A popular guilty pleasure, fast food offers perks like no other. Given its multiple advantages over cooking food at home, it’s safe to say that it’s not leaving our menus anytime soon. The question is: Why is it so common these days? Below, the top four reasons for fast food’s popularity.
An inexpensive way to get the food on the table
Have you checked out the prices of groceries in the supermarkets these days? As if gathering all the different special ingredients and spices for cooking and making the trip to and back from the grocery store wasn’t demanding enough, the grocery prices have skyrocketed and made cooking at home less of an attractive option for many families.
On the other hand, fast food is rather inexpensive compared to supermarket groceries. This is especially convenient for families, who make up a large portion of fast food restaurants’ customers. Feeding several hungry mouths when you yourself are exhausted and hungry can be tough, and value packs and dollar menu items sometimes simply make more sense when getting food on the table fast is a priority.
Fast food is quick, easy, and convenient
There’s no denying that cooking is a great skill to develop. It helps with your creativity, lets you experiment with different spices, flavors, and cooking methods, and it’s a great way to surprise your friends and family. The thing is, our schedules are often too packed that cooking is simply not something you can fit in yours. Of course, missing out on meals is never an option, which is when fast food comes into play.
Nowadays, getting your hands on some of the most delicious fast food can be as convenient as heading to your local burger restaurant or just ordering in some pizza and fries when you feel like it. Quick delivery along with easy access and the level of convenience are a much more alluring choice than having to do all the grocery shopping beforehand, get back home, prepare the food, and then cook it. When your stomach grumbles, fast food can literally save the day.
Eliminates the need for cleaning after the meal
Let’s face it – washing the dishes certainly isn’t most people’s idea of fun at-home activities. Cleaning in general can feel like a chore sometimes, especially after a hard day’s work. Aside from saving you time and money, opting for fast food also means there’s no need to deal with cleaning afterwards. Whether you head to a restaurant or order in, fast food eliminates the task of washing all those dirty pots, pans, and cutlery that somehow tend to accumulate at the speed of light while you’re cooking.
From tasty pizzas to delicious donuts to the classic burger-and-fries combo, fast food is a no-fuss way to feed your family or friends on those days when you just don’t feel like sweating over a hot stove just to do the same over a sink after everyone’s done eating (which is usually after 10 minutes or less in most cases if we’re being honest).
It feels like a treat
Because it doesn’t involve any hassle on your side, fast food often feels like a treat. Cooking is great, but it can be demanding, time-consuming, and sometimes, down-ward frustrating and overwhelming. And don’t we all love it more when someone else prepares the food for us? There’s just something about not having to cook that feels liberating, especially after you clock out and need to take a break from everything – even if it’s just for a short while.
If you’re a parent, indulging in fast food together with your kids on weekends serves as a treat for everyone. It’s a great way to catch up and get away from all the worries at work or at home. Plus, eating out may not make you feel as guilty after an entire week of preparing homemade meals for your family.
Wrapping up
Convenient, cheap, no-fuss, and feels like a treat – the appeal of fast food is difficult to deny. Add to that the amazing taste and appealing look, it’s easy to see why it’s one of many people’s guilty pleasures. As long as you stick with a balanced diet on most days, there’s no reason not to cut yourself some slack and indulge in some lip-smacking, finger-licking good fast food treats from time to time.
