A Tweet Saying That Unhealthy Food Is Cheaper Sparks A Discussion In The Comments
We’ve all been told to have a balanced diet, eat fresh vegetables and fruit every day, and avoid frozen or pre-made meals to stay healthy. But a lot of people still choose fast food, because they like it or they don’t know how to cook. In addition, it’s not always that, but for some people, it’s the only food they can afford.
Twitter user Emily Porter pointed out that overweight people who still continue to eat at McDonald’s may only be able to afford this kind of food and we should be less judgmental towards them. The tweet got mixed responses and while the majority of people were sympathizing with the statement, a lot of them didn’t agree with sacrificing one’s health for an easier food option.
More info: Twitter
A doctor on Twitter defends those eating junk food by saying that people with lower income may be unable to afford healthier options
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Emily Porter is a board-certified emergency physician, a wife and a mother that beat cancer two times in 20 years. Recently, she posted a tweet that made people divide into two camps: the ones agreeing with her and others disagreeing.
In said tweet, Dr. Porter encourages people to be more compassionate towards people who eat fast food because it could possibly be their only choice as healthier options are pricier. She compares a meal she bought at McDonalds that cost $3.25 with non-organic raspberries at Walmart that cost $8.96 for a pound.
She gives an example from her own experience when she ate a full meal from McDonald’s for $3.25 while a pound of raspberries at Walmart cost $8.96
Image credits: dremilyportermd
Image credits: dremilyportermd
According to the results of a meta-analysis published in 2013 in BMJ Open, a healthier diet costs $1.48 more a day, which would add up to $540.20 a year, and for a family of four, the amount would equal to $2,160.80.
Another study done in the UK by the Institute of Economic Affairs concluded that “switching to healthier versions of many staple products can be achieved at no extra cost.“ So there isn‘t a definite answer and it probably depends on where a person lives, what supermarkets are near their homes, and other factors.
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Dr. Porter also points out that not everyone has supermarkets near their homes and can buy fresh food
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Even if making healthy food is cheaper, then Dr. Porter argues that a person who works all day wouldn’t have the energy to prepare a meal, and let’s not forget that you have to clean up afterwards. So, cooking a frozen pizza or mixing up some macaroni and cheese seems way easier, less time-consuming, and less messy when everything you want after a tiring day is to lay down.
Furthermore, cooking is a lot of work and after a long, tiring day, pre-made meals are just more convenient
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The tweet got over 25k likes, so there are definitely a lot of people who relate and are struggling with eating more healthy because fast food is just cheaper, at the same time recognizing that it is a problem.
There were other opinions, with people saying that preparing meals at home on a budget is possible and eating cheap junk food will eventually cost you more in medical bills in the future.
There are some conflicting opinions in the comments, but everyone has their reasoning
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Tell us in the comments what you think! Do you agree that junk food becomes the only option for people with a lower income, or do you know of ways to prepare an easy healthy meal while being on a budget?
I just want to add that in my opinion, this applies mostly to the US. In Germany or let's say most of Europe, I would still say, healthy food, like veggies and fruit are much cheaper. I have never paid as much for a few tomatoes and a salad as I did in the US, and this was low quality stuff at a normal grocery store. In Europe, poor people cook their own food, because it's 10.000 times cheaper than fast food and much healthier.
I know, I work in a supermarket, not even one of the high end ones, and you can buy a kilogram of raspberries for less than regular big mac meal. That's 2.2lbs for under £5. When my mother was visiting family in America , and she was shocked by the price of fruit and veg.
I can agree only on some parts. When I was a poor student, McDonalds counted as luxury food I could only afford rarely. So that's true. However, that doesn't mean that poorer people in Europe eat especially healthy, home cooked food. While it's true that fresh vegetables and meat are cheap, especially in Germany, convinience food and frozen dishes are too. A 1kg meat lasagna is maybe three or four Euro. 500g of frozen Chinese rice or noodles are two Euro. You can't beat that price with fresh ingredients and you'd also need the time to cook. Poor people working in several jobs don't have that. I don't know where you get that idea from, when obesity is a rampant problem in Germany.
I can agree with, that poorer people in Europe (for sure in Slovakia) cook their own meal, because fast food or restaurants are more expensive. And also, we dont have here, especially in small towns or villages many fast food. But even if they cook their own meal everyday, or every second day, it does not mean, that they cook healthier meals, lot of poorer people cook here traditional old meals, lot of flour, meat, sugar. But lot of people grow their own veggies or fruits, because is cheaper than buy, which is obvious. What i wanted to say, that i disagree with M.D.'s post, that people dont have time to cook. There are more meals, which can be prepared in 30 minutes, lot of in less. You can make a grocery shopping once a week, write down what you want to cook for next week and buy things by that. You must not cook everyday. Fortunately, we are not poor, ordering meals from delivery much as well,but still we can find the time to cook 2-3 times a week.
I agree about cooking being cheaper. Also, crock pot means the food is done while you are gone so no prep time. Bit for me, the crux is usually not " do I want to cook ? " but rather ' do I want to clean?' . Don't forget the dishes. There is always dishes. And I don't have a dishwasher. I rent a place that is significantly cheaper than surrounding places. However, the kitchen has not been upgraded since they put the aqua blue countertop with metal trim.
I could write a thesis, but basically, if you're working two-three jobs to make ends meet, the drive-thru for $3 feeds three, and you can just sleep that extra half-hour, or have time with the kids. For me, it's proof that the socioeconomic model of the US is deeply flawed as it stands. Eat local/seasonal and PAY PEOPLE DECENTLY SO THEY CAN WORK ONE JOB ONLY. Sorry, this is a long-standing irritation for me. (About 50 years!) And the garden centers convince people that htey have to spend hundreds to grow veg on their own. Please. We bought seed for a few bucks, end and done. It's all worked into the profit-reaping, IMHO, and yes, I'm rather a socialist by US standards. (Or a Green, in Germany, I'm told.)
I know. Tried to buy lettuce starts and the price per plant was more than a store bought one. Factor in water, fertilizer , and time and it cost more. Oh and your supposed to BUY dirt and then boxes and plant in that. Yikes. Sadly, didn't do seeds this year.
I need to disagree on this. Except basic vegetables (potatoes, onions, carrots) most vegetables and fruits are incredibly expensive in germany, the netherlands and belgium. Perhaps mcdonalds here is more expensive. But eating pasta and cheap sausages or frozen pizza is still way cheaper than eating healthy.
Depends on what options you consider for eating healthy.and what you consider "incredibly" expensive.. there's plenty of simple meals that can be made from pasta/rice/potatoes/flour, canned/frozen vegetables, whatever fruits and veggies are currently on sale, tomato paste, milk, cheese, and possibly the aid of some powdered soup... Seriously, most of my "fast food" as a student consisted of different flavors of powdered soup with extra pasta if I was hungry and a handful of whatever vegetables I currently had at hand. Not expensive at all.
Still most of those recipes wont be considered healthy due to the caloroc content
I'm honestly confused now. Why would the caloric content be too high? I mean, some amount of calories per day is needed, and these combine long-lasting calories (i.e. not sugar) with some fiber and vitamins. More fiber and vitamins than you get with frozen fast food, and less fat. Sure, it's not the hyper-healthy food that's advertised... but, sheesh, starch with vegetables and some protein source has been the standard of human meals for millennia. Just mind the portion size, do add vegetables, and keep it varied.
Been awhile since I was in Netherlands, but you could buy a can of corn, made in america, in Liddle for half of what you paid in US at the time. Also, if you go to Lddle, or even the market, you can get discounted produce on Saturday since shops were closed on Sunday. Food budget was really cheaper than US. We don't even have Aldi's on West Coast
Yeah a lot of other stuff is more expensive in the uk but I recently paid pence for carrots that cost me several dollars in the us. Idk about exotic fruits and the like but the fresh staple veg is cheaper.
That's because our government subsidizes things like corn, soy, and wheat (which all go to large industrial food companies) but not fruits and vegetables. The result is that you can buy a pavk of 48 oreos for about the same price as 2 apples.
Depends on a country really. The cheapest food here is macaroni. The processed stuff like weenies and meatballs which are garbage are much cheaper than greens and fruits.
It doesn’t even really apply in the US. McDonalds is cheap but there’s way cheaper stuff in every grocery store. A bag of beans and some canned vegetables lasts way way longer and is cheaper.
The nutritional content of canned veg is crap. Compared to fresh. Or frozen. Cheap, yes. Worth it, not so much.
Now I been seeing articles saying they are just as nutritional but the texture/ quality is not there. Was this another " study" done by a company ?
Unfortunately you are not right about Britain. A certain type of mother will feed their kids junk food because it is easier, they do not work or can not afford better, they just go for ease and cigs.
Did none of you catch the part about the time and expense involved. It isn't just the cooking, it is the cleaning up, the shopping. Before you can even shop, where is the nearest grocery store? Do you have reliable transportation there? Are you taking a bus for an hour to get there? And another hour back? The entire point of this was to stop judging when you don't know, and everyone just hopped on the judgement band wagon. So you have hours devoted to shopping, and a hit or miss for transportation, you have at least an hour of prep work, if you don't want the blandest food on earth you have to add things that add flavor and all of them cost money. Unless you flavor absolutely everything with onions. Then you have the clean up time. After all this they're probably working 2 or 3 jobs just to make ends meet, likely 7 days a week. There is also laundry to handle (likely at a time consuming laundry mat). Do you just think poor people never deserve a break?
I do flavor everything with onions. And dry spices, they are pretty cheap and last very long. Fresh ginger and garlic are also pretty cheap (OK, they are expensive, but you need a very little of them). On the other hand, there are many condiments that are super expensive. But I see your point. Not everyone has enough time to play around in a kitchen.
I used to hate watching ready steady cook and seeing then use expensive fresh herbs. And helen, you are right. They aren't buying fast food, they are buying time: time saved shopping, meal planning, cooking, cleaning.
Thank you.
That's also definitely a valid point you are making. Especially single parents have a hard time here. And if one has to drive for a long time to do groceries I understand that problem. Decentralized grocery stores would be nice here.
YES, how are you supposed to come home and prep and cook a meal if you've been working all day?
In my case it's a matter of organization: I think about the meals I could prepare when I do groceries / and help: my husband cooks with me. It takes little time to prepare the dinner because we are used to it. I keep some cans, pasta and long-lasting fresh things (sausages for example) for the days we run out of fresh products. But I understand not everybody have the willing or the skills or time to do this.
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Don’t if you don’t want to. But that has nothing to do with McDonald’s. It takes less than ten minutes to warm up some noodles and pasta sauce and have a full dinner for three for less than $2. McDonald’s is a luxury.
I cook fresh yet simple meals every day and I work, too. It's a choice and it's very money saving(in Europe, though). But for people who don't have time, they can prepare pasta, rice, baked beans, sardines or eggs, it takes less than 10 minutes to prepare, it's healthy enough and very cheap. If you can't do the groceries often, you can buy frozen vegetables if you want, or canned. The problem may be cultural. If one hasn't learnt how to prepare fresh meals everyday, they will have difficulties to change. And some people simply hate to cook.
Do you have a car cause the nearest grocery store is 5 miles from my house and we don't have city buses so I'm should walk 5 miles to the store and walk another 5 mile with the groceries make it home cook shower for work the next day
How does someone with no car go to McDonald's?
Europe tends to have sidewalks so their humans can actualyl walk to places
You take the bus and eat it there. Guess you’ve never been poor.
You mean they 'deserve a break today'? Where have I heard that phrase?
I walk to the farmers market once a week. It's uphill and it's a bit far from where I live but everything is at least 50% cheaper than the supermarket. I buy stuff for one or two weeks, one full meal a day. I add carbs, like rice or pasta, legumes, and sometimes cheese. I make a weekly schedule of what I will eat, I cook some of the stuff on the day I buy them or the next and just put them in the fridge or freezer. On busy days I can have a one pot meal in 15 minutes. It needs organising, but it is worth it both health-wise and money-wise. Where I live, there is no way to afford McDonalds every day if you aren't middle class.
Of course poor people deserve every break anyone else gets. It’s hard to be poor. But fast food is expensive, especially compared to just grabbing cans of cheap food from the store. It’s a huge waste of money. And it takes time to go back and forth to the drive through also. At my poorest, I was never able to go to fast food. It was always much cheaper and faster to just warm up a hot dog and a can of beans. People just want McDonald’s and are justifying it by blaming it on something. But they eat there. Either eat there or don’t, but don’t be dishonest about it. Mcd’s is expensive for what you get.
Cooking at home doesnt make the meal healthy anyway. Canned food is filled with salt and sugar and is not really healthy most of the time
My work day is 11.5 hours on a normal day and still find time to cook a healthy meal at home.
R/thathappened
Don't care if you believe me or not.
Exactly! Laziness abounds.
But if they cooked themselves and so saved a lot of money perhaps they could cut some hours to rest more? And many foods can be stored a long time so it's buying twice a month and than using that. You don't need to use that much time to Shop. Also you can cook mindfully: Today it's Spaghetti Napoli but you cook some Noodles more, next day you use the rest of the noodles for stir fried noodles Asia style etc. The " it's less time consuming to cook" is just an excuse. There are enough cheap and fast meals to cook at home in about 15 mins. How much time do you need to go to the next McDonalds? But as a German I have to say I can't understand to begin with how the richest nation has this much working poor. -.-
Sorry, meant of course "it's more time-consuming to cook" as an excuse, me bad!
15 dollars of beans and rice can feed a family far longer than 15 dollars at McDonald's. Its also more nutritionally balanced. Add eggs on the side for a heartier meal. No, eating beans and rice is not fun all the time. But it goes further and will not make you sick like eating McDonald's "food" will eventually. If you find just beans and rice are not satiating, try adding some avocado oil (expensive, so use sparingly. but super heart healthy)
Try and add SPICES - the magic ingredient that will turn ol' same pinto beans into Mexican food, Peruvian food, German food, Polish food and much more.
Spices are cheap *per serving,* but you can't go to the market and buy a penny's worth of turmeric. If you're poor, it's unlikely you're going to have a spice rack full of oregano, basil, garlic powder, etc. Beans & rice with just salt and pepper - yuck.
Yes, my mom and I eat a lot of rice variations simply because it is easy. There are 5 that are flavorful, and plain with butter and salt works too. Or soy sauce.
Rice (pure carbohydrate) with butter? Not the pinnacle of health either.
Still better than McD,
Don't get me wrong, I love beans (and that there are many tasty varieties of it), but this reminds me of an unhealthy mono diet. It' OK for a while, but not on the long run.
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No. Beans have like double the nutrients than anything in McDonald’s. Also, eat something with your beans like peas or salad. I’m not poor and I eat that all the time. Beans and salad. You guys only pretend to start caring about nutrients when someone tells you to clean up your diet. Then suddenly nothing has the precious nutrients that fast food has. Sure Jan.
No, beans are not healthier than meat. Sounds like you're a vegan, so debating you on that point could go on forever. But I just had to state that beans are not as healthy as you're acting like. Especially for people who are on their feet all day. They need good solid food.
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Lentils, split peas, and chickpeas are also cheap. If a person has a pressure cooker pot they can make a meal in 30 minutes. Spices can also be varied to change up the flavor. For example cumin is good with all these. But it's also possible to use bullion, or chili paste, and so on. And spices are cheap to get
Again, @ Lion's...WHO is buying all these pressure cookers and other kitchen equipment for those in poverty who cant even afford to give their kids $5 for lunch?
you suggest one should have multiple spices and lentil beans and rice. and time to cook every day. That implies the person is not poor.
How're they going to do that if they're working 16 + hours a day. Indefinitely.
You know, US is a very different story than Europe on this. We have employment laws here and I think very few people work +16hrs every day. We do have weekends, social support, etc. Also, there is a very good public transport system, so usually it doesn’t take people an hour to drive to the next supermarket.
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A portion of rice to feed four people only takes about half and hour to heat up. Beans cooked in a pressure cooker will be about the same. The best part is that you don't have to actively cook them. You just put them on the stove top, then return when they're ready.
Presuming the person has a pressure cooker, or even a stove. Not everyone does, particularly people living in poverty.
Pressure cooker? You sure all those poverty-laden individuals have one of those?
And you can make with that an u healthy meal. Rice and beans dont have the nutrients enough for a person in the long term.
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Cool the beans on your day off, or after you get off work. How else? Once the beans are cooked, they’ll last all week and only take a minute to reheat. Way faster than going back and forth to McDonald’s.
You are assuming a day off and nothing else to do. Assumptions. The entire point of this feed was to not make assumptions.
Assuming they have an entire day off (many work 2 jobs) and don't have to do things like take the bus to and from the laundromat to do laundry.
McDonald's is food and it doesn't make you sick by default. Stop peddling that nonsense. For some people, it is their only option at times. Lucky for you, it's not. Lucky you.
Problem is many poor communities do not have grocery stores with beans or rice. They only have a gas station to buy food or fast food. And the gas station prices are way higher on let's say a gallon of milk than any grocery store. They are forced by limited options to eat fast food or cheap packaged gas station food.
you forgot parameters like time, expenses, and resources.
Avocado. You are so out of touch
Ya. Right. A week of that you'll be blasting the roof off your house.
Where's the meat in that list?
you say 15 dollars of rice and beans its better than 15 dollars at mcD, but ist not really 15 dollar for the healthier opcion, it s 15 + the basic ingredients like salt, oil and some spices. And if we want to be really objective, you have to add add the gas, water etc that you use to prepare the meal
Ohhhhh yes, but the fast food industry saw that coming A LONG TIME AGO and decided to pander against it. They make addictive food super cheap and.... well, they cook it so you don't have to.
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Plus beans & rice with chopped onions & tomatoes is a grand dish that costs just a few bucks to buy. Grew up in a big fam home.
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Heck, you can even make delicious desserts with beans! Lentils, beans bring protein and combined with rice they are filling and a MUCH healthier meal than fast food. One could buy frozen veggies, which could be less expensive and toss them in there. Wash the rice the night before and let it sit in fresh water, then it will be cooked faster the next day. Prepping food for two days, freezing meals amd toss them into the microwave, use a slowcooker/thermomix. So much can be done here to make a few small changes for our own health. After all, its better to take care of our bodies preventively than to receive enormous hospital bills later on, at least in the US that is.
I don´t know why you were voted down as what you write makes sense.I also make big pots,like the sauce for pasta etc and then put it in containers and freeze.Then when needed all you have to do is cook the rice,pasta or potatoes. I make the tomato sauce neutral and then change it with various herbs,onions or garlic and even mushrooms.One Chicken can also serve several meals. McD fans feel free to vote me down. Fun fact...a Japanese lady told me many years ago that in Portugal it was easy to diferenciate rich and poor people....The Rich were thin,the Poor were fat...
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You're absolutely right! Rice and beans combined create a protein powerhouse. They're also flexible and can be seasoned any way you like. You can season them and mix them with veggies and meat. And a rice cooker is quick and easy to use--I've worn out a couple of them over the years. Okay, I'm rambling, I'll quit.
How many days a week can you eat only rice and beens
Again, poor people don't have things like rice cookers! JFC
I just want to add that in my opinion, this applies mostly to the US. In Germany or let's say most of Europe, I would still say, healthy food, like veggies and fruit are much cheaper. I have never paid as much for a few tomatoes and a salad as I did in the US, and this was low quality stuff at a normal grocery store. In Europe, poor people cook their own food, because it's 10.000 times cheaper than fast food and much healthier.
I know, I work in a supermarket, not even one of the high end ones, and you can buy a kilogram of raspberries for less than regular big mac meal. That's 2.2lbs for under £5. When my mother was visiting family in America , and she was shocked by the price of fruit and veg.
I can agree only on some parts. When I was a poor student, McDonalds counted as luxury food I could only afford rarely. So that's true. However, that doesn't mean that poorer people in Europe eat especially healthy, home cooked food. While it's true that fresh vegetables and meat are cheap, especially in Germany, convinience food and frozen dishes are too. A 1kg meat lasagna is maybe three or four Euro. 500g of frozen Chinese rice or noodles are two Euro. You can't beat that price with fresh ingredients and you'd also need the time to cook. Poor people working in several jobs don't have that. I don't know where you get that idea from, when obesity is a rampant problem in Germany.
I can agree with, that poorer people in Europe (for sure in Slovakia) cook their own meal, because fast food or restaurants are more expensive. And also, we dont have here, especially in small towns or villages many fast food. But even if they cook their own meal everyday, or every second day, it does not mean, that they cook healthier meals, lot of poorer people cook here traditional old meals, lot of flour, meat, sugar. But lot of people grow their own veggies or fruits, because is cheaper than buy, which is obvious. What i wanted to say, that i disagree with M.D.'s post, that people dont have time to cook. There are more meals, which can be prepared in 30 minutes, lot of in less. You can make a grocery shopping once a week, write down what you want to cook for next week and buy things by that. You must not cook everyday. Fortunately, we are not poor, ordering meals from delivery much as well,but still we can find the time to cook 2-3 times a week.
I agree about cooking being cheaper. Also, crock pot means the food is done while you are gone so no prep time. Bit for me, the crux is usually not " do I want to cook ? " but rather ' do I want to clean?' . Don't forget the dishes. There is always dishes. And I don't have a dishwasher. I rent a place that is significantly cheaper than surrounding places. However, the kitchen has not been upgraded since they put the aqua blue countertop with metal trim.
I could write a thesis, but basically, if you're working two-three jobs to make ends meet, the drive-thru for $3 feeds three, and you can just sleep that extra half-hour, or have time with the kids. For me, it's proof that the socioeconomic model of the US is deeply flawed as it stands. Eat local/seasonal and PAY PEOPLE DECENTLY SO THEY CAN WORK ONE JOB ONLY. Sorry, this is a long-standing irritation for me. (About 50 years!) And the garden centers convince people that htey have to spend hundreds to grow veg on their own. Please. We bought seed for a few bucks, end and done. It's all worked into the profit-reaping, IMHO, and yes, I'm rather a socialist by US standards. (Or a Green, in Germany, I'm told.)
I know. Tried to buy lettuce starts and the price per plant was more than a store bought one. Factor in water, fertilizer , and time and it cost more. Oh and your supposed to BUY dirt and then boxes and plant in that. Yikes. Sadly, didn't do seeds this year.
I need to disagree on this. Except basic vegetables (potatoes, onions, carrots) most vegetables and fruits are incredibly expensive in germany, the netherlands and belgium. Perhaps mcdonalds here is more expensive. But eating pasta and cheap sausages or frozen pizza is still way cheaper than eating healthy.
Depends on what options you consider for eating healthy.and what you consider "incredibly" expensive.. there's plenty of simple meals that can be made from pasta/rice/potatoes/flour, canned/frozen vegetables, whatever fruits and veggies are currently on sale, tomato paste, milk, cheese, and possibly the aid of some powdered soup... Seriously, most of my "fast food" as a student consisted of different flavors of powdered soup with extra pasta if I was hungry and a handful of whatever vegetables I currently had at hand. Not expensive at all.
Still most of those recipes wont be considered healthy due to the caloroc content
I'm honestly confused now. Why would the caloric content be too high? I mean, some amount of calories per day is needed, and these combine long-lasting calories (i.e. not sugar) with some fiber and vitamins. More fiber and vitamins than you get with frozen fast food, and less fat. Sure, it's not the hyper-healthy food that's advertised... but, sheesh, starch with vegetables and some protein source has been the standard of human meals for millennia. Just mind the portion size, do add vegetables, and keep it varied.
Been awhile since I was in Netherlands, but you could buy a can of corn, made in america, in Liddle for half of what you paid in US at the time. Also, if you go to Lddle, or even the market, you can get discounted produce on Saturday since shops were closed on Sunday. Food budget was really cheaper than US. We don't even have Aldi's on West Coast
Yeah a lot of other stuff is more expensive in the uk but I recently paid pence for carrots that cost me several dollars in the us. Idk about exotic fruits and the like but the fresh staple veg is cheaper.
That's because our government subsidizes things like corn, soy, and wheat (which all go to large industrial food companies) but not fruits and vegetables. The result is that you can buy a pavk of 48 oreos for about the same price as 2 apples.
Depends on a country really. The cheapest food here is macaroni. The processed stuff like weenies and meatballs which are garbage are much cheaper than greens and fruits.
It doesn’t even really apply in the US. McDonalds is cheap but there’s way cheaper stuff in every grocery store. A bag of beans and some canned vegetables lasts way way longer and is cheaper.
The nutritional content of canned veg is crap. Compared to fresh. Or frozen. Cheap, yes. Worth it, not so much.
Now I been seeing articles saying they are just as nutritional but the texture/ quality is not there. Was this another " study" done by a company ?
Unfortunately you are not right about Britain. A certain type of mother will feed their kids junk food because it is easier, they do not work or can not afford better, they just go for ease and cigs.
Did none of you catch the part about the time and expense involved. It isn't just the cooking, it is the cleaning up, the shopping. Before you can even shop, where is the nearest grocery store? Do you have reliable transportation there? Are you taking a bus for an hour to get there? And another hour back? The entire point of this was to stop judging when you don't know, and everyone just hopped on the judgement band wagon. So you have hours devoted to shopping, and a hit or miss for transportation, you have at least an hour of prep work, if you don't want the blandest food on earth you have to add things that add flavor and all of them cost money. Unless you flavor absolutely everything with onions. Then you have the clean up time. After all this they're probably working 2 or 3 jobs just to make ends meet, likely 7 days a week. There is also laundry to handle (likely at a time consuming laundry mat). Do you just think poor people never deserve a break?
I do flavor everything with onions. And dry spices, they are pretty cheap and last very long. Fresh ginger and garlic are also pretty cheap (OK, they are expensive, but you need a very little of them). On the other hand, there are many condiments that are super expensive. But I see your point. Not everyone has enough time to play around in a kitchen.
I used to hate watching ready steady cook and seeing then use expensive fresh herbs. And helen, you are right. They aren't buying fast food, they are buying time: time saved shopping, meal planning, cooking, cleaning.
Thank you.
That's also definitely a valid point you are making. Especially single parents have a hard time here. And if one has to drive for a long time to do groceries I understand that problem. Decentralized grocery stores would be nice here.
YES, how are you supposed to come home and prep and cook a meal if you've been working all day?
In my case it's a matter of organization: I think about the meals I could prepare when I do groceries / and help: my husband cooks with me. It takes little time to prepare the dinner because we are used to it. I keep some cans, pasta and long-lasting fresh things (sausages for example) for the days we run out of fresh products. But I understand not everybody have the willing or the skills or time to do this.
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Don’t if you don’t want to. But that has nothing to do with McDonald’s. It takes less than ten minutes to warm up some noodles and pasta sauce and have a full dinner for three for less than $2. McDonald’s is a luxury.
I cook fresh yet simple meals every day and I work, too. It's a choice and it's very money saving(in Europe, though). But for people who don't have time, they can prepare pasta, rice, baked beans, sardines or eggs, it takes less than 10 minutes to prepare, it's healthy enough and very cheap. If you can't do the groceries often, you can buy frozen vegetables if you want, or canned. The problem may be cultural. If one hasn't learnt how to prepare fresh meals everyday, they will have difficulties to change. And some people simply hate to cook.
Do you have a car cause the nearest grocery store is 5 miles from my house and we don't have city buses so I'm should walk 5 miles to the store and walk another 5 mile with the groceries make it home cook shower for work the next day
How does someone with no car go to McDonald's?
Europe tends to have sidewalks so their humans can actualyl walk to places
You take the bus and eat it there. Guess you’ve never been poor.
You mean they 'deserve a break today'? Where have I heard that phrase?
I walk to the farmers market once a week. It's uphill and it's a bit far from where I live but everything is at least 50% cheaper than the supermarket. I buy stuff for one or two weeks, one full meal a day. I add carbs, like rice or pasta, legumes, and sometimes cheese. I make a weekly schedule of what I will eat, I cook some of the stuff on the day I buy them or the next and just put them in the fridge or freezer. On busy days I can have a one pot meal in 15 minutes. It needs organising, but it is worth it both health-wise and money-wise. Where I live, there is no way to afford McDonalds every day if you aren't middle class.
Of course poor people deserve every break anyone else gets. It’s hard to be poor. But fast food is expensive, especially compared to just grabbing cans of cheap food from the store. It’s a huge waste of money. And it takes time to go back and forth to the drive through also. At my poorest, I was never able to go to fast food. It was always much cheaper and faster to just warm up a hot dog and a can of beans. People just want McDonald’s and are justifying it by blaming it on something. But they eat there. Either eat there or don’t, but don’t be dishonest about it. Mcd’s is expensive for what you get.
Cooking at home doesnt make the meal healthy anyway. Canned food is filled with salt and sugar and is not really healthy most of the time
My work day is 11.5 hours on a normal day and still find time to cook a healthy meal at home.
R/thathappened
Don't care if you believe me or not.
Exactly! Laziness abounds.
But if they cooked themselves and so saved a lot of money perhaps they could cut some hours to rest more? And many foods can be stored a long time so it's buying twice a month and than using that. You don't need to use that much time to Shop. Also you can cook mindfully: Today it's Spaghetti Napoli but you cook some Noodles more, next day you use the rest of the noodles for stir fried noodles Asia style etc. The " it's less time consuming to cook" is just an excuse. There are enough cheap and fast meals to cook at home in about 15 mins. How much time do you need to go to the next McDonalds? But as a German I have to say I can't understand to begin with how the richest nation has this much working poor. -.-
Sorry, meant of course "it's more time-consuming to cook" as an excuse, me bad!
15 dollars of beans and rice can feed a family far longer than 15 dollars at McDonald's. Its also more nutritionally balanced. Add eggs on the side for a heartier meal. No, eating beans and rice is not fun all the time. But it goes further and will not make you sick like eating McDonald's "food" will eventually. If you find just beans and rice are not satiating, try adding some avocado oil (expensive, so use sparingly. but super heart healthy)
Try and add SPICES - the magic ingredient that will turn ol' same pinto beans into Mexican food, Peruvian food, German food, Polish food and much more.
Spices are cheap *per serving,* but you can't go to the market and buy a penny's worth of turmeric. If you're poor, it's unlikely you're going to have a spice rack full of oregano, basil, garlic powder, etc. Beans & rice with just salt and pepper - yuck.
Yes, my mom and I eat a lot of rice variations simply because it is easy. There are 5 that are flavorful, and plain with butter and salt works too. Or soy sauce.
Rice (pure carbohydrate) with butter? Not the pinnacle of health either.
Still better than McD,
Don't get me wrong, I love beans (and that there are many tasty varieties of it), but this reminds me of an unhealthy mono diet. It' OK for a while, but not on the long run.
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No. Beans have like double the nutrients than anything in McDonald’s. Also, eat something with your beans like peas or salad. I’m not poor and I eat that all the time. Beans and salad. You guys only pretend to start caring about nutrients when someone tells you to clean up your diet. Then suddenly nothing has the precious nutrients that fast food has. Sure Jan.
No, beans are not healthier than meat. Sounds like you're a vegan, so debating you on that point could go on forever. But I just had to state that beans are not as healthy as you're acting like. Especially for people who are on their feet all day. They need good solid food.
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Lentils, split peas, and chickpeas are also cheap. If a person has a pressure cooker pot they can make a meal in 30 minutes. Spices can also be varied to change up the flavor. For example cumin is good with all these. But it's also possible to use bullion, or chili paste, and so on. And spices are cheap to get
Again, @ Lion's...WHO is buying all these pressure cookers and other kitchen equipment for those in poverty who cant even afford to give their kids $5 for lunch?
you suggest one should have multiple spices and lentil beans and rice. and time to cook every day. That implies the person is not poor.