By Maria Conroy

It’s no doubt that McDonald’s is one of the most affordable lunches to get during your lunch break. Their menu has America’s favorite food items like their famous French fries, hamburgers, and the “McNuggets.” The meal can cost you less than five dollars. Also, with their fast service, you can get your meal quickly and have more time to eat. This helps Central High School students to run to the restaurant, eat, and run back to school in time. I have been in love with McDonald’s ever since I got the freedom to get my own lunch during lunch break my junior year. I always get a medium McChicken meal with a Coke and it always costs less than four dollars. It was very delicious but definitely not nutritious.

After a while of buying McDonald’s, it started to break my bank and sadly make me gain weight. As this was starting to occur, I didn’t want to stop because I loved McDonald’s. My parents got concerned with my spending habits and wanted me to cut down on some calories. I really didn’t want to eat the school lunch and it was way more fun to go out with friends and eat together. Someone suggested I go to Panchero’s Mexican Grill or Subway instead. So I did, but it seemed to make me spend more and more money each day.  Soon, I didn’t have money and I was in trouble with my parents.

After some talking and begging with my mom, I got my allowance and I got my paycheck. It was time to prove that I could spend my money wisely and get on a healthier diet. I planned a budget and I showed it to my parents and they approved it. After a couple weeks of trying to stay on budget, I failed and went to McDonald’s. It seemed so easy and quick to go to the restaurant and get food, especially on a tight budget. I obviously had a problem.

What ultimately made me cut down going to McDonald’s was that I found out what was really inside the food and why it was damaging my health. I researched videos and articles online and found out that the French fries don’t really expire (at least not after a long, long period of time). The French fries are also covered in harsh chemicals. The burgers have ammonium sulfate, and that is a chemical byproduct of synthetic fiber production, and it is the most common source of lawn fertilizer nitrogen according to collective-evolution.com. I also noticed after eating the fries, it started to leave a weird taste in my mouth. It made me so sick.

Yet even after finding this evidence that McDonald’s is bad, I also found that with a lot of exercise you can lose weight while eating McDonald’s every day. My emotions were being conflicted. So I decided to challenge myself to eat McDonald’s less and less each month. If there is one thing I could tell McDonald’s, it would be that I still love them and maybe I always will, but it’s not me that’s the problem, it’s you. I have made my decision to break up with McDonald’s. It’s not easy but I can survive without them.

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Photo credit: Antiglogalism by Natasha Mileshina on Flickr