What are the advantages and disadvantages of slow food and fast food?

The expression ‘slow food' has recently been used in opposition ‘fast food'. What are the advantages and disadvantages of both types of food? Do you think that cooking is an important part of life or a waste of time? How do you feel about the arrival of multinational restaurants like McDonald's? What should people eat to be healthy? What have you heard of organic food that is becoming increasingly popular in Europe? Do you eat properly? It is true that a lot of people today prefer eating takeaways and fast food to traditional, home-cooked food, which is often called ‘slow food'. Fast food chains like McDonalds are opening up in every nook and corner of the world, attracting people of all ages, especially the children and youth. Fast food restaurants are extremely popular because people are always in a hurry, so they head towards fast food restaurants to save their time. Quickness, cheapness, convenience, and good taste of food are main reasons that determine the popularity of fast food restaurants. I don't see anything bad in them unless eating there becomes a habit. I think that eating fast food is problematic for a number of reasons. Firstly, in today's fast paced life, it might be very convenient to buy food that is ready to eat, fast food restaurant can serve you a meal within 10 minutes and after finishing your meal, you do not waste your time doing the washing-up. Saving your time is an evident advantage of fast food. But because the food is already cooked and needs to last longer, it will contain preservatives and additives. These substances are usually artificial and some people are allergic to them. Secondly, fast food might be tasty, but if you eat a lot of fast food and takeaways, you are probably not eating a very balanced diet. This is because many types of fast food and takeaways contain a lot of fat and not much fibre. Sodas and burgers are high in fat, sugar and salt. They provoke obesity, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses. A piece of fish that is fried and a large portion of chips are not as good for you as steamed fish and rice, for example. In addition, people who eat a lot of fast food and takeaways are not learning to cook at home. I think cooking is an important part of life, it is not only what you do to make a meal, it is also a creative and social skill. It is fun to learn to make a meal with a friend or member of the family. It can also make you feel good if you cook a good meal for other people. The advantages of slow food are evident. It is much healthier than fast food, and therefore, people can enjoy eating their meals without thinking of health problems. Nevertheless, slow food has some disadvantages. It needs a lots of time until it is ready. For instance, you should wait for several hours in order to have a ready home-made meal or you may not find all the ingredients you need in one grocery and have to look in several groceries until you find all the ingredients. And, of course, slow food requires some cooking skills. What should people eat to be healthy? A healthy diet must be composed of foods that provide your body with the vitamins and minerals it needs to function. Dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt, whole grains, lean meat and fish are essential components of a balanced diet. To keep our diet healthy we should include plenty of fruits and vegetables and limit the use of products made of white flour. Eating smaller servings of food more frequently instead of three large meals is preferable. We should include healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats from olive oil, almonds and salmon and limit salt and sugar. More and more people today are switching to organic food that is food grown under natural conditions (without the use of inorganic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides; and either not processed, or processed without the use of additives). It is better in quality than conventional food and as a result is higher in price. However, organic food is becoming popular in spite of the higher prices. As for me, I can't say I eat properly. I am a student. I have to get up early and need to hurry not to be late for my classes. As a result I skip breakfast. I have a bite later at the University cafeteria. Usually it consists of sugary snacks, pastry, potato chips, sausages and salads with mayonnaise. My meals are not complete without sugary drinks such as carbonated fruit beverages, sweetened coffee or tea. I know that it isn't good for me but I can't help it. I can't go to the canteen to have lunch because of short breaks between the lessons. The study suggests that I am very likely to grab food. I lack the time to cook myself a decent meal due to the amount of studying required. So I am an unhealthy food eater.