How is fast food a junk food?
By Artemeis
@artemeis (4194)
China
November 3, 2016 2:49am CST
I'm really not a fan of the commercialized hamburgers and it came no surprise to me that they are being regarded as junk food worldwide today.
However, I could not help pondering over this junk food label when I was making hamburgers for my co-staff last week since they were getting bored with their daily takeaway orders and what not.
So I made the beef patties from fresh ground beef with my own seasonings of the usual salt, black pepper, minced onions and garlic. As for dressings, I had fresh lettuce, sliced tomatoes, cucumber, mayo, fresh onions and fried egg. The ketchup, barbeque or chilli sauces were made optional depending on each individual's choice.
I'm sure the homemade hamburgers here is no different from the ones that are sold in those fast food chains like Burger King or Macdonalds and it just got me thinking on how their burgers could be considered "junk food" against mine.
Do you think I'm serving junk food here? What do you think?
16 people like this
16 responses
@egdcltd (12060)
•
3 Nov 16
Although there is an overlap, with fast food often being junk food, they aren't actually the same. Fast food is simply food that's quick to prepare. Junk food is food that's high in tasty and unhealthy ingredients and low in healthy ones. Truthfully, I wouldn't classify your burger as either fast (I'm sure it took quite some time to prepare) or junk.
3 people like this
@artemeis (4194)
• China
6 Nov 16
You'd be surprised how much time I used to prepare and make the burgers. It is really not that hard just some cutting here and there for burger dressings, the beef patties to be mixed and seasoned then left overnight. Then, on the next morning before going to work fry the onions, eggs and beef patties. Next prepare the bread in an oven, dress up the burgers with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, beef patties, mayo cream sauce and fried onions. All wrapped and ready to go. FYI the family had burgers for breakfast that morning, lol.
2 people like this
@artemeis (4194)
• China
3 Nov 16
Calories would mean that their meat patties have more fat contents than mine - am I right? But the price of ground beef should be the same since I have not selected specific cuts and I've tried the hamburgers in Burger King before which aren't that fatty. Do you think the junk food label to be unrelated today?
2 people like this
@Hanyouyomi (2187)
• Dallas, Texas
8 Nov 16
@jstory07 Oh good, I don't have to explain it...
2 people like this
@Hanyouyomi (2187)
• Dallas, Texas
8 Nov 16
@artemeis You are aware that fast food restaurants don't buy their meat from a grocery store right? Like last I checked they have factories that manufacture their beef and other meats. That's why it's not quite the same as what you get at the store, especially since it's handled differently to be made quickly and given to the customers in a quick manner. I've made homemade burgers myself as it does take a while as it depends on how much fat excretes from the beef during the cooking. Especially if you have one of those George Foreman grills. :p(Which I kinda miss using.)
2 people like this
@artemeis (4194)
• China
6 Nov 16
Like @celticeagle above you, I think it is probably the additives that are added in their (commercial fastfood chains) beef patties to be the main issue. I suppose there is some truths there but again how much or how harmful is it, I don't really know. It is much hearsay to me since no one in the entire world is taking up these joints to the courts.
2 people like this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
3 Nov 16
My question is to you - Do you think the food made by you is healthy?
Whether it is home made or made in restaurant, the content of fat and other things does a matter on evaluating it is healthy or not. I think the use of oil, I mean if it is too much, not good for health. The difference is, we don't make this kind of food at home more often. Occasionally it can be used. At home we are more concerned on health while preparing food. The care and love is absent in restaurant food even if it is not junk.
Whether it is home made or made in restaurant, the content of fat and other things does a matter on evaluating it is healthy or not. I think the use of oil, I mean if it is too much, not good for health. The difference is, we don't make this kind of food at home more often. Occasionally it can be used. At home we are more concerned on health while preparing food. The care and love is absent in restaurant food even if it is not junk.3 people like this
@artemeis (4194)
• China
6 Nov 16
No offense to you on the meat used here.
I think mine should be rather alright considering the meat did not have much fats as compared to the pork sold here. We really have to tell the butcher that we want to have the more pricier lean meats for the ground meat.
I have to agree on the lack of attention to details in the commercial food chains or restaurants lest they are the pick of the gourmet world. I can understand the mode of operation in fast food chains and the hustle demands that comes with the customers - all of which does seem to force the chains to compromise with their standards.
You are right to say that we have to prepare our home food to address certain concerns of our family members in the area of taste, preference and existing medical conditions. Again, such issues would probably be ignored by the food chains.
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16518)
• China
3 Nov 16
The hamburgers isn't my cup of tea,though it is my granddaughter's favourite.However yours sounds yummy .I think Why people class hamburgers as junk food is that they are dubious about what they add to it such as dressings,seasonings and the like,compared to homemade ones.
2 people like this
@artemeis (4194)
• China
6 Nov 16
I have a friend working in Burger King and she was telling me that the vegetables used for their hamburgers cannot stay on the shelf after 4 hours. After 4 hours, they will have to dispose it and replenish with fresh new cuts. As for the seasonings, I heard they are Heinz tomato ketchup, chilly sauce and mayo - nothing out of the ordinary.
2 people like this
@sabtraversa (12855)
• Italy
3 Nov 16
I agree, meat and bread (except for the preserving part) aren't what influence the "junkness" or the calories content the most, just a tbs of mayo alone has about 60 calories. 
1 person likes this
@artemeis (4194)
• China
6 Nov 16
@sabtraversa
The mayo calories count is shocking indeed. I wasn't aware of this.
1 person likes this
@rajeshrockstar (545)
•
3 Nov 16
I don't like burgers, Home food is healthier then outside food.
2 people like this
@artemeis (4194)
• China
3 Nov 16
Do you make hotdogs or chicken burgers once in a while? Since recipes are available everywhere and online, I am sure you would make some of these delights like a pizza, meat pies and etc., once in a while. So do you think these homemade ones to be "junk" as well?
@Jenning (2016)
• Nigeria
3 Nov 16
@rajeshrockstar You nailed it. You are not sure of the level of Hygiene around the cooking environment for fast foods, but you can be sure about that when it comes to home made. Ya...
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (158739)
• Boise, Idaho
3 Nov 16
Probably not. I think these drive ins use additives to be more economical for them.
1 person likes this
@artemeis (4194)
• China
6 Nov 16
You mean taste enhancers or MSG right?
If this is the case then it will be worrying when I see school children going for their happy meals which in another sense "deadly". I really am no expert to comment on how health suitable the burgers are but I sure can say that the cokes and fizzy drinks are another matter.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (158739)
• Boise, Idaho
6 Nov 16
@artemeis .....I'm a foodie so any type of food is fine. Turkey and cranberry sauce isn't a killer. Makes them sleepy is most of it. I am also a Dr. Pepper addict. Proud of it too.
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
18 Mar 17
Homemade burgers are different from the commercial ones.
For one thing, commercial ones use a lot of additives because they have to keep the meat last longer.
Those restaurants that made the burgers fresh from the kitchen will not sell them at such a low price.
Personally I like to eat burgers that are freshly made in the kitchen, but the cost is about 3 times as much.
1 person likes this
@artemeis (4194)
• China
20 Mar 17
I think those high end restaurants are churning out selective cuts of meats with high overheads and hence such relative high cost for these special hamburgers. Here I would advise making it ourselves since we can be assured of the quality we so want.
1 person likes this
@sabtraversa (12855)
• Italy
3 Nov 16
I'm not sure about the fried egg.
Well, when you make your burgers at home you know what the ingredients are and their quality (I think the most worrying thing would be the bread, if not homemade or fresh by the baker).
The high quantity of white bread and preservatives, the high amount of sauces and the unknown freshness of vegs in fast food chains burgers makes you wonder, I guess.
The amount of fat and calories makes them more than a full meal, then fries and soda get added up.
It's okay to have a burger once a week, better if homemade, I think.
Now I wonder why pizza is considered as a junk food abroad. Here (in Italy) it isn't.
But we don't eat it daily, and a whole pizza counts as a big meal here.
Of course in both cases toppings/dressings make the difference.
Well, when you make your burgers at home you know what the ingredients are and their quality (I think the most worrying thing would be the bread, if not homemade or fresh by the baker).
The high quantity of white bread and preservatives, the high amount of sauces and the unknown freshness of vegs in fast food chains burgers makes you wonder, I guess.
The amount of fat and calories makes them more than a full meal, then fries and soda get added up.
It's okay to have a burger once a week, better if homemade, I think.
Now I wonder why pizza is considered as a junk food abroad. Here (in Italy) it isn't.
But we don't eat it daily, and a whole pizza counts as a big meal here.
Of course in both cases toppings/dressings make the difference.1 person likes this
@Letranknight2015 (51498)
• Philippines
3 Nov 16
I was thinking of making a burger but I realized it wold be too expensive and impractical to me. So, I just resorted to eating commercial soup. with mustard greens, bok choi, carrots, pepper and moringa leaves. plus sweet potato as a snack.
1 person likes this
@artemeis (4194)
• China
6 Nov 16
Yours is really simple but why commercial soup instead of making it from fresh raw ingredients. Sorry as my perception on commercial food stuffs are inclusive of taste enhancers, preservatives and whatever.
I don't know what's the price of beef in your part of the country but it is really not costing us an arm and a leg to make the burgers for a department of 8 people here.
@LeaPea2417 (36399)
• Toccoa, Georgia
17 Mar 17
You are using fresher meat than the pre packaged meat they use, so I think your meat is probably healthier.
@Namelesss (3368)
• United States
21 Nov 17
Fast food is not necessarily junk food. That is not until you add in the grease laden, overly salted french fries, milkshake and fatty sauces, dips and spreads.
Meat (whether lean or drained of grease), fresh veggies and a bun = just plain good ole food.
@artemeis (4194)
• China
6 Nov 16
I can understand where you are coming from and thanks for the support.
While the attention to details is non comparable here, I just have to be objective with the salad dressings, sauce and meat used. I cannot really say how dubious the additives and preservatives are in their ingredients at the joints but I have to wonder why they are not being taken to task when there are risks to eat these on a regular and long run.
Some crime going unpunished here? I don't really know what to say.
@FayeHazel (40248)
• United States
11 Nov 16
I have wondered too. One thought is - is the hamburger meat they use at fast food places a lot of fat filled/cheaper meat?
