Sure, it’s not healthy, it doesn’t require skill to prepare, and I can’t pronounce all of the ingredients, but sometimes fast food makes me happy! And I bet it makes you happy, too. On a hectic Monday morning, there’s some comfort in grabbing a coffee and a gooey breakfast sandwich from the drive-thru window.
Today is National Fast Food Day. It might seem crazy to acknowledge such a day, but like it or loathe it, we can’t deny that fast food is a huge part of American culture. In 1970, U.S. consumers spent $6 billion on fast food. Thirty years later in 2000, U.S. consumers spent $110 billion at the more than 300,000 fast food restaurants in the United States!
We might not be able to remember science facts, but how many of you can recite Wendy’s most famous commercial*, or sing the jingle that lists all of the ingredients in a Big Mac**? I thought so!
I feel like the fast food companies try and tow the line between ‘healthy options’ and ‘completely crazy.’ For every salad option or low-carb wrap, there’s a KFC Double Down on the menu. Remember that one? The infamous bacon and cheese sandwich that replaced the bread slices with fried chicken breasts? Practically a heart attack at the drive-thru, but sometimes all that fat and salt feels like just what the doctor ordered.
I keep seeing these Menu Hacks around – talk of fast food ‘secret menus’ that promise forbidden treats. But after looking them over, most of them just look like asking the fast food employees to do a few extra steps I might be able to do myself. And I feel like it’s unwise to ask them to do anything extra…
I don’t know about you, but I can never bring myself to order the healthy options. I always say I’d get something better if it were there, but I’m only human! I swear, some of these restaurants must pump the smell of french fries out of the vents on purpose, to lure you in!
Of course, I guess the smell of french fries is necessary to attract customers because these business signs sure aren’t doing the trick!
Happy Monday,
Mary
* Where’s the beef?
**Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.
