The King of Fast Food Burgers

I was browsing through the Daily Hive this afternoon and came across Ian Hunter’s review of the best (and worst) fast food burgers in Canada.

Very long time readers may remember that I have never eaten anything from McDonald’s, so I can’t comment on them (other than that disgusting smell). And it has been several decades since I ate a DQ Burger (and I have been sorely tempted by their recent ads which border on food porn). However, I do love some fast food and I have a definite preference.

As I went through the list, I became ever more excited as DQ, McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s were left in the dust.  In the end, I was overjoyed to find that Hunter and I share the opinion that the A&W Burger “is as close to fast food burger perfection as you’ll get. Real cheddar cheese, real bacon, a toasted sesame seed bun, and the symphony of flavours and textures in this burger work in perfect harmony.”   Could not agree more.

Image: Daily Hive

By coincidence, the Visual Capitalist this weekend also had some things to say about fast food.  They reported on a study in The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics which found that “fast food menus are less healthy than they were 30 years ago.” And that is after taking into consideration the salads and other “healthier” choices.

Portions are getting bigger …

… desserts are getting sweeter …

… and the “researchers found that there were 42 more calories on average in items like chips, soups and French fries in 2016 than there were in 1986 [and] sodium content rose to 23.2 percent of the recommended daily allotment from 11.6 percent, even though portion size did not grow substantially.”

I’ll no doubt think about those figures next time I’m chewing down on a TeenBurger.  Oh yeah.

Image: Philadelphia Balconies #2

The Future Was … Plastics

I came across an excellent essay at History.com by Erin Blakemore in which she examines the revolutionary effect that Tupperware parties had on North American society and most particularly on the place and role of women in the economy.

Image: Getty Images

“Tupperware parties were more than they might seem. Although they engaged in lighthearted socializing at living rooms, Tupperware party organizers were running thriving, woman-owned businesses. And the women who participated in them weren’t just stocking their homes: they were experimenting with cutting-edge technology that helped food stay fresh for longer. During the 1950s and 1960s, thousands of women started their own home businesses selling Tupperware, breaking gender stereotypes even as they reinforced them.”

Earl Tupper had invented the storage containers but had failed to sell many through conventional stores. He was finally persuaded to latch onto the new idea of “patio parties” and he never looked back. He was helped by a major societal shift:

“so many women who [had] entered the job market during the war were pushed out of employment and encouraged to stay home with their children. Meanwhile, postwar prosperity helped encourage a massive baby boom. As a result, suburbs—most filled with white, middle-class mothers—were fertile ground for Tupperware parties.

Moreover,

“[t]hough its public face was white and suburban, the company made inroads in markets that were underestimated or overlooked by other companies … Black and Hispanic women, single mothers and divorcees formed the less visible force behind Tupperware’s expansion…

Today, the company is publicly traded and thrives on the global market … And though the parties may no longer be ubiquitous in the United States, they still peddle the American dream to women in the developing world.

Well worth the read.