Fast Food Nation

[Chiromom]

Since reading that book, what changed for you?

DH and I made a pact: absolutely no more fast food, no chain restaurants of any kind, increased boycotting of corperate america in general.

We have been doing this for a little over a month now...we are leaving on vaccation in a few days...lets see how we do. So far we have been very good...but this may be the honeymoon. I hope not? How 'bout you guys?

[Lucy]

Hello! That book sounds interesting. Is it about how bad fast food is for you, or how families aren't eating "real " meals together anymore?

I may have to check this book out. Can anyone give me a brief summary of it?

Thanks!:)

[Erin Pavlina]

It's more a book about the natural flavors industry and the harsh working conditions of America's meat packers (and french fry makers).

I wrote a review of the book at Vegfamily. If you are interested in reading it, here is the link.

http://www.vegfamily.com/bookreviews/fastfoodnation.htm

It was a great book.

[Lucy]

Thanks Erin, I may check that out. I never really thought about their working conditions.

[Smilemomma]

I just now finished this book! (see, one good thing came out of the boards being down!)

This book is so much more than that! It covers really the whole "dumbing down" of culture, of mass homogenization, of the McWorld effect of chain franchises in general. It talks about what's in the meat (in a word, shit), how the fries are engineered to taste that way, the despicableness yet ubiquitousness of marketing to children, incredible discrepancies in the groups which we rely on to keep our food supply safe (the FDA oversees cheese pizzas, but put a pepperoni on it, and now it's the USDA's baby...), how the most unsafe food is actually sold to our schools, poor working conditions and anti-unionization of not only slaughterhouse workers, but fast food workers, farmers, chicken growers, the list goes on. The final chapter is brief, but a great synopsis of the book. He sums up what needs to happen to change each thing discussed in the book, and what we can do as individuals.

His research and documentation are impeccable, and his notes are fully 1/4 of the book! I think Mothering Mag should cover this book in an upcoming issue --it's right up their alley.

Should be required reading!

[Erin Pavlina]

Yes, exactly what SmileMomma said. I forgot about all that.

Hey, you want to write reviews for VegFamily? :)

[Smilemomma]

Thanks, but no thanks, Erin! That's your bag! It was only fresh for me because I literally just put down the book a few hours ago! :)

What about Mothering covering it? It would be awesome, a perfect fit.

[Paulab52]

I have got to get this book. I keep hearing about it, but I dunno, I'm scared to know what I'll find out LOL.

As far as the mistreatment of fast food workers, I can vouch for that! That had to be the worst job I have ever held. The things we had to do.

Remember that lady who got 1 million dollars for spilling a cup of hot coffee on her hand? Well, when I worked at Burger King, a whole pot of freshly brewed coffee spilled on my whole arm giving me 2nd degree burns. Did I get a million dollars?? NOPE, I didn't even get any freaking burn salve, they didn't have any. I didn't even get to get off of my shift early.

I refuse to let my boys work fast food. I'd rather they just did yard work.

[SoHappy]

What changed for me? Well, I won't go to any national fast food restaurant anymore. (I used to get my son fries and a milk on occasion as a "treat", but now that I know what they do to the fries...) I got the book when it first came out because I had read some excerpts and was intrigued. I'm not much of a beef gal anyway, but since then, I've only had beef twice. And the phrase "natural flavors" has a whole new and scary meaning for me. I'm really glad this book was written. And his documentation, as Smilemomma said, is stellar.

[TripkeHughes]

I've hear interviews with the author on NPR a few times and was shocked (although I don't know why). It sounds great, I should go get it at the library. We don't eat fast food much anyway (1 maybe 4 times a year, but never the hamburger and fries type of places... we are stuck on the healthy mexican type... I'm sure it is just as bad :mad: .

Anyway, just wanted to share my discust for the industry.

[Lucy]

Just had to say... I got this book today, and it is incredible!!

I am so enthralled. It really is a must read, I never knew about so much of this stuff, like the marketing to kids in schools, ect. It disgusts me. I'm only on p. 57, but not for long.

[lojoma]

We literally have not eaten a bite of fast food since reading this book. We didnt go often, but we also used it as a "treat" HA! Some treat, E-coli and engineered tastes! We also now get all of our beef from an organic, local locker and only free range organic chicken from the co-op. We eat less meat in general and it only confirmed my already burgeoning disgust with Disney and commercialism in general. I agree Mothering should feature it, altho it may be kind of old news by now. Every American should read it!

[Paulab52]

Ok, I read this book over the weekend, and I have to go against the majority here. I already KNEW all this stuff, I've seen it on 20/20 and Primetime Live. Remember a few years back with the Jack in the Box deaths? That's when all these news programs ran the shows.

I think I was more appaled by the advertising angels towards children. I had no idea that was going on in the schools.

Slaughterhouses are nasty places. Doesn't really matter if it's a local slaughterhouse or a big giant slaughterhouse owned by IPB....but I do think the quality of cattle makes a difference.

I do have to say though, I think I will be keeping the kids away from fast food, just because of the fact they are not as strong to fight off E.coli. I also don't like the amount of fat in the little happy meals...I never did, I was never comfortable with it in the 1st place.

When Rhys was a baby and Ethan was 2, we spent a lot of time at the indoor Mcdonalds, more than I care to admit. Since Rhys is older now, we don't go nearly as much. The kids don't even really like to go anymore, so that's a good thing.

BTW, if anyone wants to buy my book (heehee), I'd like 20.00/ppd. Please email me at mom22boys@telocity.com

Talk later!

[Rastamom]

Well, I read Fast Food Nation and Diet For A New America (Tom Robbins) in the same month and became a vegan. I was mostly vegetarian until that point, but it pushed me over the edge.

I never ate a lot of fast food and now eat none. Dh ate a fair amount and I don't think he's gone more than a few times since I read out loud to him so much in August. (He won't read them himself!)He's also significantly cut his meat intake since I began eating vegan. (eating vegans, as my mom says :P )

[Paulab52]

Hey Rastamama!

Yes, I'm still trying to cut out meat. You'll be glad to hear that yesterday was a meat free day and today was a high veggie/rice dish w/meat for flavoring!

I am trying to give up fast food, and I'm doing pretty well. Dh is another matter....even though I read to him FFN, he won't quit.

Oh well..

[srain]

We don't eat any meat, but are still guilty of the occasional trip to Taco Bell on road trips. When we're driving in the middle of the night, desperate to keep the baby asleep, and were too harried to pack good food before departure, the drive-thru just beckons- we need to try harder to either prepare something tasty in advance or learn to live with our peanut butter sandwiches!

[artemesia]

Just a small correction, the Diet for a New America book was written by John Robbins, not Tom. Tom Robbins is one of my all time favorite authors and I nearly jumped out of my chair when I saw his name with an unfamiliar and presumably new title. I'll have to contain my disappiontment at not being able to curl up with his "new" book and check it out anyway, it sounds great.

[Rastamom]

Artemesia, you're right, I confused the two...thanks for the correction. :)

Sorry to make you jump out of your chair unnecessarily!


BTW, where are you in upstate NY? I'm in Ulster County.

[artemesia]

I live in the Elmira/Corning area. I'm not sure where Ulster county is.:)

[Rastamom]

Oh, you're sort of near Oneonta, right? My parents live in Morris.

Ulster is...all the way down Rt 28. An hour south of Albany.

Woodstock, New Paltz, Kingston....sound familiar?

[artemesia]

Nope, the closest city I'm near is Ithaca, which is about 30-45 minutes north of us.

[Smilemomma]

:thumb

[Chiromom]

haven't had a bite of Fast Food (or any chain restaurant) food since reading this book. Not even tempted. And its not always easy. We travel a fair amount and sometimes now have to stop for much longer and more expensive meal breaks...but its worth it. And we are contributing to local economies...not corperate jerks! Hooray!!! I'm so glad I read this book.

[Deirdre]

Wow! I just finished this book yesterday. I will never look at another fast food restaurant the same.

So many things really stand out for me...one in particular is the whole branding and advertising to children. Then this morning I received a children's toy catologue in the mail and on the very first page they were selling a children's size McDonald's kitchen with it's own deep fryer and grill:eek With those big Golden arches all over it!!!!! So your little 3 year old can "pretend" she is a fast food worker:eek I ould have been turned off to this normally but I was absolutely incensed after reading the book.

Also, and this may sound gross, but on our way home from a road trip yesterday I kept seeing McD's and all I could think of is "there is sh*t in the burgers"!!!!!!!

Anyway, I am officially off fast food!!!!

[kerc]

I just finished the book yesterday. I told my dh that we will have to seek out a local meat store to buy ground beef --- we are not vegetarians and the main reason why we aren't is every now and again when we begin our veggie diets I just CRAVE a hamburger (not fast food, but a real hamburger).

So....I'm trying to figure out ways to eat more organic, small company foods and still be cheap.

I too was amazed at the corporate culture. I would say this book is equivalent of "the jungle" for the '00s,

[MamaOui]

dddddddddddddddddddddddd

[kerc]

Originally posted by MamaOui
I am finding the info about starting brand loyalty during the toddler years sickening.

me too. and even yesterday I went into one of the mega stores and saw the toy that is supposed to allow your kid to play macdonald's drive thru.

[yoga]

I couldn't finish this book. It was soooo disturbing. I won't say that we've given up fastfood completely, but we don't eat it unless we go out of town. And even then, I bring food w/us, but dh never wants any of it.

And, ya know, I loved my job at Micky D's. It was my first, fourth, and seventh job, and I enjoyed it each time.

But, the book opened my eyes A LOT! I'm constantly fighting the will to just hole up in my house...