fast or fat food?
03.06.05 (11:27 pm) [edit]If you have to eat fast food, I would reccomend stopping at Wendy's. Not only do they have a good dollar menu, they also offer a fresh fruit bowl or cup ( a bit pricey, but worth it if you are road tripping and don't have a real knife to cut up fruit like melons), and alternative sides that are not just french fries. Instead of french fries, you can order chili, side salad, caesar salad, baked potato and other sides.
What a deal! This is not a promo for fast food or for Wendys, but come one . . . who can resist so many choices for a side order? Plus, they also have chocolate milk, etc. for different drinks and good-sized salads for $4-5.
I used to be a Taco Bell girl (they have taco salad and offer decent amounts of tomatoes in their dishes) but now I'm flirting with Wendy's :)
What's your healthy alternative in fast food?
posted by: trickangle (reply)
post date: 03.06.05 (11:19 pm)
The greasier the better . . . that's my alternative!
posted by: hopie26 (reply)
post date: 03.08.05 (3:53 am)
Hmm, I've had my fill of grease lately. My body is feeling it. Yuck!
posted by: SnowBird (reply)
post date: 03.08.05 (2:19 pm)
well, as for good fast food, Firehouse subs is suposed to be great, and Krystals, bad. We do have a Wendys though, and I really like their dollar menu also!
posted by: Erin (reply)
post date: 03.08.05 (4:43 pm)
That's a good one, Hope! It's sure hard to eat healthy for fast and cheap. I seriously can't think of any good fast-food chain ideas, but I like almonds, grapes, and carrots as a very travellable selection- whether in the car, or on the run. They can be out of the fridge for quite a while. I am also excited about all of the alternatives restaurants seem to be offering- McD's w/ apple slices and milk. . . and I was just saying the other day how great it is that kids can have healthy choices- not just soda or fruitless punch anymore!
posted by: hopie26 (reply)
post date: 03.09.05 (5:37 pm)
Reply to: SnowBird
What is Krystals?
posted by: hopie26 (reply)
post date: 03.09.05 (5:39 pm)
Reply to: Erin
Yeah, I have heard almonds are the best nut for you (hee hee). I think maybe the movie "Supersize Me" helped gain attention that fast food is very unhealthy. Here here to carrots. Especially the long ones with the greens still attached - those are fun!
posted by: trickangle (reply)
post date: 03.09.05 (9:33 pm)
Reply to: hopie26
Are people seriously so stupid that they need a Hollywood movie to tell them fast food is unhealthy?
posted by: hopie26 (reply)
post date: 03.10.05 (2:15 am)
Reply to: trickangle
Yes, people are stupid. Stupid enough to need a Hollywood movie to show them they are stupid, that remains to be seen.
posted by: Aaron (reply)
post date: 03.10.05 (7:19 am)
I'm not sure that you can call Supersize Me a "Hollywood" film, since Hollywood tends not to make documentaries of any sort, although it certinally did get more publicity than some truly "Hollywood" movies do.
I think the growing trend towards healthier choices in fast food resturants is probably the result of a lot of things -- including recent studies that have compared fast food to cigarettes in terms of health problems, a couple of books (Fast Food Nation) and probably that movie.
It should be noted, however, that the changes we're talking about aren't in people's eatting habits but in the menus of the resturants themselves. To me it looks like they're just being proactive and trying to combat the negative publicity. That we get healthier food is probably just a happy side effect for them, and it makes me wonder how soon the trend will reverse itself again.
posted by: trickangle (reply)
post date: 03.10.05 (7:31 am)
Reply to: Aaron
That's a rather cynical view. In actuality, what we are seeing is capitalism working like it's supposed to. Fast food chains are finally recognizing the growing market demand for healthier choices. I belive the trend will continue to grow, not reverse, because this is what people want, and the fast food chains have finally figured out that they need to give it to them. Supply meets demand: capitalism at it's best.
posted by: trickangle (reply)
post date: 03.10.05 (7:33 am)
Pardon the spelling error ("belive"). And Hope, since you asked me on my blog, I'll ask you on yours: isn't this a record number of comments for you?
posted by: hopie26 (reply)
post date: 03.10.05 (7:30 pm)
Reply to: Aaron
That is true. "Supersize Me" is an Indie or Independent movie, not a Hollywood film. The amount of acclaim it has received has been astonishing. I have not seen it, but I have read reviews about the documentary and find it fascinating.
I don't believe there has been a decrease in the amount of food purchased at fast food restaurants. As our society has become more busy and harried, there has probably been an increase in purchasing fast food. The fact that fast food places now offer healthy alternatives is probably because of supply and demand. Customers want to feel like they are making good food choices, even if it is still fast food.
As for whether or not fast food chains will continue to offer healthy alternatives or back down after the hype is over, I think they will continue to offer the alternatives. (At least I really hope they do!) It is a growing and lucrative trend. Although, I think we need to realize that ultimately when we purchase fast food we are looking for convenience for convenience's sake, NOT healthy food. If we wanted healthy food, we would cook all of our own meals following a very specific diet.
All this to say, there is a growing trend in fast food healthy alternatives. Why else would Subway's main ad campaign be that they offer healthier food than the competition. Many other fast food places have began following their lead. McDonalds offers more salads, etc. But I suppose we will never get away from the image of a greasy burger at a fast food joint. The one thing I have learned about eating out is that you should eat something you don't normally eat at home. It's a treat! The thought behind that is the assumption that you are eating healthily at home, so eating poorly once in a while won't hurt you.
posted by: hopie26 (reply)
post date: 03.10.05 (7:32 pm)
Reply to: trickangle
Yay! I think it is a record!
posted by: trickangle (reply)
post date: 03.11.05 (6:25 am)
Reply to: hopie26
Hope, nice comments, but I have to disagree on one thing.
Yes, it's true that when people go to fast food restaurants, they are primarily looking for convenience, but I don't think that's the only reason. Decisions are much more complicated than that. In the past, I was forced to either choose something very unhealthy but easy or something healthy that would take work. Now, I have a third choice: something healthy AND easy! So, with new healthier choices, it is certainly possible that someone would go to a fast food place not for convenience alone, but also because that convenience is healthy. If that convenient choice were not healthy, chances are strong that many of those people would choose to mael their own healthy meal.
As for you, Aaron, I must say that fast food chains would be idiots to get rid of these healthier choices. It would be horrible business at every level. 1) It would completely alienate a new customer demographic that is coming for the healthier choices, thus losing the very customers they are trying to cater to. 2) It would lose business to competition. Clearly, what people want is to be both lazy AND healthy. Other chains will still offer those choices. Do you think if all the fast food cahins except, say, McDonald's got rid of their salad lines that McDonald's wouldn't look at that and say, "Hey, we've got a monopoly on salads!" They would be elated. They certainly would not say, "Salads--what a bother. Everybody's gotten rid of them, so let's get rid of them too!" No. Obviously, at least a few chains will keep touting healthy choices, because there are customers who want those choices. Maybe not enough customers to make it profitable at EVERY chain, but certainly enough to keep those choices at at least some chains.
3) Finally, the most important reason this won't happen is that it would fly in the face of the most basic rule of commerce--divergence! The fact is, the market ALWAYS diverges into more and more specific choices. It never (over time) converges into fewer choices. If fast food chains were to converge back to where they were before, they would be contradicting every marketing principle out there, and they would lose a lot of money because of it. And, because the market forces would continue toward divergence, someone else would step in to offer those choices. So, even if fast food chains were to get rid of these choices now, they would only be gone for a temporary period of time until the driving forces of the market found another way to get the people what they want.
posted by: trickangle (reply)
post date: 03.11.05 (6:29 am)
Again, please pardon the spelling errors, which were due to typing too quickly. (The one line should say "MAKE their own healthy meals," not "mael."
*Sigh.* Sorry guys, next time I'll take the time to proofread.
posted by: Julia (reply)
post date: 03.25.05 (7:08 pm)
Ah, but if you get the chilli at Wendy's watch out for fingers.
posted by: hopie26 (reply)
post date: 04.03.05 (9:25 am)
Reply to: Julia
Ewww!!!!
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