If there’s one thing I’m determined to leave behind in 2025, it’s the grease-soaked Chick-fil-A bag and the lingering stench of crispy chicken and waffle-cut fries.
Nearly every week of 2024, I indulged in fast food from chains like Popeyes, Taco Bell and Chick-fil-A. After track meets and practices, I would devour combo meals that are meant to feed two people. Dinner often consisted of a Taco Bell quesadilla, spicy potato soft taco and nacho fries, adding up to a total of 1,040 calories. The next day, I would eat Popeyes for lunch, ordering my go-to spicy chicken sandwich and popcorn shrimp, which had 1,090 calories and 67 grams of fat.
Though the fast food satisfied my taste buds and appetite, they contain highly processed ingredients. Studies have found such diets can shorten people’s lifespan by up to 10%.
My determination to do a course correction on my diet started one day in November. After eating at Taco Bell, I started to feel sick. The spicy chipotle sauce and oily nacho fries, while initially satisfying, left me feeling bloated and queasy. I knew that fast food wasn’t a sustainable meal option.
A few days later, I figured out why. I came across a series of Instagram reels describing the greasy, preservative-infested food. One video showed a worker mixing beans — the same ones I ate at Taco Bell on a weekly basis — in water. The video said the slop had the same texture as “hamster food.”
It was the wake-up call I needed.
Watching fast-food workers expose the low-quality and fake ingredients I was consuming motivated me to quit my habit of eating fast food. I rarely go out to eat nowadays, maybe going once a week to fulfill my appetite. Most of the time, I just stick to eating at home which consists of rice, a protein, vegetables, and fruits. Taking care of myself by eating a healthier, more nutritious diet will benefit my performance as an athlete and overall wellness.
The only exception I am making is to go to Chipotle, which serves ingredients that are fresh and nutrient-rich, like lettuce, bell peppers, corn, tomatoes, black beans, good quality chicken, cheese, and brown rice. But even though it’s technically healthier, I’ll enjoy it in moderation because a typical burrito bowl has 915 calories and over 33 grams of fat.
Many of us enjoy cheat meals from fast-food restaurants after sports games, trusting their fast metabolism to prevent weight gain. But even disregarding the physical transformation, we should still care for our bodies and the quality of food we consume.
In 2025, I’m choosing better fuel.
