I can no longer eat fast food

[Drew99GT]

I just got back from a 2 week vacation and ate quite a bit of fast food since it was nothing but driving. Now I know it's generally rubbish, but it's gotten much much worse. I will never ever stop at a McDs ever again. It's inedible. Tried a few Taco Bells. Tastes like salty poison. The saving grace was Subway - it's the least bad fast food IMO. It's at least edible.

I hadn't eaten too much fast food before this trip and now I know why. I can't believe how salty most fast food is as well. It's absolutely disgusting. Even Wendy's, which I usually like, tasted too salty and generally bad at the 2 of them I stopped at.

BLAAAAAH. No wonder American's are so fat and unhealthy if they're eating that [censored] every day.

 

[SubyRoo]

Its not so bad I stopped eating any fast food several months ago when I started weight training and Ive never felt better. I just live off high protein foods now and its cheaper too when you look for deals at the grocery store.

 

[wallyuwl]

I think Subway is decent. And not too bad for you, if you get the right sides and either water or a diet soda (or juice, or milk).

Taco Bell is horrible. They've gotten so cheap with their "meat". They have a suit against them for calling it "100% pure beef" when it is only 35% beef, and [censored] beef at that.

 

[Astro14]

I used to eat a lot of fast food, was part of my life on the road - but you have to be smart about it: skip the fries and hash browns. skip the sugary sodas. skip the burgers.

Get a grilled (not breaded) chicken sandwich and a diet coke. Get a grilled chicken salad. Get a Chick Fila wrap. Go to the salad bar.

 

[d00df00d]

Agreed. I often want to stop by a McDonald's just for the novelty but I can never bring myself to do it. Just thinking of the food makes me say "no, thanks.". There are a few fast food joints I will visit on occasion (Qdoba, Subway, local cheesesteak places) but for the most part I can't stand the big chains amy more.

 

[Drew99GT]

The thing is, they used to be at least edible. McDs puts so much salt in their burger patties now that I simply can't eat them. And I like salt! In proper proportion. I just can't remember fast food being as bad as what I had at every single place I stopped at. And the clientele... It's a disturbing sign of how bad the US has become IMO.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Eating out (whether its fast foor or nice restraunt) always make me feel like crud. Eating home cooked meals will make you feel day and night better! The markup at sandwich shops and salad joints are a total joke. $7-$9 bucks for some sandwich or salad? Just think about how much bread,sandwich meat,and salad stuff you can buy at the grocery store for that kind`ve money and you`ll never go back to one of those clip joints ever again.

 

[CivicFan]

Yes, these foods are very salty. They do it to mask the unpleasantness of the food itself. Once I wanted fries and went to McDonalds. I asked for no salt and the fries were inedible without it. When I make fries at home, I do not use salt on them and they are delicious.

 

[bepperb]

I love fast food. I love McD's, Taco Bell, Chipotle, all of it.

I think the key is that I only eat there once every week or two. If I ate it every day I'd hate it too.

 

[CivicFan]

Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
The thing is, they used to be at least edible. McDs puts so much salt in their burger patties now that I simply can't eat them. And I like salt! In proper proportion. I just can't remember fast food being as bad as what I had at every single place I stopped at. And the clientele... It's a disturbing sign of how bad the US has become IMO.


Well, McDonalds is the glue of the American culture. In some parts, it ain't pretty.

 

[Drew99GT]

Even upscale chain restaurants suck these days. We recently went to Red Lobster - HORRIBLE. Crab legs were a soggy mess - obviously boiled to death. Shrimp Alfredo tasted like it was out of a can.

We tried Outback Steak House a few weeks ago. My medium rare 8 ounce special ended up being about a 4 ounce piece of beef jerky. It had to have been placed in a blast furnace for a few days. It took 2 tries to get one that was edible!

I'm sticking to locally owned eateries.

 

[Quest]

due to inactivity (lots of sitting while driving, lack of exercise, etc.), roadtrips or extended plane trips, compounded with lots of fastfood (as the name implies: fast, onthego), usually leads to constipation (I'm otherwise healthy/regular).

I would typically resort to eating lots of fruits and whenever possible, lots of veggies while I'm on the road. Alleviates the problem a bit but my system typically takes a few days afterwards to get back to regularity.

Q.

 

[shrooms]

Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
We recently went to Red Lobster - HORRIBLE. Crab legs were a soggy mess - obviously boiled to death.


+1

Red Krapster is the biggest scam in the eatery industry IMO. They hypnotize with their lavish commercials making you think that your getting high quality seafood.

YUK! It's a glorified Mcd' of inedible 'seafood', if you wanna call THAT seafood.

Another FAKE ethnic food dump is Olive Garden. PLEASE, if you want some decent Italian food, the WORST authentic Italian pizzeria and/or restaurant blows those stupid doors off of OG. OG's red sauce is Ragu, thrown in with some Oregano. Just to give it some camouflage 'authenticity'. The most horrific red mess available.

Garbage is too nice a description for these dumps and what's sadder, is people go to these places thinking they're something 'special'.

 

[John_K]

Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
Even upscale chain restaurants suck these days. We recently went to Red Lobster - HORRIBLE. Crab legs were a soggy mess - obviously boiled to death. Shrimp Alfredo tasted like it was out of a can.

I'm sticking to locally owned eateries.


On my last (and final) visit to Red Lobster, my wife and I decided that Long John Silvers would be just as good (and a lot cheaper).

John

 

[daves87rs]

Due to my crazy hours, I end up with fast food more often than I like.

Eating as much as I can at home now....so much better!

 

[greenaccord02]

I like taco bell when I'm drunk, or otherwise intoxicated. It's food that's really not meant to be eaten sober. You get some double decker tacos, put like three packets of fire sauce on them and grub down. The next day you feel like [censored], but you were going to any way so why not enjoy some delicious nasty taco bell.

I used to really like Wendy's, but their quality has gone down the [censored] since they came out with those "sea salt" "natural" fries. They must not be doing well, because it seems like they're cutting costs more and more.

I defy anybody to say Popeye's chicken is bad, though.

 

[sunfire]

I watched a documentary called Food Inc. that's made me sick to the point I'd never step into a McD or BK. Spurlock's documentary wasn't bad either.

 

[mpvue]

these threads come up every once in a while around here and I always find it amusing how colorful the metaphors are that are used to describe the food. exaggeration is putting it mildly.

we do a lot of cooking at home but we eat out very occasionally. when it is once in a while it might be a treat. its been a few years since we've been to red lobster, but I thought it was pretty good. we went to olive garden maybe 2 yrs ago after not being there for a few years and that too was a pleasant surprise, I liked it.
as for McD's, once in a while I get a jonsin' for a big mac but I wouldn't try to eat there regularly. occasional fast food is not going to hurt you, everything in moderation.
I disagree on the idea that subway is 'better'; please. there are so many better places to get a hoagie (that's PA-speak for a sub)made with a better quality of meat. granted,too much processed meat is also not good for you, but subway has to save money somewhere and its in the quality of the meat.

 

[Drew99GT]

Believe me, if I knew where every great local sub shop was where I stopped, I would have eaten there!

It's hard to find a good hoagie shop in BFE Texas panhandle...

 

[trooper001]

I eat McDonald's twice a week in between my college class sessions and I feel excellent. It boils down to not having too much of a good(or bad) thing. I will say this much: road trips and fast food every day are a serious no-no. Sitting on your butt and eating what I can "heavy food" isn't good for your digestive system - stuff just gets held up there, so to speak. It's like leaving your car idling all week long without driving it.

As far as it being salty, well that's a preservative and that's expected. Some people's taste buds are more sensitive to that, not mine.