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.
Cover image - 𝖣𝖾𝗌𝗂𝗀𝗇𝖾𝖽 𝗎𝗌𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖼𝖺𝗇𝗏𝖺
As much as we wanted to have home cooked meals in some instances we can't.
Not unless we are richa and can afford to hire a personal chef!
Exactly, even rich people still go for fast foods
Yeah the truth is that working in Lagos can be so demanding, but still, I prefer cooking my food from home, when I was still doing a salary job I always woke up as early as possible to cook even though it was tiring but I just don't find fast food cool
It depends on the job you are doing, when I was working in opebi I had multiple jobs and I barely have time to sleep not to talk of cooking.
Cooking by oneself save cost a lot but sometimes one might be unable to cook for one reason or the other. But for me I will still squeeze my time to cook my foods o because money no dey🤣🤣🤣
Well, my ability to cook depends the what I crave, sometimes I don't have much on me but if I should crave a specific meal I can't make myself I will definitely try my best to go for it 😂
Very understandable, the background of ones family can greatly influence how we make our food and where we eat.
No doubt that making our own food is far better and more convenient than eating outside.
Yeah that is true, at least you get to sit at home and eat as much as you want 😅
Sometimes, one wouldn't have the strength to cook at home, hence buying food outside and some other times, even when you are in the mood to cook, but fast food is what you crave for, then that is good as we believe it doesn't happen every time. We should just be mindful of how we spend outside when we could actually save more by preparing our meal ourselves and it will even last us.
Exactly, the cost of buy fast food is quite worrisome. I only opt for it when I have no other choice. I mean can a man possibly do without food 😅
Hahaha. Food is important and we must be wise when it comes to choosing fast food or home cooked food especially when our finances is included.
It will be more convenient for a lot of Lagos people to buy takeout a lot of times than home cooking due to the time they spend in the traffic.
If I'm working in Lagos, I'm very likely to cook less than buying food outside.
You guys are trying over there, leave home early and come back late.
Believe me we all wish we had another alternative but we don't at the moment. We just have to survive with whatever we can find on our way to work.
Home food is healthy, but I don't know I like fast food. I know it is costly but I like it. To go outside with friends or family or order something at home. Well I like your topic. Thanks for sharing
Take out does make life a lot easier but I'm always concerned about the health implications, eateries and restaurants can't be fully trusted.
I appreciate the support 🤗
Lagos life is one of its kind. A city that gets everyone busy. Many hours are spent on transportation due to traffic. It's obvious that one may be forced to patronize fastfood sometimes irrespective of ones preference. However, when the chance permits, cooking one's meal is the sure bet.
Exactly, lagos stress can't be compared to any and it has devastating consequences on the life lagosians.
Thanks for stopping by 🤗
You are welcome, boss.