As cities expand, people have seen an increase in the number of chain restaurants. But with this increase in fast food, there has been a significant decrease in the quality of food. 

Many people live a very fast paced lifestyle. This can leave little room for being able to prepare well balanced, healthy meals at home. Many people turn to eating out multiple times a week in order to get enough food throughout the day. This can not only become costly, but it also causes people to sacrifice eating healthy foods. 

Restaurants need to use many different types of preservatives to keep their food fresh for longer. Many foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and meats can last more time in restaurants than they do in the fridge at home. Restaurants are profit focused, which means they reduce the amount of food they waste as much as possible. Although this is not inherently a negative thing, it does mean that food that has nearly gone bad can still be sold. When people eat one or more meals a day at a restaurant, they could be consuming food that is less than ideal. 

“When you eat at fast food places, you are eating ultra processed food, high in sodium and high in fat.” said Eric Royer, a health teacher at Pleasant Valley High School. Many fast food places do not provide food that sufficiently meets the dietary requirements of most people. This can be especially dangerous for those living in poverty.

Fast food is often very cheap, due to its use of subpar ingredients. When people are struggling with money, it makes it much harder to procure healthy ingredients for healthy meals. Turning to fast food for multiple meals a day is the most financially sound option, regardless of the health consequences. Without offering any affordable options for healthy food, many healthy food options are simply out of the budget for some people. 

Many people are more worried about how conveniently fast food restaurants are placed, and less so about the use of healthy food used in their meals. “I eat out sometimes, so it would be nice to be eating at least a little bit healthier,” said Mary Cate Townsend, a junior at Pleasant Valley High School. The more that society pushes the fast paced, work hard, minimal rest lifestyle, the easier it is for restaurants to get away with offering subpar food. 

It is very important to eat foods that give you all the necessary nutrients. Taking the time to slow down and make at least one homemade meal a day can help to increase your health and mood. 

Most importantly, it is necessary to hold restaurants to a higher standard in order to help mitigate the amount of unhealthy food they offer. To help people who heavily rely on fast food, due to financial difficulties or time convenience, restaurants need to offer healthier options or use healthier ingredients.