The fast-food battles

Going healthy — and not

By Culinate staff

June 21, 2011

In the Great Obesity Crisis, it can be hard to tell where the fast-food industry really stands. On the one hand, chains such as McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken are promoting their efforts, respectively, to use only sustainable fish (well, so far only in Europe) and offer non-fried meals. On the other hand, these same businesses are expanding mightily and pushing to have food stamps accepted in their restaurants, meaning fast-food consumption will likely increase. But, as Tom Philpott recently noted on his Mother Jones blog, the ongoing global food crisis may spell the end of the era of cheap fast food. And that, in turn, will create a new crisis for the kings of junk. Which may, in part, be why upscale restaurants are starting to offer Meatless Mondays.