Cooking at Home is Actually Cheaper than Buying Fast Food
It is a widespread belief in the United States that the cheapest food one can buy is found in a quick swing through the drive-thru line at the nearest McDonald’s. Fast food chains tout their low prices and famous (or infamous, depending on how one looks at it) dollar menus, but is this food actually cheaper than traditional, home-cooked meals? Surprisingly, it turns out that fast food is deceptively expensive when compared to the alternative.
Take, for example, a meal at the most popular fast food restaurant: McDonald’s. A meal for a family of four at McDonald’s can range anywhere from fourteen to twenty-eight dollars, depending on which meals one orders or if one takes advantage of lower-price options like happy meals. Even at one of the lowest options, fourteen dollars, this isn’t saving a ton of money. Replacing the McDonalds trip with a roasted chicken, side of vegetables, salad, and milk will also cost about fourteen dollars. And there are even cheaper options: cooking dishes that feature low-priced ingredients like rice can produce extremely cost-efficient meals. For example, rice with canned beans, bacon, green peppers, and onions costs about nine dollars, a great deal cheaper for a family of four than eating at McDonald’s.
But McDonald’s isn’t the only fast food restaurant that appears to have cheaper deals than it actually does. The chicken joint KFC’s menu includes a five dollar “complete meal” option (this meal comes with chicken, a biscuit, and a drink), so for a family of four the total price would come to about twenty dollars. For that some price, one could purchase all the ingredients for the same meal at a supermarket with extra cash left over for a side of vegetables and even dessert.
Many argue that despite grocery store food being less expensive than fast food, it isn’t as calorie efficient. So even if the grocery store supplies a meal for four that is cheaper, the meal isn’t as filling as eating out would be. However, this argument ignores a lot of important factors regarding the quality of our food. The previously mentioned KFC meal is 1,000 calories, while the homemade alternative is 600. But most of the calories in the KFC meal are from unhealthy sources; there is over a teaspoon of salt and sixteen teaspoons of sugar in the KFC meal, while the home-cooked alternative has half the amount of sugar. Even then, the sugar is from natural sources—unlike the KFC meal, which is full of high fructose corn syrup.
It’s clear that cooking at home is cheaper and healthier, but another important factor in home-cooked meals is that they are often tastier. Incorporating sides like vegetables, salads, fruit, and more make a much more well-rounded and delicious meal than the bland options offered at fast food restaurants. Putting in the work to enjoy these satisfying home meals is well worth it, especially when one considers that a lot of these meals are not as time consuming or work intensive as they seem. Many Americans claim to be too busy to spend time cooking, but even the busiest bees can find time to cook simple meals that are healthier and taste better than fast food alternatives. Throwing a chicken into the oven, for example, takes very little effort or time. Preparing a salad or side of vegetables can take only ten minutes, which is the same or less amount of time one could spend waiting in line for food at a restaurant.
If you’ve read this and still feel skeptical, or are unsure about your confidence in being able to prepare cheap and simple meals like the ones mentioned above, there are countless resources that can guide you through the process of cooking at home. One great place to start is on the website 100DaysofRealFood.com. The site has an article entitled “Five Home Cooked Meals Cheaper Than McDonald’s”, which includes healthy, easy-to-cook meals with full ingredient lists (and their prices) like spaghetti with spinach, breakfast for dinner, and taco salad. The prices are even gathered from the most accessible supermarket in the United States, Walmart, so nearly everyone can take advantage of these recipes. Why spend more on unhealthy food that tastes worse? It’s time we started cooking more meals in our own kitchens and less time waiting in the drive-thru.
Take, for example, a meal at the most popular fast food restaurant: McDonald’s. A meal for a family of four at McDonald’s can range anywhere from fourteen to twenty-eight dollars, depending on which meals one orders or if one takes advantage of lower-price options like happy meals. Even at one of the lowest options, fourteen dollars, this isn’t saving a ton of money. Replacing the McDonalds trip with a roasted chicken, side of vegetables, salad, and milk will also cost about fourteen dollars. And there are even cheaper options: cooking dishes that feature low-priced ingredients like rice can produce extremely cost-efficient meals. For example, rice with canned beans, bacon, green peppers, and onions costs about nine dollars, a great deal cheaper for a family of four than eating at McDonald’s.
But McDonald’s isn’t the only fast food restaurant that appears to have cheaper deals than it actually does. The chicken joint KFC’s menu includes a five dollar “complete meal” option (this meal comes with chicken, a biscuit, and a drink), so for a family of four the total price would come to about twenty dollars. For that some price, one could purchase all the ingredients for the same meal at a supermarket with extra cash left over for a side of vegetables and even dessert.
Many argue that despite grocery store food being less expensive than fast food, it isn’t as calorie efficient. So even if the grocery store supplies a meal for four that is cheaper, the meal isn’t as filling as eating out would be. However, this argument ignores a lot of important factors regarding the quality of our food. The previously mentioned KFC meal is 1,000 calories, while the homemade alternative is 600. But most of the calories in the KFC meal are from unhealthy sources; there is over a teaspoon of salt and sixteen teaspoons of sugar in the KFC meal, while the home-cooked alternative has half the amount of sugar. Even then, the sugar is from natural sources—unlike the KFC meal, which is full of high fructose corn syrup.
It’s clear that cooking at home is cheaper and healthier, but another important factor in home-cooked meals is that they are often tastier. Incorporating sides like vegetables, salads, fruit, and more make a much more well-rounded and delicious meal than the bland options offered at fast food restaurants. Putting in the work to enjoy these satisfying home meals is well worth it, especially when one considers that a lot of these meals are not as time consuming or work intensive as they seem. Many Americans claim to be too busy to spend time cooking, but even the busiest bees can find time to cook simple meals that are healthier and taste better than fast food alternatives. Throwing a chicken into the oven, for example, takes very little effort or time. Preparing a salad or side of vegetables can take only ten minutes, which is the same or less amount of time one could spend waiting in line for food at a restaurant.
If you’ve read this and still feel skeptical, or are unsure about your confidence in being able to prepare cheap and simple meals like the ones mentioned above, there are countless resources that can guide you through the process of cooking at home. One great place to start is on the website 100DaysofRealFood.com. The site has an article entitled “Five Home Cooked Meals Cheaper Than McDonald’s”, which includes healthy, easy-to-cook meals with full ingredient lists (and their prices) like spaghetti with spinach, breakfast for dinner, and taco salad. The prices are even gathered from the most accessible supermarket in the United States, Walmart, so nearly everyone can take advantage of these recipes. Why spend more on unhealthy food that tastes worse? It’s time we started cooking more meals in our own kitchens and less time waiting in the drive-thru.