We're not big fans of fast food – most fast-food chains offer food that is toxic, unhealthy, and made with low-quality ingredients; but we too have fallen victim to the argument that “it's cheaper to feed a family of four with fast food rather than making home-cooked meals.” This, however, has been proven to simply not be true. Homemade Recipes breaks down the real cost of fast food and how making meals at home will not only save you money, but can also save your life in the long-run.
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We've often heard people say when discussing fast food: it's more expensive to buy and make food than it is to feed a family with fast food. Followed by: so, can you blame people, especially those of a lower-income bracket, for feeding their family with fast food? And our response to that is: Yup, we've been there before and thought the exact same thing too, but the reality of the matter is is that it's cheaper and healthier to make meals at home than it is to eat out, regardless of where you're eating out at.
A couple of years ago, New York Times posted an infographic with an accompanying article by Mark Bittman, that deconstructed the myth surrounding the cost of fast food. Here's what they found:
- A meal for four at McDonald's – 2 Big Macs, 1 cheeseburger, 6-pc. Chicken McNuggets, 2 medium fries, 2 small fries, 2 medium Cokes and 2 small Cokes – comes out to be $28 and rounds out to 900 calories per person with 37 calories from fat.
- In comparison, a homemade meal of chicken, salad, potatoes and milk comes out to $14 with 4% more calories than the McDonald's meal, less than 35% carbohydrates and 191% more protein.
- To go even further, a homemade meal of pinto beans and rice for four comes out to $10 and offers 37% less calories, 59% less fat, 33% less carbohydrates and 13% more protein than the compared-to fast food meal.
When compared side by side, it's clear to see that homemade meals are not only cheaper, but offer more nutrients, such as protein, that are vital to a healthy body and balanced state of being. In the long run, eating homemade meals will also save you money on doctor visits and medical bills as regular consumption of fast food can damage your health and lead to issues such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and, in some cases, mortality.
So, why is it important to know this? Well, it is the case now, more than ever, that eating healthy and living a balanced lifestyle are crucial in determining life expectancy, mental and emotional development and state of being, and overall health. Secondly (but as important as overall health), cooking is fun, creative, and meditative, and the public perception of cooking needs to (and slowly is!) shift from that of “tedious chore” to an activity that is fulfilling, nourishing, and most importantly, communal.
Cooking brings people together, allows one to explore a creative side of themselves, and keeps yourself and your family nourished, healthy and happy, and who doesn't want that? So, for all you home cooks out there: You're awesome! And, should you ever come across someone who believes that fast food is the cheaper alternative, don't be afraid to drop this little kernel of truth on them. It could change their lives.
That’s all, folks! If you enjoyed our post on the Real Cost of Fast Food, let us know in the Comments section below. We love hearing your feedback and comments; we also love sharing recipes and ideas, so if you have input on the fresh versus fast food debate, we want to hear what you have to say! HomemadeRecipes.com was founded to create an online community where foodies, epicureans and chefs can share recipes and learn new ones! If you love to cook, love food or have some great recipes and ideas you’d like to share with us, shoot us an email and make sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest! We’re always looking for contributors and want to hear from you.
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