10 Things You Need to Know About Fast Food
You already know that fast food isn’t nutritious. But that’s not the full story. Here are 10 other things that the billion-dollar fast food industry doesn’t want you to know:
- Those grill marks on your burger aren’t real. They’re put there by the factory.
- Speaking of meat: it’s chemically cleaned with things like ammonium hydroxide to get rid of e. coli and other harmful organisms. Appetizing, isn’t it?
- The freshness of your food typically depends on the time of day. If you visit at peak times, chances are your food only sits around for a few seconds after being prepared. But if you show up an hour before closing, beware: those fries could be very, very old.
- The salads are usually as unhealthy — or sometimes even more unhealthy — than all of the other stuff, especially when drenched with salad dressing.
- If you avoid eating a burger because you think the chili is more nutritious, then sorry: it’s actually just ground up burger in a bowl (and probably costs twice as much).
- What you’ve suspected all along is correct: more staff are assigned to the drive-thru window than to serve customers at the counter. Why? Because folks who wait too long at drive-thru can get really frustrated and drive away, while folks who have already entered a restaurant are unlikely to leave, regardless of how long they have to stand around.
- The next time you go to fill your cup with soda, peer up at the ice chute (i.e. the plastic thing that ice falls down from). There’s a good chance that you’ll see mold in there (pro tip: mold is not in any of the food groups). And while you’re boosting your hygiene IQ: some insiders say that the filthiest piece of equipment on the entire fast food landscape is the soft serve ice cream machine.
- If you’ve always wondered why your meal looks absolutely nothing like the lovely pictures on the menu or wall, or those giant billboards that are created by companies like the Landmark Sign Company (learn more about them at landmarksignusa.com), then here’s the reason: those pictures aren’t of real food. For example, the ketchup is red paint, the pickles are plastic, and so on.
- Naturally, we expect managers to hold on to good employees, and get rid of bad employees. However, many fast food restaurants do the opposite: they hang on to their bad (and sometimes awful) staff. Why? Because turnover is so high, that managers get an incentive to keep people, regardless of how bad they are.
- Why do so many fast food item prices end in “.99”? It’s because studies have shown that people focus on the number to the left of the decimal more than the right. So for example, when people see a price of $4.99, their brain goes “that’s four bucks” — even though it’s just a penny away from being five bucks. Pretty sneaky, huh?
The Bottom Line
Nothing above suggests that you should completely avoid eating at fast food restaurants. After all, sometimes we all get a craving that only fast food junk can fill. However, you’re much better off keeping the above in mind, and leaning towards other options — like making your own mouth-watering stuffed burgers, or if you’re a vegetarian (or just want a non-meal alternative), then try some delicious refried veggie bean burgers. Your body will thank you!