The Fattening of Fast Food's Menus

I have been noticing this pattern with all these major food chain stores lately. These stores just keep on expanding their menus, even offering foods that don’t fall under their specialization. These businesses have the belief that “if our business isn’t expanding, the it’s dying,” pushing them to more and more ridiculous additions to their menus. What also bothers me about all these new foods, is that they are added under the “healthy eating” menu. Fast food chains are trying hard to change their image in people’s minds. But let’s face it, why would you go to a fast food place if good health, and losing weight is what you’re after?

The best example of such menu expansion comes from the Microsoft of fast food restaurants, McDonald’s. There are many reasons why I hate that chain, their menu expansion just adds another reason to the list.

When the average person, including me, thinks of McDonald’s hamburgers will most likely pop into our minds, but hamburgers are becoming a minute part of what they have to offer these days.

Let me list a few examples of additions to their menus:


Recently they introduced deli sandwiches. The name says it all, deli sandwiches belong to the deli, not a fast food restaurant. And if you are a vegetarian, well there's even a McVeggie burger. I wonder how long it’ll take them before adding Pizza (which I heard they had at one point), and pasta to their menus.

McDonald’s offers ice cream, which is at first understandable, since it’s a desert. But they are not offering just cones. The ice cream menu includes sundaes, McFlurries (ice cream mixed with cookies, Smarties etc.), and now they are even offering a yogurt desert. Talk about crossing the line!

Also, to jump on the bandwagon, they have also introduced salads recently. Of course, these salads have to be done the North American way, meaning they have to include meat. A salad to me is the definition of a vegetable dominant food, is there a need for meet? Ok, I’m deviating now.

To the breakfast menu, McDonald’s added a Mexican touch by offering the burrito. Fajitas were also on the menu, and I believe still are.

McDonald’s also offers a wide range of pies, muffins, coffee, tea, and many forms of “dipable” chicken.


Where the line will be drawn is hard to tell. Will they become a one stop destination for any kind of food on your mind? Will they offer Shawarma, Falafel, and maybe Chinese food? I wouldn’t doubt it.

Technorati Tags: McDonalds, fast food

Sorry for being all over the place. Also, please look at that pic with the baby carefully. Anyone finds it disturbing how they got the baby to think of the bun as his mother's breast?