We humans have different upbringing which reflects in the way we get things done, my family is a religious family and to an extent there are somethings we prefer to do due to our religious nature, this includes the source of our meals. My mum being the head of the kitchen department has a different perspective about fast food, She has about a million reasons why cooking is far better than going for fast food, some of her reasons are realistic while others are more about spirituality.
Growing up in a home like that means my perspective about fast food will surely be different from the general view. As if that wasn't enough to worsen the case, I also attended a boarding school and for those who are familiar with boarding school structure know that all our meals are cooked, there is no avenue for buying of fast food except during school hours.
Due to my background I became less interested in fast food but everything changed when I started working in opebi/Ikeja Lagos, an experience I have shared multiple times on this platform. Working in Lagos means you have to get to work as early as possible to avoid traffic, having that in mind most times it becomes too difficult to Cook a meal before going to work and whenever you get back from work you might feel too tired especially if you are a bachelor. One of the best options for those who work in the city of Lagos is fast food. A culture I eventually cultivated after few weeks of working but then it is not enough to make me deviate from teachings of my parents.
For someone like me with an unusual craving for different kind of meals, my choice to choose either fast food or cooking depends on my mood. for instance there are times when I'm so busy and feel too tired to cook but at that moment if what I'm craving is to cook a meal there is nothing that will stop me from doing it regardless of how tired I'm and there are times I'm so full of energy which means cooking a meal is the best thing at the moment but then if what I'm craving is fast food, then fast food it is. Though sometimes the reason why I choose fast food over cooking is that there are some kind food I crave that I know I don't have what it takes to prepare it myself. Instead of stressing over it, I just go ahead and purchase it.
Though there is also a factor that influence my decision to choose cooking over fast food which is financial constraint. Cooking might seem difficult some times but there is no doudt that it cost less than the amount needed to purchase some fast foods. As a Nigerian, one of the things I have learnt over the years is to ensure I don't crave for things beyond my financial capability, As the saying goes do not eat/spend more than you earn, this is one of the rules of financial stability, it is as if my body understands this very well. So instead of opting for a food that cost 4 times the amount needed for cooking, I would rather go for cooking even if it means going against my cravings though this rarely happens.
This write-up was inspired by weekly featured content titled "Cooking or fast food" in hive learners community.
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