Hi, my name is Malee, and I eat Taco Bell.
My Taco Bell shame began on a Tuesday at Ivy Hall. The fast food chain had recently come under fire for serving meat that could be found in dog food. I was sitting in my promotional writing class. Professor Catherine Ramsdell showed a clip of Lewis Black raging about Taco Bell’s 88 percent real beef and 12 percent “secret.” She then asked if anyone ate Taco Bell. The general consensus from my classmates was, “Gross.”
I’d like to think it was my grogginess that day that hindered my ability to speak of my frequent visits to the faux Mexican eatery. Yeah, that’s what it was — my grogginess.
A couple of weeks later, I was back in Ivy Hall, and I was hungry. There just so happened to be a Taco Bell down the street. So, I made a trip and ordered the usual: a beefy five-layer burrito and a Taco Supreme.
I returned to Ivy Hall and sat in one of the ornate chairs at the ornate table with my plastic bag and under-three-dollar meal. I expected every ounce of it to be unhealthy, slightly questionable and super tasty. What I didn’t expect was for Dr. Batcos to come into the room and sit across from me.
All of a sudden, every crunch of the taco sounded magnified, every ooze of sour cream and “taco meat” that fell from the shell fueled my embarrassment.
I’m not an avid fast food eater, but there is a dilemma I face, at times. I won’t have time to pack my own lunch; I’ll get to school, and a granola bar won’t cut it. Then, I’ll realize I’m low on money, and the truth shows its ugly face: I’m a college student on a budget, and if the food is less than a dollar, it makes my stomach and my bank account happy.
Just the other day, I watched Jamie Oliver’s “Food Revolution.” He went through the chemical process of turning meat into something that is served to elementary school children and, most likely, to Taco Bell customers, where a burrito costs 89 cents.
It disgusted me. But will I still eat there if my brother offers to buy me something? Well, it’s like after I watched “Supersize Me” and swore I’d never eat McDonald’s again. But then the cheap chicken nuggets called to me, and I gave in.
That day at Ivy Hall, I was ashamed because Dr. Batcos caught me in a moment of giving in.
I think I’m one of many in a society where lack of money wins over good nutrition. For many consumers, if something is of better quality, but more expensive, they’ll take the cheaper option. I believe many people want to eat right. They want to be able to afford the organic produce at Whole Foods, but the money just isn’t there.
The next time someone catches me eating Taco Bell, will I still cower in shame? Most likely. But on my student budget, that 89 cent burrito tastes pretty darn good.
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Taco Bell