From McNuggets to Croquettes: What Fast Food Reveals About Culture

By: Yashas Omprakash

June 11, 2025

Fast food we all love it and we all hate it. America is famous for its fast food restaurants, and yet we seem to have the worst fast food. Don’t get me wrong, we all love a good not-so-healthy burger once in a while but for a fast food addict like me, this might not be the best way to live my life.

Hi, my name is Yash and I’m here to educate all of you about the differences between fast food around the world in this article. American fast food compared to European fast food has a lot of cons, let's review them together, shall we?

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The Ingredients

The ingredients used in American fast food and European fast food are amazingly different. American fast food has more “processed” ingredients than Europe does, meaning the food in America tastes less fresh. This is mainly due to the fact that Europe has stricter laws than America in which exporting and importing foods take place.

The Food

The food itself has a noticeable difference too. American fast food has been claimed to be “greasier, less healthy, and deep fried”. A lot of people in Europe preach “less is more” into their plates, so it makes sense that their food comes in smaller portions. Here in America, we deep-fry everything when it comes to fast food, while restaurants in Europe supposedly, fry, bake, grill, and steam their fast food.

The Price

There is one downside to fast food in Europe and that is the price. A good ol’ Big Mac from America comes to about $3.99, while one in Europe comes to $4.75. This is about a 19% increase from the American price. On the other side, this could be looked at as a plus point for Europe as well, saying that their Big Mac is better than the American Big Mac. No matter the reason, we all know Europe is expensive.

Conclusion

In conclusion, fast food seems better in Europe than in America, right? American fast food is lower quality and more unhealthy than fast food in Europe. We should rethink what we eat daily and inspire some change in our local restaurants and encourage healthier alternatives. I am by no means judging what you eat or discouraging you from eating. Eat what you want and do what makes you feel beautiful.