Maybe folks have just grown out of most fast food. It is generally too greasy for my stomach now. Most candy feels so sweet to me now that it makes me a little nauseous.
Seeing the brand names you cited, I'll assume you're in the US, so my comment may or may not be as useful as some brands are way different in France (for example, Subway is decent most of the time).
Growing up I sure got less and less attracted to fast food, and trying it occasionally did feel bad in some case. Although there's a definite shift in not wanting to clog my own arteries, it's not all there is to it. Some brands really feel awful now (McDonald's being the worst fast food out there these days), but there are also other that still "hit that spot" (BK mostly). I think it's safe to say that some big names let themselves go bad, AND it is still possible to find good fast food stuff.
With that said, it do gets more expensive, as everything else. The craving for fast food really become less common as time pass, and although it's still good while eating, there's still a tinge of guilt afterward, knowing it's both too expensive for what it is (I mean the actual food, not necessarily that it's too expensive for service and stuff) and that it's not that great for yourself.
I'd say if you keep them as an occasional treat and know a few good places to indulge, it can work. But it sure feels like it requires more thinking than just dropping in any fast food joint to have a good time.
The only fast food I enjoyed in recent memory was Pizza Hut. During some scare about MSG they removed all of the MSG and I ordered it a time or two after that and it was nearly inedible.
I suspect similar things happened with other types of fast food. I think there's a flanderization effect happening with a lot of it. The same is definitively not the case for things like pizza in general, as I can order from my local NY-style pizza place and pizza is still just as good as it ever was.
All that is to say it wouldn't surprise me at all if fast food was objectively shittier across a number of different metrics.
Like everything else they are dropping quality and portion sizes while increasing prices. Line must go up. Last time I bought a quarter pounder at mcdonalds it was definitely made from 70% mongolian horse lung. Yea, I remember when it used to be a tasty burger. Fucking weird that their "beef" has become gamey. And I definitely took a bite where I was like "yea, that was definitely spoiled meat".
Yes
It's gotten worse and the portion sizes are like fucking 1/3rd of what they used to be. It's also like 3 times the price now. So yes, fast food is absolute dogshit now and not even worth the price.
Doesn't pot famously make food more enjoyable?
I agree, fast food is not worth what it costs. The reasonably quick food landscape has expanded though, we can get different things, better Mexican food, a Chinese fast to go place with some really good tasting stuff, a restaurant that advertises "curry in a hurry" even.
Popeyes is still good though.
Gonna have to disagree with you on Popeyes. They're generally good for the first few months they're open, the nosedive. The fries are good, the chicken is dry and extremely thin for what you pay.
It's still good where we are, is in a run down part of town, not generally even fast, technically, but still so good. Publix has good fried chicken too but the spicy Popeye's, so good and the only 'fast food' I will eat. Even french fries I generally just make oven fries now, but I never even try to make fried chicken.
I think the taste and texture may have become noticeably worse after the ban on artificial trans fats. It definitely impacted some of the junk food I used to buy in the grocery store. (I'm not saying the ban was a bad thing, just that a lot of us noticed the change).
Whatever the cause, I have noticed it, too.
Oh it absolutely has. I don't eat much fast food, but it's absolutely gotten worse. I prefer fried chicken if I'm eating trash food and i have to assume the oil has gotten way worse.
I'm in my 40s.. similar to you, used to eat fast food often, and enjoyed it. I was having a horrible day a couple weeks ago, and thought "fuck it.. I'm eating at McDs." It was disgusting, not like I remembered it all.
Deny these parasites profit!
If you eat it regularly then you become accustomed to it, but when you stop for awhile it no longer appeals
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