The funny thing is, here in a certain third world country, MC'd is actually an expensive food, as does all the other western fast food like burger king and AW. A quintessential bun + fries + cola combo can get you 2 full course meal of rice + chicken + and drink! And they still buy it like crazy. The problem here is not that fast food is a necessity; cheaper and better food can be easily acquired somewhere else. But rather the status and prestige of buying a "trendy westerner" fast-food, which is a strange but it does happen here
Haha, in Mexico you can feed a family with the cost of one meal in Applebees, but still people buy in Applebees because poors can't afford it, so you're a winner for wasting money in worthless tasteless food.
I've travelled all over Europe and the US, and I can safely say nowhere i've been is McDonald's considered 'cheap'. They are just convenient, quick meals at a steep price.
Thing is im satisfied with 2 of their Burgers if i am really in need for some quick food. And 2€ to get a meal is probably the cheapest i can get around
@I Can't Think of a Name - Yea, that's true, but we also used to have cholera & typhoid fever just from drinking water & those are gone. Change is gradual and will happen.
In Indonesia, it's a food for middle to high class, thats why we call it quite expensive. We often eat street foods whih are WAY cheaper than fast foods.
This is interesting in developing contries. McDs, KFC, etc. are seen as middle-class to high-class food. I once watched a Romanian film made in the 2000s where a mother tries to convince her daughter to become a mail-order bride to an Italian man, saying "she will be able to eat in McDonalds every day". Also, where I lived in Malaysia, all the cool rich college kids with money hung out at McDonalds after class.
@@jonathantan2469 What's funny is McDonald's is waaay better in developing countries. I came to America and tried the fastfood here and it's grade A garbage. I used to like it
@@Opethfeldt yeap, it is a BIOLOGICAL NEED to be fed PROPERLY... So, it doesn't matter what their desires might be, they do need to stop eating this horrible garbage that doesn't do any good for their bodies, and neither for the planet!
@@somedude2853 I promise you that a diet of healthy meals and one weekly fast food splurge is healthier than no fast food but carbs every meal (pasta, rice, bread). Also, if you're going to say that there's a "BIOLOGICAL NEED" to not eat fast food, then you'd better never lounge on your couch because you have a "BIOLOGICAL NEED" to be fit.
I haven't eaten at McDonald's in years and after watching this video, that decision feels even better. My original reason was because the food is just nasty, but this is an even better reason to stop
People tend to confuse cheap with convenient. It’s not a smart choice if you are poor. You need to focus on nutrition and reverse engineer meals from that.
$7 for a meal? Bro thats about as cheap as you can get. You should be cooking at home to save money and eat better but c'mon.. if $7 is gonna break the bank you have a real income problem and that ain't anyones fault except your own
We found a recipe that is pretty similar to the „Secret Big Mac Sauce“: - About 3 parts of mayonnaise - 2 parts of cucumber relish - bit of paprika powder until it has the same color - a bit of salt to taste
@@roseywinter Nah I don't think its like thousand island. It also kinda has some mustardish taste to it and there is no "bright" flavor (I didn't know what other word to use) like thousand island.
I worked at McDonald's for just two months. It's depressing how many rude and impatient people pass through, and how much we end up selling. The waste we created was appalling; someone had to empty the huge industrial garbage bins like once an hour. Also the ice machine has tons of mold on it.
Let me guess, the ice cream machine regularly broke down? Ice machine with mold, Anything with mold in commercial food outlet has to be reported, needs pro clean... inspection would shut place down if found. Rude people get quick karma btw, never feel too bad at how unhappy they are. It's all the additives in processed food, drives 'em all mad!! ;-)
@@jaime9927 germany. you can get a hot Schnitzel with fries from a butcher for 5-7€ and it's ofter even better meat quality than restaurants. In restaurants it's between 10€ and 18€ A regular McDonalds Menu is 7-12€ but you get hungry way sooner afterwards.
@@AlgoCurioso2.0 Big american corporations bought fuckloads of land and are franchising farmers in Latin American. It's one part of the world in which there are the most murders of environmental activists, paid by big agricultural corporations.
ilya Elric mcdonalds in Europe is also trash. I have eaten mcdonalds in a few european countries and it tastes the same. It’s better to go to the bugdet restaurant. It’s a better value for money
@@SznycluPL it depends drastically. Mcdonald's in Moscow is way worse than in place I live. Mcdonald's in Warszawa is as good as in place where I live or any other EU place. Yeah, and another thing, you don't eat in McDonald's seriously. Cheeseburger is nothing more than a delicious snack. If you seriously compare fast food to a restaurant, well, I can't help you....
Meanwhile South East Asia Mcdonald Big Mac : usually $4 Street food which is healthier and more delicious : $1 Here we usually treat Fast Food chain as if you just really need a fast food or just wanted to try it.
im so jealous of places like that where healthier food is so cheap, in the US they make it harder. 1$ could buy you about a 3 oranges, which is cheap but isn't a meal
I remember when McDonald's was originally a novelty in such countries (e.g. one store in the capital city), however, nowadays McDonald's, KFC, etc. have so many more locations and are becoming quite popular. Also, I wouldn't call street food "healthy", it is just usually just as greasy and sodium packed as fast food. But I suppose better to help local businesses rather than multinational corporations like McDonald's. Health-wise, cost-wise and environmental-wise home cooked food is still the better option.
@@musikluv6 You and OP are wrong. Street food very unhygenic because most vendors keep expired food for sale even when it's illegal and not for human consumption. It's very rare to find street food that's safe to eat meaning that it could result in food poisioning. For the same price at McDonalds or KFC, I would rather go to an air conditioned, sit down restaurant which serves the national cuisine.
@@jacksonbangs6603 Super Size Me is complete bunk! Look up the numbers of calories, meals, and weight gained as investigated by actual health journalists she you'll see the film is totally fabricated...
Teach everyone in the US school system basic domestic skills, including gardening (even in an apartment, with containers), cooking using relatively low cost healthy ingredients, and sound personal financial practices.
I've love to know where McD's is considered cheap - It's like $6 to $9 for any of their numbered combos around here, which is pretty much on par with every other fast food burger joint around.
That would be interesting. With my knowledge, I think the basic answer would be that sugar can make everything (almost lmao) tastes good, and moreover activates a reward system in your brain that makes you want more and more. That's how they can sell that much, and the more you sell, the more you make an efficient economy of scale.
As a farmer, I'll answer that for you. They can be picked by machine. Same goes for chicken which an entire chicken operation can be run by about 2 people on average. Vegetables have high labor costs because you have to pay someone to pick them.
Subsidies. You tax dollars pay for those things to be cheaper. Also, doing things on such a massive scale with abysmal ethical and environmental standards helps drive costs down.
@@chronomancer8772 And even those people hired to pick/pluck/sort them are on the lower-end of the wage scale. Many work below minimum wage, and exploitation is rife.
The best straw solution I have seen was Agave straws. Bendable and flexible, non-plastic materials, and fully compostable without falling apart. A cafe I used to work at used them.
I consider very positive that you emphatize structural change in your videos. English media is usually fixated on individual consumption, so it wouldn't be surprising that the only take of the video would be "don't eat at McDonald's". It's important to make a lot more emphasis on what are the structural changes required and what can people do about it. Otherwise we end up with a political project of individual actions which is only a means to get social status rather than a way to change society.
I like the plant-based options, but some of them are yeast/fungus based or have those ingredients as crucial to production. A lot of people are sensitive to yeast and mycotoxins and some have gotten sick from products like Impossible. The pea/bean/rice protein based alternatives are better IMO.
@1234 It is considered cheaper in the US because poor people have to buy food on the go, People have to work two jobs 8 hour shifts to make a living, that alone is 16 hours, plus commute 2 extra hours = 18 hours , that leaves about 6 hours to do anything else, that is not including showing, washing clothes, etc. with roughly 6 hours free, you do not have the drive nor the energy to go food shopping and then cook, when you could be using that to sleep and recover for the next day.
@@colombiantom No, in the United States they really do not NEED to work 2 full-time jobs. Anyone CAN live on a minimum wage job. It isn’t fun but it is possible,especially with government assistance that goes to people at that level, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, Medicaid, and other similar programs. The problem is that people want to live on more than an absolute minimalist would, We all need to go minimalist if we want to save ourselves from climate change.
@@colombiantom So what if you are government subsidized? No one in this country is living (not even Bill Gates), at least indirectly, without SOME government subsidies. Why shouldn’t EVERYONE be subsidized using a universal basic income instead and raise that instead of the minimum wage?
I can represent Singapore because we're basically a mini USA in South East Asia it's the cheapest delicious junk food but we also have michellin-starred "food courts" where you get delicious freshly cooked gourmet food from all over for less than a McDonald's meal.
Today I was thinking of going to McDonalds. I remembered, however, that every time I go there and eat I'm never satisfied for the price I'm paying. The quality is lower than their 'low prices'.
Here in Norway, McDonalds used to be cheap. But quite recently (A couple of years ago) the price has become the same as pretty much all fast food chains
I lost my taste for McDonald's in 2020, after not having any for 6 months due to lockdown in my country. When I ate some McNuggets again after those 6 months, I found them to be terrible and gross. I've never looked back since then. Haven't felt so good about walking away from something for a long time.
Am I weird in that i don't eat mc Donalds like there is just nicer food? same with other fast food like KFC, burger king, and (insert other cheap food chains).
There once was a time when KFC ran out of chicken in Britain and this lady said "I had to go to BURGER KING its mayhem down here" I was like couldn't she just cook at home
"McDonald's so cheap" just in developed countries like the US, meanwhile in Indonesia A la carte Big Mac price is Rp 35.000 = 2.3 USD n Rp 54.000 = 3.6 usd for big meal large you can get big mac along with soda n large fries. Compared to vegan organic meal you can buy from 3 usd and for regular meal you can just as cheap as 1 usd for meal package of chicken, soup & rice. In some areas like Bali (just in case you dont know if bali is a province of indonesia), you can get a single vegan dinner for just 1.5 usd. I think you also need to consider to answer question "why people like it" eventho it is literally crap but delicious, since term "cheap" only in the US. This case might also happen in other developing countries.
it may not be cheap but it’s somehow still competitive. what do you think of the idea that in indonesia there are other reasons to consume mcdonald’s though? I’ve been told it’s more for the a/c, a place to hang out, or that eating there can be seen as a status symbol?
@@hadrian270 yes, can't agree more that some indonesian go to mc donalds to hang out and status symbol. But for some people also come to Mc donalds for tasty comfort food.
I don't understand the environmental side of things from the animal side, is the damages because of the amount or because they're living? would we do the same with wild animals, saying how much damage they cause by just living, or is it because farms have so many more animals than they probably should? From someone who doesn't quite understand the statistics, it sounds like we're blaming farms for taking care of their animals and towards the animals for defecating?
The Ecocentrist Vegan Or maybe don’t eat burgers at all? lol. Have fun eating more than half of your sodium intake in one impossible burger with the amount of sodium and preservatives in it.
Plant-based burgers weren't successful for any of the listed chains because it cost more than a regular beef burger. Mcdonalds likely didn't offer a plant-based option early because they were likely observing the outcome of their competitors' implementation; and they didn't really succeed, hence the lack of offering.
People should stop going to McDonald's just like me as being 22 yrs old and had never been at McDonald's in my entire life after knowing all of the consequences at the age of 9
I try to eat ethically sourced food that is healthy and local when I can. There are just times I see that it is a privilege when I see how much it costs me just as one person. I can’t imagine the burden for a small family especially those on a tight budget. It’s one of the reasons mecdonalds and similar companies thrive
UA-cam hasn't been putting your videos in my feed for nearly the last year, it finally has with this video and boy am I glad. I almost forgot about your great content
That's why I love subway as a vegetarian who cares for the environment: they have the greatest vegan and vegetarian menu in the fast food world, and (here in Germany) you can easily buy it plastic free, and they even support using reusable drinking cups. Tbh if subway would be cheaper and make more vegan and vegetarian food as well as using everywhere just local food (like its already done widely in Germany) it could make a big change in the fast food world
@@Opethfeldt In Romania fast food is cheaper than vegan / vegeterian options. Meat is just available everywhere at a lower price. That doesn’t mean that nowadays (2022 with the current crisis) any fast food has cheap food. In fact, I’d say that any food option is expensive for the average consumer.
@@legendapersonală You are not getting enough calories then. Try eating higher calorie foods like mock meats, nuts, peanut butter, beans, etc. Transitioning from eating meat and dairy (very high calorie foods) means you need to eat more volume or higher cal foods. Things like salad and vegetables basically have 0 calories so it's just a matter of learning to add things that have more cal to even out. Good luck.
“So cheap” depending on the location you’re at. For example: in Serbia it costs equally if not even more than a full high-quality meal in a decent mid-rated restaurant. And let me tell you, 🇷🇸 kitchen is eating like kings 👑
I switched to eating meat only 2 days a week and no fast food. I have to say, I'm feeling a lot better and when I do eat a burger it's usualy a delicious gourmet burger from a local place. Moderation and raising my standards made meat meals taste 100 time better.
i mean yeah it all looks good until you buy it. then it looks like a hippo sat on it with maybe a sprinkle of bodywash to enhance the flavor, its much worse when the food gets cold
I don't eat McDonald's because I prefer other healthier options, however seeing the image of a Big Mac and hearing you talk about McDonald's (even though it's negative) makes me start craving a Big Mac. Watch the movie Super Size Me - also negative about McDonald's, had the same effect on me. Fortunately I boycott both McDonald's and Uber Eats so I don't give in to this craving.
Many people don't want to stop eating meat. I can totally get that. I really like it as well. That's why I want to convince people to stop eating cow meat or at least limit how often they eat cow meat. But it's hard to find a proper comparison between the environmental impact of cow meat vs pig meat vs chicken meat. I'd love it if you could make a video where you compare these three. I've also heard something about researchers growing chicken meat in a lab. Maybe that would be nice to include as well
In Europe especially in Netherlands McDonald’s is no way cheap 10€ for Big Mac menu I can have 1kg chicken 500g beef and 3KG top notch fries from any shop
Ah yes, the restaurant I work at. I’ve been working at one in Versailles IN as a closing dishwasher/kitchen man for about 2 years. But enough about that, if you think the environmental impact of the food, the making of the food and the wrapper/contain of that food (and drink) is awful for the environment, then you only have seen the tip of the pollution iceberg. We literally have our frozen nuggets in 20pc plastic bags and frozen frys in plastic bags that we rip open and throw away the plastic bags, we use rubber gloves for handling cooked food and plastic blue gloves to handle raw food, even the f***ing buns are wrapped in plastic, I wish I could show pictures of the waste. “Plastic wrap this”, “plastic wrap that” it goes on and on and on. It sickens me, and the worst part, is that every piece of plastic that I just explained is all single use! That’s right, NO reduce, NO reuse, NO recycle! This capitalistic bs needs to stop, I don’t care if McDonald’s gets shut down as a company, they need to stop ruining our planet. when McDonalds says that they are trying to help the planet or the climate change crisis, they are lying to you!
Wouldn't hold my breathe waiting for fast-food to do better. Even as I got busier with college and eventually my IT career, I cooked more and more of my own meals. If you're looking for cheap and easy meals, look into the cuisine of the Caribbean, Mexico, Vietnam or even Spain. Those are my favorite anyway.
They have very cryptic pricing. You can normally get a McDouble for $1-$2 which is like 1/5th of a pound compared to a Quarter Pounder with cheese, which is normally at least double the price for less than 10% more meat. They also get you with marked up fries and sodas, but if you're just looking at the cheapest meat items on the menu, it's ridicilously cheap.
@@MattSezer in the us the prices r like that but for the same burger yall pay 1-2$ (0,90-1,80 euro) while in western europe that burger costs around 4 euros (4,50$) for that same price u can better go to a local vendor and get a better quality burger or just some kebab
Love the video's and the message you are sending! Altough I would appriciate if you add the metric measurements, even if it's just in a tiny font on the side.
Slightly off topic here but.... what does McDonald's do with the top part of the buns that are left after putting that bottom bun in the middle of big macs?
@OurChangingClimate, i got a question. Why is the average price of a Bigmac about 4 dollars, when in my country (the Netherlands) it's €5,50 EUR ($6.47 USD) and it only gets expensive during the time. Since you posted this on June 5th 2020 and the prices have gotten higher in little more than a year, could we expect to pay 20 dollars for a simple big mac in like 15 years? Also, i really appriciate you put the time and effort in this video. Making the world aware of climate change, and how you can be are little more economical means a lot to me and to the world
not an illusion bro looking at bright coloures for a period of time the light rays will go into your retina causing you to see it for a small period of time aka when you look at a lightbulb you will see a colour in you eye try it but don't do it to long may affect eyes 5-10 secs
Uk here, support smaller sustainable beef farms, extensive grazing on pastures unsuitable for arable or horticultural practice. Lower emissions, low food miles etc. No mention of McDonald's using used cooking oil as fuel though. I don't eat fast food, can't see the point, but judging by the litter I pick up every week from verges and laybys, lots do. There are environmental issues with vegan options, soya, almonds, avocados are not farmed sustainably or without pollution. As for tomatoes from Spain, really nasty. Lowering consumption is surely the answer long term. Enjoyed the video, I'm very interested in this subject, and I work in agriculture.
You mean styrofoam cups?? Are you telling me in your stores or take out there is no styrofoam plates, restaurant left over take out etc....you have no styrofoam packing materials, styrofoam coolers, styrofoam insulation?????
@@CarriUSA Some products are still packaged with styrofoam here (NL), but most use air bags. The cups I haven't seen in years. Styrofoam is definitely less common nowadays, the foam used for insulation (at the edges) is PU(R) foam. I've never had styrofoam coolers outside of work (laboratory), but they are probably still used for cold transport.
McDonalds gets most of their beef from older US dairy cows - their environmental impact is ironically less than practically every other fast food beef burger patty because of that. They also make much more money from this considering beef and dairy are subsidized
Thanks for the video, my favorite part is when you talk about how it's not just about where people decide to put their money, for many it's a matter of convenience and cost, I see many talking about the cost of health but for many that is a long term issue that many don't have the convenience to face until they cross that bridge!
Companies are legally required to maximize shareholder value. It is literally illegal for them to prioritize the environment. That's why we have regulation. We need to change the laws, not expect companies to prioritize anything other than profit.
Keep up the good work! How much is a Big Mac in US? I live in Sweden and I don't consider McDonalds to be very cheap. A single Big Mac apparently costs 54 sek which is roughly close to 6 usd.
@@suong534 How much is fruit and vegetables in comparison? The image we recieve over here is that is so expensive in comparison to fast food That's why i.e. poorer people/families buy fast food instead.
What's your vision for a new food system? Free food for all who want it? All plant-based? Globally connected? Only local?
lab-grown
@@demetrios7458 NASA-grown
Penis cheese grown
Local grown after climate catastrophes kill 80% of the world's population and everyone has access to fertile land.
@@raresmocanu1743 Okay that got dark quickly :/
The funny thing is, here in a certain third world country, MC'd is actually an expensive food, as does all the other western fast food like burger king and AW. A quintessential bun + fries + cola combo can get you 2 full course meal of rice + chicken + and drink! And they still buy it like crazy. The problem here is not that fast food is a necessity; cheaper and better food can be easily acquired somewhere else. But rather the status and prestige of buying a "trendy westerner" fast-food, which is a strange but it does happen here
Yeah, Malaysia so expensive. It's like faster, fatter kind of food than authentic malay foods..
Not all food
I havent even seen an AW ever. Where are they?
Haha, in Mexico you can feed a family with the cost of one meal in Applebees, but still people buy in Applebees because poors can't afford it, so you're a winner for wasting money in worthless tasteless food.
@@goldbrodidoggo yeah better get street burger
I've travelled all over Europe and the US, and I can safely say nowhere i've been is McDonald's considered 'cheap'. They are just convenient, quick meals at a steep price.
yeah here if u buy 1 full mcdonald meal cost around $2.3, but with that money you could actually buy up to 3 meals..
Had a class trip to france, mcdonalds was the only thing in range I could afford
Thing is im satisfied with 2 of their Burgers if i am really in need for some quick food. And 2€ to get a meal is probably the cheapest i can get around
Use to be cheap
You can get a burger for 99p….
the hidden cost: your health
thats the least of my horries
the planet
@I Can't Think of a Name - Yea, that's true, but we also used to have cholera & typhoid fever just from drinking water & those are gone. Change is gradual and will happen.
U clearly don’t know anything about nutrition
Hidden? Who goes to McDonald’s for health?
In Indonesia, it's a food for middle to high class, thats why we call it quite expensive. We often eat street foods whih are WAY cheaper than fast foods.
This is interesting in developing contries. McDs, KFC, etc. are seen as middle-class to high-class food. I once watched a Romanian film made in the 2000s where a mother tries to convince her daughter to become a mail-order bride to an Italian man, saying "she will be able to eat in McDonalds every day".
Also, where I lived in Malaysia, all the cool rich college kids with money hung out at McDonalds after class.
Also, street foods taste better.
a "real" burger in indonesia that cost the same or a little higher than bigmac is a gourment like burger and taste so much better.
@@jonathantan2469 What's funny is McDonald's is waaay better in developing countries. I came to America and tried the fastfood here and it's grade A garbage. I used to like it
third world country moment
People may be lovin’ it, but the planet sure as hell isn’t!
planet doesnt care. It doesn’t even mind if humanity extincts
Just love first sight, one-night stand kind of love 😂😂
Can't be lovin' it if it's killing them, call it Stockholm Syndrome.
I'm not mc lovin it.. But you have to admit, its finger lickin good
What will happen, cows die? I dont get it, you guys dont eat?
I stopped going to McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, and Hardee's for 4 years. My health has improved. More people need to do the same.
We should also avoid coke it works like a poison to body
No one needs to do anything. It's a personal choice. You do you and they can do them.
@@Opethfeldt yeap, it is a BIOLOGICAL NEED to be fed PROPERLY... So, it doesn't matter what their desires might be, they do need to stop eating this horrible garbage that doesn't do any good for their bodies, and neither for the planet!
The problem wasn't McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King or Hardee's. More like your obsession with fast food. Eat with moderation.
@@somedude2853 I promise you that a diet of healthy meals and one weekly fast food splurge is healthier than no fast food but carbs every meal (pasta, rice, bread). Also, if you're going to say that there's a "BIOLOGICAL NEED" to not eat fast food, then you'd better never lounge on your couch because you have a "BIOLOGICAL NEED" to be fit.
I haven't eaten at McDonald's in years and after watching this video, that decision feels even better. My original reason was because the food is just nasty, but this is an even better reason to stop
McDonalds is not cheap
When you have money to burn everything is cheap but for people who are struggling its pretty expensive to eat at McDs every day
He's not saying yu can buy it everyday, he's saying it's very cheap compared to other food chains
@@ekcorp6350, but it's not. Wendy's and Burger King , even taco bell are all much cheaper
“Fast food” is not cheap food.
People tend to confuse cheap with convenient. It’s not a smart choice if you are poor. You need to focus on nutrition and reverse engineer meals from that.
$7 for a meal? Bro thats about as cheap as you can get. You should be cooking at home to save money and eat better but c'mon.. if $7 is gonna break the bank you have a real income problem and that ain't anyones fault except your own
We found a recipe that is pretty similar to the „Secret Big Mac Sauce“:
- About 3 parts of mayonnaise
- 2 parts of cucumber relish
- bit of paprika powder until it has the same color
- a bit of salt to taste
You should advertise that!
It's basically sandwich spread or thousand island.
some engine oil?
@@roseywinter Nah I don't think its like thousand island. It also kinda has some mustardish taste to it and there is no "bright" flavor (I didn't know what other word to use) like thousand island.
@@mohammedmuneeb6888 its has American mustard.
I worked at McDonald's for just two months. It's depressing how many rude and impatient people pass through, and how much we end up selling. The waste we created was appalling; someone had to empty the huge industrial garbage bins like once an hour. Also the ice machine has tons of mold on it.
It has mold in it but you didn’t clean it?
Let me guess, the ice cream machine regularly broke down?
Ice machine with mold, Anything with mold in commercial food outlet has to be reported, needs pro clean... inspection would shut place down if found. Rude people get quick karma btw, never feel too bad at how unhappy they are. It's all the additives in processed food, drives 'em all mad!! ;-)
3 years since I did not eat McDonald’s food my stomach and mind have never been so happier
"did not go" haa 🧐
So how many times did you order delivery ???
I haven't eaten from McDonalds in years either. So happy I've stopped
Same. Ive always found their food absolutely disgusting.
same!!
same man
"Why is McDonald's so cheap?"
It's a trick question, local businesses can be much cheaper.
"filling meal"? no, not for long. Watch "Fast Food Genocide with Joel Fuhrman, MD".
Just curious, what country are you from? In the us, local businesses are a lot more expensive
@@jaime9927 germany.
you can get a hot Schnitzel with fries from a butcher for 5-7€ and it's ofter even better meat quality than restaurants. In restaurants it's between 10€ and 18€
A regular McDonalds Menu is 7-12€ but you get hungry way sooner afterwards.
even in australia i would say local businesses offer cheaper food, though pretty much everything is ridiculously expensive here
@@Benni720 in lithuania, it is the opposite. €5 for McDonald's and like €7 for restaurant
In Germany McDonald's isnt even realy cheap
True
in Indonesia McDonalds's also considered not cheap hahaha
I mean at least it represents the actual costs then probably
Same in the Czech republic. The basic menu with burger, fries and drink costs almost as much as menu in a normal restaurant.
also in Brazil, it's food for the middle class.
That’s USA farming. Lookup at Latin American farm, including Puerto Rico, RD, Costa Rica, etc. Farming is much more different and full of passion.
not really
not really
@@marinaivcic2499 where you come from?
@@AlgoCurioso2.0 Serbia
@@AlgoCurioso2.0 Big american corporations bought fuckloads of land and are franchising farmers in Latin American.
It's one part of the world in which there are the most murders of environmental activists, paid by big agricultural corporations.
It's become so trash that even the Hamburglar has stopped his reign.
Mcdonald's in Europe is way better than in the US by the way.
@@ilyaelric9539 i mean, what isn't ? With our tight european regulations on food everything is better.
ilya Elric mcdonalds in Europe is also trash. I have eaten mcdonalds in a few european countries and it tastes the same. It’s better to go to the bugdet restaurant. It’s a better value for money
@@SznycluPL yeah, and it costs only like 2€ more,and you actually are full as if you ate a real meal (not for 30 minutes).
@@SznycluPL it depends drastically. Mcdonald's in Moscow is way worse than in place I live. Mcdonald's in Warszawa is as good as in place where I live or any other EU place.
Yeah, and another thing, you don't eat in McDonald's seriously. Cheeseburger is nothing more than a delicious snack. If you seriously compare fast food to a restaurant, well, I can't help you....
Czech Republic:
Main dish with drink at simply restaurant - 5 euro
Large McMenu - 6 euro
Not so cheap, not so healthy
Yeah…Maccies in the Europe isnt really cheap at all tbh…
and in france 5euro is enough to get a kebab with fries while a big mac combo cost 8euro
I live in Malaysia and it's totally not cheap and the price like luxury food
In everywhere, McDonald's is not cheap
Cafos should just be called Concentration Camps for cows or maybe cowcentration camps.
Definitely
Like the Nazi concentration camp "Dachau", pronounced DA COW. Woah...
Daniel Pearson you’ve seen American Dad. Woah..
but that is our food
@@snowflakesproduction2922 but we can eat other stuff. 😅
Meanwhile South East Asia
Mcdonald Big Mac : usually $4
Street food which is healthier and more delicious : $1
Here we usually treat Fast Food chain as if you just really need a fast food or just wanted to try it.
im so jealous of places like that where healthier food is so cheap, in the US they make it harder. 1$ could buy you about a 3 oranges, which is cheap but isn't a meal
I remember when McDonald's was originally a novelty in such countries (e.g. one store in the capital city), however, nowadays McDonald's, KFC, etc. have so many more locations and are becoming quite popular. Also, I wouldn't call street food "healthy", it is just usually just as greasy and sodium packed as fast food. But I suppose better to help local businesses rather than multinational corporations like McDonald's. Health-wise, cost-wise and environmental-wise home cooked food is still the better option.
I think you are taking about pakistan
@@musikluv6 You and OP are wrong. Street food very unhygenic because most vendors keep expired food for sale even when it's illegal and not for human consumption. It's very rare to find street food that's safe to eat meaning that it could result in food poisioning. For the same price at McDonalds or KFC, I would rather go to an air conditioned, sit down restaurant which serves the national cuisine.
@@salvatoremaglione6398 True
Man I've wanted someone to make this video for ages! Very well done!
I know you!
There are documentaries made specifically for this issue. Two examples are "Super Size Me" and "Food Inc".
But it isnt i soend 30bucks for my meal there. . .
@@jacksonbangs6603 Super Size Me is complete bunk! Look up the numbers of calories, meals, and weight gained as investigated by actual health journalists she you'll see the film is totally fabricated...
Meanwhile in Serbia mcd more expensive than regular good food. And in Germany it’s really similar in price to some regular restaurants.
A Big Mac meal is like almost $10… that’s enough to eat for a couple days easily
In Switzerland it’s absolutely not cheap 😂
Anything cheap in Switzerland at all?
Aleksandr Pushkarev no, thats why they drive to Germany to shop hahahaha
Yeah but isn’t the salary better there?
Luke Smith Yes, wages are considerably higher than in neighboring states
@@cuz yup, there are some supermarkets where the food is quite cheap. But the rest hurts a lot haha
Teach everyone in the US school system basic domestic skills, including gardening (even in an apartment, with containers), cooking using relatively low cost healthy ingredients, and sound personal financial practices.
Where I live McDonald's isn't cheap, it's kind of expensive for what you actually get.
still delicious wherever you go
@@SoulforSale debatable.
@@csengekovacs9013 true
@@SoulforSale Their food tastes horrible. I don't understand why people are so into it.
@@SafirAksel its not Wendys but its still good
Recently in my state, 8 people were killed in a multi-car pileup after the highway was obscured by a cloud of particulate pollution from a CAFOS.
I love the aesthetic you have created with your channel! The motion graphics are really well done :)
Adobe PR you can do anything you want with adobe.
it's a vox style lmao
@@farxx5628 yeah but it looks good
I've love to know where McD's is considered cheap - It's like $6 to $9 for any of their numbered combos around here, which is pretty much on par with every other fast food burger joint around.
You should do a video on why high quality produce is so expensive as opposed to corn, wheat, meat, and sugar based foods
That would be interesting. With my knowledge, I think the basic answer would be that sugar can make everything (almost lmao) tastes good, and moreover activates a reward system in your brain that makes you want more and more. That's how they can sell that much, and the more you sell, the more you make an efficient economy of scale.
And soy!
As a farmer, I'll answer that for you. They can be picked by machine. Same goes for chicken which an entire chicken operation can be run by about 2 people on average. Vegetables have high labor costs because you have to pay someone to pick them.
Subsidies. You tax dollars pay for those things to be cheaper. Also, doing things on such a massive scale with abysmal ethical and environmental standards helps drive costs down.
@@chronomancer8772 And even those people hired to pick/pluck/sort them are on the lower-end of the wage scale. Many work below minimum wage, and exploitation is rife.
The best straw solution I have seen was Agave straws. Bendable and flexible, non-plastic materials, and fully compostable without falling apart.
A cafe I used to work at used them.
* Commenting in order to make the algorithm recommend this important video to more people *
Does commenting on your comment count towards the algorithm?
@@graygreysangui Or perhaps commenting on your comment?
thats not how it works........
@@BarugoSama commenting increases viewer interaction which promotes the video more
I consider very positive that you emphatize structural change in your videos. English media is usually fixated on individual consumption, so it wouldn't be surprising that the only take of the video would be "don't eat at McDonald's". It's important to make a lot more emphasis on what are the structural changes required and what can people do about it. Otherwise we end up with a political project of individual actions which is only a means to get social status rather than a way to change society.
I can’t understand how this channel doesn’t have more subscribers honestly
I like the plant-based options, but some of them are yeast/fungus based or have those ingredients as crucial to production. A lot of people are sensitive to yeast and mycotoxins and some have gotten sick from products like Impossible. The pea/bean/rice protein based alternatives are better IMO.
How is it cheap when I can make the amount of 2 large fries from 1 potato that costs $1 instead of $8 for frieS
@1234 It is considered cheaper in the US because poor people have to buy food on the go, People have to work two jobs 8 hour shifts to make a living, that alone is 16 hours, plus commute 2 extra hours = 18 hours , that leaves about 6 hours to do anything else, that is not including showing, washing clothes, etc. with roughly 6 hours free, you do not have the drive nor the energy to go food shopping and then cook, when you could be using that to sleep and recover for the next day.
@@colombiantom Exactly. For many, the time it takes to make food costs more than it does just to get fast food.
@@colombiantom No, in the United States they really do not NEED to work 2 full-time jobs. Anyone CAN live on a minimum wage job. It isn’t fun but it is possible,especially with government assistance that goes to people at that level, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, Medicaid, and other similar programs. The problem is that people want to live on more than an absolute minimalist would,
We all need to go minimalist if we want to save ourselves from climate change.
@@drmadjdsadjadi I do agree with you to a certain extent, but If you need government assistance you cannot live off of minimum wage.
@@colombiantom So what if you are government subsidized? No one in this country is living (not even Bill Gates), at least indirectly, without SOME government subsidies. Why shouldn’t EVERYONE be subsidized using a universal basic income instead and raise that instead of the minimum wage?
I can represent Singapore because we're basically a mini USA in South East Asia it's the cheapest delicious junk food but we also have michellin-starred "food courts" where you get delicious freshly cooked gourmet food from all over for less than a McDonald's meal.
Today I was thinking of going to McDonalds. I remembered, however, that every time I go there and eat I'm never satisfied for the price I'm paying. The quality is lower than their 'low prices'.
i was eating a cheese burger while watching this
gotta say it was very moving
The only reason I ever step into a McDonald’s is to take a piss n dump.
Here in Norway, McDonalds used to be cheap. But quite recently (A couple of years ago) the price has become the same as pretty much all fast food chains
I lost my taste for McDonald's in 2020, after not having any for 6 months due to lockdown in my country. When I ate some McNuggets again after those 6 months, I found them to be terrible and gross. I've never looked back since then. Haven't felt so good about walking away from something for a long time.
Am I weird in that i don't eat mc Donalds like there is just nicer food? same with other fast food like KFC, burger king, and (insert other cheap food chains).
Never KFC, only eat Jollibee
bradley laycock yes selfmade is far better
There once was a time when KFC ran out of chicken in Britain and this lady said "I had to go to BURGER KING its mayhem down here"
I was like couldn't she just cook at home
@@niklas8523 yes by far
@@hannah2052 yer i remember that people acted like the world was ending, funny considering the current state of affairs.
Here in Canada we wonder why McDonald's is so EXPENSIVE
"McDonald's so cheap" just in developed countries like the US, meanwhile in Indonesia A la carte Big Mac price is Rp 35.000 = 2.3 USD n Rp 54.000 = 3.6 usd for big meal large you can get big mac along with soda n large fries. Compared to vegan organic meal you can buy from 3 usd and for regular meal you can just as cheap as 1 usd for meal package of chicken, soup & rice. In some areas like Bali (just in case you dont know if bali is a province of indonesia), you can get a single vegan dinner for just 1.5 usd. I think you also need to consider to answer question "why people like it" eventho it is literally crap but delicious, since term "cheap" only in the US. This case might also happen in other developing countries.
it may not be cheap but it’s somehow still competitive. what do you think of the idea that in indonesia there are other reasons to consume mcdonald’s though? I’ve been told it’s more for the a/c, a place to hang out, or that eating there can be seen as a status symbol?
It's also too expensive in North Europe.
In Malaysia too.. only advantages, they hv drive thru and 24hrs
Are you saying that 3.6 USD for a big mac meal is expensive? I live in Denver USA and pay almost $8 USD for big mac meal
@@hadrian270 yes, can't agree more that some indonesian go to mc donalds to hang out and status symbol. But for some people also come to Mc donalds for tasty comfort food.
In lebanon you can buy a big mac meal for only 2 dollars since the dollar rate in the market is getting higher everyday
Pls never stop what you’re doing
I don't understand the environmental side of things from the animal side, is the damages because of the amount or because they're living? would we do the same with wild animals, saying how much damage they cause by just living, or is it because farms have so many more animals than they probably should? From someone who doesn't quite understand the statistics, it sounds like we're blaming farms for taking care of their animals and towards the animals for defecating?
You forgot to mention the heavy amount of tax subsidies for the meat and dairy industry. Great video though
It would be a week-long video if they covered EVERYTHING.
“Why is mcd’s so cheap”
In my town: hehe 7 dollars for a bigmac and 4 dollars for some fries go brrrrrr
why would you complain about thattttttttt
@@mane6_ 13 dollars for a half assed hamburger and some limp fries when I can make an entire steak dinner for 5 bucks more?
Yea I think imma stop eating maccas for awhile
Straya
The Ecocentrist Vegan Or maybe don’t eat burgers at all? lol. Have fun eating more than half of your sodium intake in one impossible burger with the amount of sodium and preservatives in it.
@@johnthomas2970 my thoughts exactly
Plant-based burgers weren't successful for any of the listed chains because it cost more than a regular beef burger. Mcdonalds likely didn't offer a plant-based option early because they were likely observing the outcome of their competitors' implementation; and they didn't really succeed, hence the lack of offering.
People should stop going to McDonald's just like me as being 22 yrs old and had never been at McDonald's in my entire life after knowing all of the consequences at the age of 9
I try to eat ethically sourced food that is healthy and local when I can. There are just times I see that it is a privilege when I see how much it costs me just as one person. I can’t imagine the burden for a small family especially those on a tight budget. It’s one of the reasons mecdonalds and similar companies thrive
@K lake that's what i thought
UA-cam hasn't been putting your videos in my feed for nearly the last year, it finally has with this video and boy am I glad. I almost forgot about your great content
Very good. Balanced and educational.
Thank you for making these videos :)
That's why I love subway as a vegetarian who cares for the environment: they have the greatest vegan and vegetarian menu in the fast food world, and (here in Germany) you can easily buy it plastic free, and they even support using reusable drinking cups. Tbh if subway would be cheaper and make more vegan and vegetarian food as well as using everywhere just local food (like its already done widely in Germany) it could make a big change in the fast food world
We need to make healthy food an option for those who can only afford fast food.
Fast food isn't cheap and healthy food isn't expensive.
@@Opethfeldt depends where you live
@@Opethfeldt .
@@adamjones3818 Long as you got a Walmart near you, you're good. I know not everyone likes to shop there for various reasons.
@@Opethfeldt In Romania fast food is cheaper than vegan / vegeterian options. Meat is just available everywhere at a lower price. That doesn’t mean that nowadays (2022 with the current crisis) any fast food has cheap food. In fact, I’d say that any food option is expensive for the average consumer.
Bro i literally searched why McDonald's are so expensive and this came up in the first video
...and this is why I went vegan
I went vegan because of the environment almost 4 dears ago. Best decision I've made in my life
Because of McDonald’s? There’s other places to buy beef....
The problem is, when I try being vegan, I have 0 energy left to do what I have to do. Basically I become a vegetable
@chucky you do understand the meaning of racism or is this just some sarcastic comments
@@legendapersonală You are not getting enough calories then. Try eating higher calorie foods like mock meats, nuts, peanut butter, beans, etc. Transitioning from eating meat and dairy (very high calorie foods) means you need to eat more volume or higher cal foods. Things like salad and vegetables basically have 0 calories so it's just a matter of learning to add things that have more cal to even out. Good luck.
“So cheap” depending on the location you’re at. For example: in Serbia it costs equally if not even more than a full high-quality meal in a decent mid-rated restaurant. And let me tell you, 🇷🇸 kitchen is eating like kings 👑
It never cheap, my country one normal burger with cola and fries cost 3 person lunch
I love your channel and your videos! They're always so informative and well done.
0:46
This is one of McDonald's branches here in Manila near my house in Quezon City. It is now closed due to the pandemic.
I switched to eating meat only 2 days a week and no fast food.
I have to say, I'm feeling a lot better and when I do eat a burger it's usualy a delicious gourmet burger from a local place.
Moderation and raising my standards made meat meals taste 100 time better.
Bro they cost 9 euro's here in Belgium for a menu, thats like almost the same price as all the other restaurants
Dat is waar
The images of the food honestly really just makes me hungry for some McDonald’s... but I would LOVE a plant-based option on their menu
i mean yeah it all looks good until you buy it. then it looks like a hippo sat on it with maybe a sprinkle of bodywash to enhance the flavor, its much worse when the food gets cold
i appreciate the good intentions behind this video, but when you draw your conclusions through an ad sponsor, I find it hard to take you seriously
Trash is always too expensive, even for free.
What is the carbon footprint of Mcdonald?
I don't eat McDonald's because I prefer other healthier options, however seeing the image of a Big Mac and hearing you talk about McDonald's (even though it's negative) makes me start craving a Big Mac. Watch the movie Super Size Me - also negative about McDonald's, had the same effect on me. Fortunately I boycott both McDonald's and Uber Eats so I don't give in to this craving.
Many people don't want to stop eating meat. I can totally get that. I really like it as well. That's why I want to convince people to stop eating cow meat or at least limit how often they eat cow meat. But it's hard to find a proper comparison between the environmental impact of cow meat vs pig meat vs chicken meat. I'd love it if you could make a video where you compare these three.
I've also heard something about researchers growing chicken meat in a lab. Maybe that would be nice to include as well
Jimmy Crickets Where is your extraordinary evidence for your extraordinary claims?
Why do u want people to stop eating cow so badly. In terms of animaly friendlynis chickens have it the worst
In Europe especially in Netherlands McDonald’s is no way cheap 10€ for Big Mac menu I can have 1kg chicken 500g beef and 3KG top notch fries from any shop
Ah yes, the restaurant I work at. I’ve been working at one in Versailles IN as a closing
dishwasher/kitchen man for about 2 years. But enough about that, if you think the environmental impact of the food, the making of the food and the wrapper/contain of that food (and drink) is awful for the environment, then you only have seen the tip of the pollution iceberg.
We literally have our frozen nuggets in 20pc plastic bags and frozen frys in plastic bags that we rip open and throw away the plastic bags, we use rubber gloves for handling cooked food and plastic blue gloves to handle raw food, even the f***ing buns are wrapped in plastic, I wish I could show pictures of the waste.
“Plastic wrap this”, “plastic wrap that” it goes on and on and on. It sickens me, and the worst part, is that every piece of plastic that I just explained is all single use! That’s right, NO reduce, NO reuse, NO recycle! This capitalistic bs needs to stop, I don’t care if McDonald’s gets shut down as a company, they need to stop ruining our planet. when McDonalds says that they are trying to help the planet or the climate change crisis, they are lying to you!
Wouldn't hold my breathe waiting for fast-food to do better. Even as I got busier with college and eventually my IT career, I cooked more and more of my own meals. If you're looking for cheap and easy meals, look into the cuisine of the Caribbean, Mexico, Vietnam or even Spain. Those are my favorite anyway.
Mc donalds isn’t that cheap, a burger can cost £5.00
They have very cryptic pricing. You can normally get a McDouble for $1-$2 which is like 1/5th of a pound compared to a Quarter Pounder with cheese, which is normally at least double the price for less than 10% more meat. They also get you with marked up fries and sodas, but if you're just looking at the cheapest meat items on the menu, it's ridicilously cheap.
@@MattSezer in the us the prices r like that but for the same burger yall pay 1-2$ (0,90-1,80 euro) while in western europe that burger costs around 4 euros (4,50$) for that same price u can better go to a local vendor and get a better quality burger or just some kebab
ugh Yeah, local food tends to be cheaper in Europe too.
Tbh that's pretty cheap but I would rather go to a sit-down restaurant which costs £30 per person for a 4 dish serving.
mcdonald’s has a veggie option in portugal at least
True, but not many like it, since it's spicy. I love it, but they should have another veggie option, like grilled, instead fried.
Love the video's and the message you are sending!
Altough I would appriciate if you add the metric measurements, even if it's just in a tiny font on the side.
You’ve got to admit
A double sausage McMuffin and a coke in the morning is heaven on earth
if you can drink soda in the morning you're definitely pre diabetic
@@Seniorjohnson bro I just went and had a breakfast with a large coke 🤣
You can get a McVegan in Sweden.
Max Burger is so much better though 😍 my friend in Sweden showed me when I visited, it's so much better than McDonald's 😂
@@johnthomas2970 Yes, MAX is the best! :) I haven't eaten at McDonalds since like the year 2000.
Slightly off topic here but.... what does McDonald's do with the top part of the buns that are left after putting that bottom bun in the middle of big macs?
This video is strong! Thank you, I love how you deliver the message in a special way. Keep up the good work and keep lighting our minds!
@OurChangingClimate, i got a question. Why is the average price of a Bigmac about 4 dollars, when in my country (the Netherlands) it's €5,50 EUR ($6.47 USD) and it only gets expensive during the time. Since you posted this on June 5th 2020 and the prices have gotten higher in little more than a year, could we expect to pay 20 dollars for a simple big mac in like 15 years?
Also, i really appriciate you put the time and effort in this video. Making the world aware of climate change, and how you can be are little more economical means a lot to me and to the world
*Why is McDonald's so cheap?*
Because the food is garbage
There's your answer
This popped in my feed and was watching it while waiting in line at McDonald's drive thru
1:23 if you actually stare at the image for 30 seconds then look at a blank wall, you'll see the actual colours. Nice illusion.
Wow I saw the logo on my wall for at least 5 to 10 seconds before I blinked a couple times and it went away.
not an illusion bro looking at bright coloures for a period of time the light rays will go into your retina causing you to see it for a small period of time aka when you look at a lightbulb you will see a colour in you eye try it but don't do it to long may affect eyes 5-10 secs
This channel needs more views. And the production quality is high
Cheap? Clearly you haven't been to McDonald's the last couple years, everything has gotten much more expensive, it's no longer a cheap way to eat
Uk here, support smaller sustainable beef farms, extensive grazing on pastures unsuitable for arable or horticultural practice. Lower emissions, low food miles etc. No mention of McDonald's using used cooking oil as fuel though. I don't eat fast food, can't see the point, but judging by the litter I pick up every week from verges and laybys, lots do. There are environmental issues with vegan options, soya, almonds, avocados are not farmed sustainably or without pollution. As for tomatoes from Spain, really nasty. Lowering consumption is surely the answer long term. Enjoyed the video, I'm very interested in this subject, and I work in agriculture.
Wow, McD *still* uses styrofoam in the US?!? In the EU, they stopped using that some time in the early 90s! Iow. 30 years ago. Damn.
Where i live they stopped using styrofoam around mid 2010s. I remember they use to serve that with hotcakes.
Is it harmful?
You mean styrofoam cups?? Are you telling me in your stores or take out there is no styrofoam plates, restaurant left over take out etc....you have no styrofoam packing materials, styrofoam coolers, styrofoam insulation?????
@@CarriUSA Some products are still packaged with styrofoam here (NL), but most use air bags. The cups I haven't seen in years. Styrofoam is definitely less common nowadays, the foam used for insulation (at the edges) is PU(R) foam. I've never had styrofoam coolers outside of work (laboratory), but they are probably still used for cold transport.
When I see the caption and I instantly wonder: When is McDonald's ever cheap? It's so expensive here in Malaysia
Alternative title: Why is McDonalds so Cheap in the US?
The editing is so clean
McDonalds gets most of their beef from older US dairy cows - their environmental impact is ironically less than practically every other fast food beef burger patty because of that. They also make much more money from this considering beef and dairy are subsidized
Thanks for the video, my favorite part is when you talk about how it's not just about where people decide to put their money, for many it's a matter of convenience and cost, I see many talking about the cost of health but for many that is a long term issue that many don't have the convenience to face until they cross that bridge!
Short answer: it isn't
Now im craving a quarter pounder and some mcnuggets
i seriously love your channel, it really opens my eyes to what’s happening in our world
large fry where I live is over 3$
Companies are legally required to maximize shareholder value. It is literally illegal for them to prioritize the environment. That's why we have regulation. We need to change the laws, not expect companies to prioritize anything other than profit.
This connects to your video on climate change in TV comedies esp. when you look at popular attitudes towards plant-based meat
Keep up the good work! How much is a Big Mac in US? I live in Sweden and I don't consider McDonalds to be very cheap. A single Big Mac apparently costs 54 sek which is roughly close to 6 usd.
Same price. Combo can be ~ $8 and up depend on your selection. I usually use coupon so I can save around $2.
@@suong534 How much is fruit and vegetables in comparison? The image we recieve over here is that is so expensive in comparison to fast food That's why i.e. poorer people/families buy fast food instead.
0:48 "...Guantanamo Bay to Kansas City": *shows Manila*