There are moments in life when nothing—nothing—is better than a greasy burger and fries. There are times when the idea of passing up on a supersized Big Mac meal is inconceivable, and not getting a slice of pizza after a particularly boozy night out would, honestly, be a crime against drunken humanity.
But in recent years, there has been a growing trend toward eating healthier. We’ve seen the rise of vegan and vegetarian diets, plus people are more aware of where ingredients come from and if they’re fresh or frozen. Consumer demand has even caused the fast food industry to take notice.
It’s no small feat that McDonald’s just came out with a vegan burger and has vowed to make Happy Meals healthier by 2022. And they’re not the only ones; large food brands are now trying their own versions of healthy fast food. On the flipside, healthy-first restaurants like sweetgreen, honeygrow, and by CHLOE. are expanding exponentially.
So what’s going on here? Well, for one thing, there’s been a shift in demand toward food that’s not complete garbage. And that’s good news. But the real question is, could healthy fast food ever become just fast food? Fat chance…