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What really saves more time and money… eating at a fast food joint or cooking at home?

While tens of millions have lost their jobs, KFC opened 300 new outlets in Britain (guardian.co.uk). Subway sandwiches are offering 7,000 new positions. Domino’s Pizza reports sales have risen 10%. McDonald’s revenue for 2007 reached a record $22 billion (moneymorning.com).

Struggling families are turning to fast food joints for a cheap and speedy “meal.”

Interestingly, despite rising sales, McDonald’s actually made less profit in 2007. No surprise. After receiving so much bad rep from Super Size Me and the anti-obesity movement they upped the quality of all their ingredients leading to higher costs.

Why KFC Profited More Than McDonald’s…

KFC and company rely on fillers and extenders to preserve their profit margin. Genetically modified soy oil and corn syrup keep the general public happily thinking they were served a tasty meal.

All those heavy trans-fats suck up energy as your body tries to digest and eliminate them. The high sugar content gives people a burst of energy. Then they crash. All those cheap calories offer little savings as they head off for a mid-afternoon pop, coffee or donut to boost energy.

How Productive Can Humans be on a KFC Diet?

Sure, fast food might save people a little time and money, at first. But their sluggish-effects start slowing them down. With millions lining up for jobs, employers will have little tolerance for any employee who isn’t working at peak performance.

Plus, what money they saved on a Big Mac, they lose in wages with sick days from work. Make no mistake… junk food stresses your body out just like a flu. If you stress your immune system with MSG-laden tacos… it won’t have any energy left over to combat viruses.

Don’t Shortchange Yourself…

If there’s ever been a time when you need to treat your body like an athlete, this is it.

Use the economic crisis to challenge yourself and discover what you can accomplish. Think more about how you can better contribute to society, your workplace and your family…

• Buy locally – it’s cheaper and healthier.

• Let’s start eating together as families again. It’s easier to make one healthy meal for five, then five individual meals, at different times, eaten alone in front of the TV.

• Find entertainment and exercise in sports and games instead of just the TV with its barrage of drug and processed food ads.

• In fact, turn off the TV, completely! It’s an endless stream of negative news that draws our attention like watching a train wreck in progress. Give more attention to your chemical body — not your TV body.

• Plant a garden this spring. I’ll talk more about my own community garden in future blog posts.

• Learn a skill that will help open up new sources of income and increase your wages at work (or start your own business).

Let’s not use these hard times to boost the bottom line of companies who care little for their customers’ well-being. Let’s use it to find more confidence in ourselves, more teamwork amongst our families and our neighbors, more skill in our chosen occupation.

P.S. Next week I’ll send you a delicious nut pâté  recipe I created that you can make in under five minutes (with a food processor or blender – gotta love technology!). Add some fresh vegetables and a tortilla (I like to use a lettuce leaf) and you got some HEALTHY fast food. Stay tuned.

P.P.S. Join the discussion! Please leave your comments in the comment box below or read what others have to say. Do you already buy locally? Any tips you’d like to share? Any questions?

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