McDonald’s Is My Comfort Food

Every time I scroll through Instagram, I see at least one post where the creator promotes the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. Influencers today continuously emphasize the importance of switching to a vegan diet and eating healthy food. 

Recently, I have also seen many food prep video tutorials showing you how to obtain a good amount of carbohydrates and nutrients throughout the day. 

Although I do tend to follow these videos and live as healthy a lifestyle as I can, sometimes I tend to treat myself to fast food, my biggest craving being McDonald’s. 

After I complete an exhausting midterm, I always find myself waiting in line at the nearest McDonald’s, ordering medium fries and a drink. Sometimes, I’ll order the McDouble Small Combo, which comes with the previous two items, along with a McDouble burger. Or if I feel that I need to save some money, I’ll go for a Happy Meal. 

Buying myself McDonald’s is like rewarding myself for my effort. The trend started when I took my first theatre customer service job in downtown Toronto. Oftentimes, the shifts would start at 6 p.m. and end at 9 p.m. And because I finished work so late, none of the restaurants around my theatre were open. Hence, I was stuck eating at McDonald’s whenever I felt hungry after my shift. 

As the time I was at that job passed, I realized that eating McDonald’s soon became a relief to me. It was my way of saying that I did a great job throughout my shift. And it was a way for me to reward myself for my hard work. 

Whenever I felt hungry after class, I would go to a restaurant from the world-renowned chain. And whenever I forgot to bring food from home, McDonald’s would be my saviour. 

However, the reality is that eating McDonald’s isn’t the healthiest of choices to be made when looking for something quick to eat. There are documentaries such as Super Size Me, released in 2004, which outline the negative effects of junk-food-based meals.

Moreover, other sources, including reports from medical experts and news outlets such as Global News, say that eating McDonald’s can contribute to multiple health issues, including diabetes and weight gain.

Keeping this in mind, I’ve noticed that McDonald’s isn’t food which I will always consume on a daily basis. 

It’s safe to say that eating McDonald’s ties into some boost to my mental health, especially after a long day of work. However, I also recognize that the concept of food being a mechanism for feeling or personal worth is dynamic and sometimes controversial.

So that being said, physical health is definitely more important than debating which food to eat. In life, it is important to look for a balance between staying healthy but also allowing yourself to indulge in cravings. 

That’s why it’s always important to have a meal that brings comfort because you’ll be lovin’ it.  

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• food
• love
• mcdonalds