The question of whether fast food is getting better or worse is more complex than it first appears. The getting better camp points to the explosion of healthier options — salads, grilled proteins, plant-based burgers — that have transformed the menus of every major chain, to improved supply chain transparency, to the rise of fast casual dining that offers restaurant-quality food at fast food speed, and to the fact that competition from delivery apps has forced chains to improve quality. The getting worse camp points to ever-larger portion sizes, the ubiquity of ultra-processed ingredients, the collapse of independent restaurants under pressure from chains, and the environmental cost of packaging and food waste. In 2026, is fast food genuinely improving or is it just better marketing?
