accomplishing two things :
When I buy unprocessed food or basic staples
I'm not directly supporting a major business or corporation--or at least not as much. I try to buy direct from farmer as I believe farmers deserve my cash far more than corporate executives.
When I look carefully at what I eat
I'm looking at my health and welfare in a more disciplined light. Instead of just going for what "tastes good" I'm actually trying to find "what's good for me". I'm promoting my health and wellbeing rather than promoting a corporate chains profits. That's even more important to me as I age because I want to spend less money on Doctor's bills and stay healthy!
I'm also helping my freedom and peace of mind.
It may not seem obvious but by being able to survive on a big bag of rice, a big bag of flour, a big jug of oil and a bunch of spices plus whatever is coming from my garden I'm freeing myself. I'm freeing myself from the worry about rising food prices. I'm freeing myself from worrying about having to get to the grocery store and "what if" they are out of what I need. I sleep better knowing that even a meager income can provide what I need to survive.
But life does get in the way
As I focus on spending less and eating better I will admit I'm far from perfect. I do make enough money and have enough savings that I could eat out for the rest of my life happily. I could eat Big Macs and Fried chicken every day and enjoy many tasty meals. My health would suffer and my lifespan would be reduced but I could do it.
Instead though, I prefer to save them for very busy times or special times. There are days when I don't have a lot of time to cook and prepare. Now I've gotten into a habit of making up 7 sandwiches instead of one. 7 fruit parfait instead of one. 3 tubs of hummus instead of just enough for one meal. In that way there is always something prepared to eat at home the moment I get back. In that way I don't have to think about what I'm going to eat and just give in to the temptation of fast food. For those times which are special or when I'm truly swamped I can eat out and not feel guilty. I'm using those meals as treats for myself. Just like cake or ice cream isn't bad as a treat every now and then, fast food isn't bad as a treat every now and then either.
Regular home cooking makes me appreciate those meals out
As long as I'm not giving corporations too much of my money. As long as I'm not letting my health suffer because of bad food. As long as I keep those special times at good restaurants as special then I think I've found a good compromise.
Sometimes eating out is preferable
Now I may make it look like home cooking is the only way to go. Perhaps it seems like I'm saying that someone is crazy for eating out all the time. If that is my tone then please forgive me.
There are absolutely times when eating out is preferable. When I am in the Philippines there are many Pansiteria and Canteens which offer home cooked meals for a cost which I would be hard pressed to recreate at home. The cooks knowledge of the best place to get ingredients and their focus on cooking for the community makes it an awesome deal to all around. It would be a huge shame not to eat there.
Even with big corporate restaurants it is quite possible to get healthier choices. I quite enjoy Subway's egg and cheese sub. With the primary ingredients being bread and vegetables with an egg and some cheese there actually is a fair amount of nutrition in the sandwich. In addition its reasonably priced (locally) and their large turnover of vegetables means its less likely to go bad. Unlike my fridge where it is a constant fight to make my way through perishable foodstuffs.
For yet other people without a vehicle or living in a "food desert" eating at a chain restaurant which takes care of food delivery....well, it could provide a better option than eating whatever the local gas station keeps as its food selection.
In the end I believe that every person should take their nutrition seriously and be prepared to make their own nutritious food. If it is feasible given a persons lifestyle eating at home is usually the better choice. However, for many people its not an option and eating out can be wise....its just even more important to watch calories, nutrition and cost. To know what you are buying and why...to prevent being taken in by what's tasty, and quick to drive a companies profits.
Of course those are only one persons viewpoint. Feel free to send a comment whether you agree or disagree.
Thanks for reading.