How do you define...

SBS0628 · February 2010

"fast food"?

On my list of 101 things to accomplish in 1001 days is to "give up fast food for one month." Which is all fine and dandy, but I can't decide how to define/limit what is or is not "fast food."

How would you define it?

Leigha12 · February 2010

I don't really define it, I guess, so much as classify it as all generally accepted fast food establishments (McDonalds, Taco Bell, BK, Wendy's, Chick-Fil-A, etc), but not including local or chain business that prepare items such as sandwiches and pizza to order (as opposed to pre-made). Obviously, any place you sit down with a menu is not fast food, so I get my burger fixes at local dives and Red Robin when I give up fast food, and quick but necessary lunches are obtained at a local chain that is like Subway.

DH tries to say anything with a drive-thru is fast food, but I disagree (mostly because our sandwich place tends to have drive-thrus in most locations and it IS NOT fast food).

Junebug060609 · February 2010

To me fast food is food that comes from anywhere that has a drive thru.

chrissyvcm · February 2010

Perhaps instead of saying you're that giving up all "fast food", maybe you should better define why it is that you're giving it up and that'll help to better define the term "fast food" as it applies to your goal.

I was thinking about this just yesterday as I was driving near Balboa Park and saw a new healthy, fast food restaurant had opened up. Is that something you'd want to give up just because it falls into the fast food category? No, probably not. Do you want to give up Starbucks since many of them have drive-thrus? I don't see that happening! Would you allow yourself to go to McDonalds and order a salad if you were hungry and nothing else was available? Yes, probably.

Perhaps you could even reword your goal to something like "Only eating 'real' food for one month" or "Cutting foods that to me fall into xxx category and make me feel guilty for one month". As long as your intention is still the same, and and your only agenda is rewording the effort so that it makes it more clear cut for yourself, I wouldn't consider it veering from the original purpose.

SBS0628 · February 2010

The intention, as much as the food quality thing, was really the "stop spending money to eat out of a paper bag when you have plenty of cheaper/better options at home."

I like the idea of listing places. Perhaps I'll just make a "taboo" list for the month. And, yes, Starbucks is on there -- but only for pasteries/foods, not for beverages!

luckycooky · February 2010

Normally I'd say anything with a drive thru but based on your intention, I would either create a list of specific places or reword it to say "Eat X meals from home each week for a month"

hawkilady · February 2010

In my mind, I would say anything with a drive thru = fast food. For your definition, I would modify it to say "eliminate convenience food for 1 month" because in your goal I would include things like Lean Cuisine and canned soup because they can be easily and cheaply prepared at home. That may not be realistic though. Chrissy's modification of "only eat real food" also works I think.

barbnsteve · February 2010

Watch Food Inc and then you'll be turned off from it forever! Ick!

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