Fast Food

[HarmonicaBruce]

I eat at Mark's Coney Island in Saline Michigan.  Their $5 hamburger is so much better than a big mac, for the same cost.  I agree that the meat in Mickey Dee's burgers is inferior.  I think Wendy's is better.  But, I love the free wifi and senior coffee at Mickey Dee's.  I eat happy meals sometimes.

 

[SternWake]

I always feel a bit guilty after filling up on fast food.  Not only that but there seems to be a hangover from it, but white breads seems to do that to me more so than the questionable beef and the overly salty fries

I can certainly tell the difference in my energy level when I eat Healthier.

But Sometimes I just don't feel like cooking for myself, and I don't want to eat in an establishment.  I want a drive through, and I want to wash food down with a cold beer in my home with the TV on and not have to clean up afterward.

There is an IN N OUT 1.25 miles from where I type this,  I've been there 3 times in the last year.

Mmmmm. double double animal style.  Homer Simpson style drool.......

 

[RVTravel]

Fast food energizes me. I love it.

 

[jimindenver]

Sometimes I'm fine with fast food, other times it makes me feel like crap for days. Last night I tried two Wendys cod sandwiches and paid for it afterwards and even today. So between that and the fact that it's as expensive as a decent meal anymore, we rarely eat fast food.

 

[Iggy]

You gotta admit that fast food is often a quick colon cleanse. I swear I've lost 5 pounds sometimes within an hour of eating.

 

[Chancebond]

You gotta admit that fast food is often a quick colon cleanse. I swear I've lost 5 pounds sometimes within an hour of eating.

What time did you weigh yourself, because you should only weigh yourself when you first get up!

-Source: My mum

 

[compassrose]

... If i want to replicate a Famous Star 1/2 burger from Carls Jr. I would have to buy hamburger buns, meat, lettuce, tomato, onions, cheese, 1000 Island dressing...

But if you want to you could replicate it...
http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/Carls-Jr-Famous-Star-Copycat-Recipe.html
http://www.easybreezyrecipes.com/carls-jr-restaurant-recipes-you-can-do-at-home.html
http://www.copycat-recipes.net/recipes/carls_jr_famous_star.html

I like the copycat recipes. I dislike eating in many of the restaurants (I know the health violations) and I rarely eat in a fast food place (they aren't cheap or fast). I prefer a "real" restaurant. I tend to cook better than most restaurants that I can afford. But yes, for a single person, who wants a rare treat, a fast food joint is often cheaper than making at home. Making at home allows me to control ingredients. I loathe the soy additives. And Lo-Melt (a very popular soy based cooking oil for griddles) is bad for me. I have a food intolerance to anything soy. I also have a big freezer, a Foodsaver and LOTS of canning jars to fill-&-freeze with single serving entrees and desserts.

For any restaurant dish, like Cracker Barrel's Hash Brown Casserole, do an internet search for "copycat recipe: Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole" and you will find lots of recipes. Only rarely have I been unable to find a recipe.

 

[Chancebond]

Compassrose, I agree with you! I despise fast food!

 

[Seraphim]

An acquaintance of mine was a chemist, whose job consisted of discovering the components in items sent to his lab - often times food. Unfortunately, he loved sharing these stories with people around him. One reason he didn't get invited out to eat very often...

We'll sometimes stop at a fast food place when we're driving with a destination in mind and a tight schedule. Normally we pack out our travel food in a cooler. Often times it's not the ingredients that cause problems, although anything with a sauce is a no-no in my book, but the method of preparation and what they use in the prepararation. But that goes for any place. Was at a home cooked meal place yesterday, and an couldn't figure out why their website advised one prepared egg (sunny side up) was 145 calories, when an egg alone has about 70. A little research revealed it was the buttery/oil they cooked it in.

Not a McDonalds fan used to love Wendy's, but they've changed over the years. There's something about a grilled Burger King hamburger, though. They use an open flame grill - not greasy.

Chipotle's is an excellent fast food option, IMO. A huge burrito about five bucks, and you select the components.

We generally eat very healthily, snacking on fruits, nuts, hummus, but that can also be more expensive.

 

[gojo]

What I'm fixing to say doesn't pertain to eating, but it's similar.

One week in, wife and I were shopping in Austin. While we were in the parking lot, I saw this young lady smoking a cigarette out side her new car. I told my wife , she treats her car better than her body. I wonder why?

I can't really talk because when I was young, I drank a lot of beer. Back then I thought water was just for bathing. :huh:

 

[Almost There]

What I'm fixing to say doesn't pertain to eating, but it's similar.

One week in, wife and I were shopping in Austin. While we were in the parking lot, I saw this young lady smoking a cigarette out side her new car. I told my wife , she treats her car better than her body. I wonder why?

She may have been from someplace that bans smoking in vehicles in the presence of minors.

It's a hefty fine here if you get caught smoking in your car when you have children under the age of 16 present. My friends' children have been taught to speak up when travelling with other adults that try to light up. That and they point blank refuse to travel with one women who carpools the kids because the car stinks so bad.

Back on topic of fast foods - I can't remember the last time I've seen the inside of a McD's. If I'm not going to stop somewhere and pull something out of the fridge/cooler then I head for a chain restaurant that is NOT a fast food joint and sit down to have a decent meal. I need the break from driving anyways.

 

[gojo]

I told my doctor, that my grandparents ate bacon, fried everything in hog lard and my grandma died in her 90s and grandpa died at 86.

He said it's not all about how you eat, Its how hard you work your body. Today most people sits, no exercise and they have to eat healthy.

 

[Sameer]

It is hard for me to understand the attitude towards Fast Food. It is simply food that is acquired fast...you know, 10 people making a burger, fries and a shake. When I worked for Sysco Food service we delivered to Wendy's and Subway. Wendy's beef is fresh and 100% beef only 8% fat, not frozen and the only thing that Subway really does is make tuna salad from scratch (mayo and tuna) and prep vegetable, everything else comes already sliced and diced from the Warehouse. You really think the butcher is grinding fresh ground beef every day at Albertsons or Walmart? I don't want the purchase cost of the ingredients or the clean-up. A bottle of 1000 island dressing is 4 bucks! Let me order my Famous Star 1/2# charbroiled burger, fries and a chocolate shake from Carls Jr. and give it to me in as little time as possible. Hahahaha!

 

[Magicwolf]

I've been kind of all over the spectrum. From too much fast food to uber-mega-super healthy food. Then I end up eventually feeling deprived and slither off the wagon either way.

I think moderation is probably the key. If you start using the prefix Mc too much, you might want to scale back a little. "I gotta go to the McBathroom!" If you start sprouting long ears, buck teeth and fur, you might want to scale back a little.

We've made our own In N Out animal-style burgers. I stumbled across a recipe somewhere.

We've made our own McD's fries. That process involved cutting the potatoes to a specific size, parboiling in water & vinegar, then deep frying for 50 seconds, then freezing. You fully deep-fry them later. It was a pain in the rear, but they really do turn out just like McD's fries. (It is far faster and more practical to just go get a dang box of fries.) But if anyone feels ambitious and ever wants to try it:

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/05/perfect-french-fries-recipe.html

When I was over-the-road, I had a liking for Steak N Shake when I'd go south. We didn't have those up north.

 

[HarmonicaBruce]

Like other posters, I've gone from not caring, to super healthy eating.  I think the main thing is your WEIGHT!!!!  If you're a fat pig, like me at 50 pounds over-weight, you need to stop eating so much, and exercise more, etc etc.  I've always done great at greek-owned coney island restaurants.  The greek salads are great, and very healthy.

 

[Chancebond]

We've made our own McD's fries.

How did you get all of those chemicals?!

 

[flying kurbmaster]

In the US the rate of obesity has risen at the same rate as the rise in meat consumption, thanks to fast food advertising, this is also a global situation. Because of the success of these chains they are taxiing our health systems without taking any responsibility for it. I can't support that.

 

[LeeRevell]

We do not have Carl Jr. or In-&-Out down here, so I have no idea how they taste. I rate Burger King best among name-brand Fast Food joints down here, then Wendy's. McDees is near the bottom of the list.
But if I am traveling and want to nosh while driving, McDees gets the nod, with their bag of two little cheeseburgers and fries. No rabbit food or huge messy glob of 'secret sauce' on them, so they are neater to eat while driving. Could NOT do that with BK or Wendy's! BK has the better fries, though at home I bake my fries, and often bake Sweet Tater Fries, as they are healthier.
Problem is, McDees is close to home, while BK and Wendy's are much further away. Taco Hell has good burritos, but I avoid all else there.

 

[Magicwolf]

How did you get all of those chemicals?!

Covert lab raids. It was tricky.

Lol, we left them out.

The fries (from that recipe) were an impressively close ringer for what you can buy, sans chemicals.

 

[Chancebond]

Yeah, I hear you magicwolf!