Fast Foods: Cheaper than Home-cooked Meals?

Introduction

Fast foods provide consumers with the convenience of accessing readily available foods at the time of their convenience.  Fast foods have continued to have many loyal customers despite the existence of restaurants and the option of making home-made foods.  There have been discussions on the benefits of fast foods and whether they should be encouraged or banned.  One argument for and against fast foods has been the cost of fast foods over home-cooked meals.  It is easy to assume that fast-foods are cheaper than home-cooked meals. However, the reality is that fast foods are expensive as they carry hidden costs that include taxes.  Similarly, fast foods carry the health costs associated with the treatment of health conditions such as obesity and diabetes that are sometimes triggered and worsened with the consumption of fast foods.

Body

Fast foods are more expensive that home-cooked means because the pricing of the food has to cater for additional expenses such as labor, and ingredients used.  Fast foods are popular because people perceive them as an escape to the task of cooking.  However, the reality is that home-made cooking is cheap as the individual can access the ingredients from the market and purchase the products.  Raw products are cheaper than purchasing ready-made foods.  Moreover, the cooking process is enjoyable as it allows for families to bond as they can participate in the cooking process.  Additionally, home-cooking allows for individuals to make healthier food choices compared to fast foods.

 The cost of fast foods over home-made foods can also be analyzed regarding the health outcomes.  Fast foods elevate the risk of health problems such as obesity.  The convenience and ease of access to fast foods have made it attractive to adults and children who consume the foods on a regular basis (Schlosser, 2012).  Unfortunately, fast foods have a lot of calories and minimal to no nutritional value.  As a result, regular consumption of fast foods results to health conditions such as obesity that are difficult to manage.  Obesity increases the risk of complications such as diabetes and heart disease that require lifetime management and expensive medication.  Eventually, the health care costs become expensive.  In contrast, home-cooked meals give individuals the opportunity to select healthier foods options that include fruits and vegetables.  Health food alternatives minimize the risk of diseases.

            Critics can argue that home-cooked meals are expensive because of the cost of personal labor that the person undertakes.  Critics argue that costs should include the labor of cooking and cleaning up after cooking and after eating.  However, that is a narrow-minded perception to favor fast food consumption.  Fast foods may appear cheaper at the forefront, but in reality, they are expensive.  First, fast foods are made intentionally tasty thus encouraging the consumer to return for a regular purchase of their snacks.  Therefore, in a day, an individual may have spent more money that necessary purchasing different snacks from the fast foods.  In contrast, home-made meals give individuals the alternative of carrying the food to the office rather for lunch.  It is by cooking at home that an employee cuts the cost of purchasing snacks and lunch by a significant margin (Rao, & Mozaffarian, 2013).

            The cost of fast foods can also be analyzed for the impact it has had on children and adolescents.  Fast food restaurants have realized that children and adolescents make a significant percentage of their customers.  The restaurants are now typical near schools and playgrounds.  The proximity to children means that children have changed their consuming patterns and eating habits.  Parents give their children pocket money thus the children can spend their free time consuming more sugary, greasy and salty foods that healthy food options (Green, & Dowler, 2003).  Fast food consumption is detrimental to the child’s health as well as his overall education. For instance, the overconsumption of sugar levels results in high energy that impedes concentration in the classroom.  Fast food thus has the same addictive effect as any drug.  The child may concentrate on ending the classes so as to purchase fast foods rather than concentrating on their studies.  The result is a child who fails in his education thus ending up being a burden to the society.  The cost of lacking an education is too high for the society to ignore as it leads to overdependence.

Conclusion

The debate over the consumption of fast foods over home-cooked meals elicits diverse reactions depending on the preference of an individual.  A person that desires a fast-paced life that is not halted by activities such as preparing meals prefers fast foods.  Fast foods provide the convenience of accessing foods on demand.  However, the public needs to consider the costs associated with fast foods over home-cooked meals.  Fast foods are costly regarding the health problems its causes, the inclusion of extra charges on the ready meal and its negative influence on children. Home-cooked meals are the better alternative as they give individuals the power to make healthy food choices.  It is also cheap regarding mitigating diseases and cutting extra spending of buying junk foods.

Reference

Green, J., Draper, A., & Dowler, E. (2003). Short cuts to safety: risk and ‘rules of thumb ‘in accounts of food choice. Health, risk & society, 5(1), 33-52

Rao, M., Afshin, A., Singh, G., & Mozaffarian, D. (2013). Do healthier foods and diet patterns cost more than less healthy options? A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ open, 3(12), e004277

Schlosser, E. (2012). Fast food nation: The dark side of the all-American meal. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Sherry Roberts is the author of this paper. A senior editor at Melda Research in help writing nursing research paper if you need a similar paper you can place your order for customized papers.