What can be classified as "fast food"?

Instant noodles and canned food are foods that can be prepared quickly, but they are not what we refer to as “fast food”. The phrase has come to mean foods that are highly processed, not very nutritious, and can be seen being served through a car window. ;)

If the food preparation required could define something as ‘fast food’ you’d have to include bananas, eggs, toast or the like. I agree with @dappled_leaves that ‘fast food’ is food that’s mass produced, uniform, often highly processed, usually lacking in nutrition and often sold by chain type establishments.

Fast food is food that can be served to you, hot and fast, ready to eat.

American origin and definition.

Your friend refers to convenience foods if you need a reference to win the argument.

“Fast food” really only refers to the food that you buy from restaurants, not something you prepare at home (like if you were to buy instant noodles at the grocery store). These restaurants as you may know are McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, etc.

IMO fast food refers to any meal you can attempt to order in the drive through of a restaurant from your car via a speaker that no sober person can possibly understand and 20 minutes later get a bag of cold shit you did not order.

In the U.S. fast food refers to food that is prepared for sale in a restaurant/takeout situation. Such as McDonald’s, Jack in the Box, Taco Bell etc. Although other foods can be made fast/quickly, no one refers to home made foods as fast food in the U.S. It’s a linguistics thing, that’s all.

I have the same answer as @Kardamom.

Ramen noodles made at home and packaged food that microwaves in a minute are not fast food, they are just packaged foods.

Fast food is used to refer to restaurants with food already prepared or made within a couple of minutes after ordering. The patron orders the food at a counter, not to a waitress or waiter.

Lately I have been hearing about vending machine salads that are refilled every day. There are salads that you can get throw together in the grocery store.

It my town there are a plethora of carts or drive ups that serve a variety of foods. Vietnamese, Thai, organic home foods that are prepped and ready for quick service, hot dog cart with quality locally sourced ingredients. Mexican made from scratch and so forth.

I am confused according to the multiple definitions if these are considered fast foods.

Thankd everyone, especially @ibstubro for the link. I have to go tell her, not because I want to dismiss her, but because the teacher won’t be happy if we present wrong information.

I wanted to add noodles can be fast food if served in a fast food restaurant. It’s not the type of food it’s the type of restaurant. Here we have fast food Greek Gyro’s, salads, burgers, chicken sandwiches, pasta, soups, all sorts of things.

@JLeslie yeah but what she said doesn’t cone from restaurants. She meant everything quick and unhealthy can be fast food. I will tell her what you said though.

I understand. I just was clarifying again. The way the term fast food is used in America she is using it wrong. There is a possibility other English speaking countries use the term differently.

A roadrunner…meep, meep.

In certain parts of Asia, fast food also includes any foods prepared beforehand & serve to order at restaurant or food stalls. The food will be served in a short moment or you take it from the food counter like in fast food restaurant chain.

Is ‘fast food’ the term for it locally, @citizenearth?

Oh, local people don’t call it “fast food,” they call it cooked/prepared food. The speed these food is served to customers equals those in western fast food restaurant chain. That’s why some people call it “fast food,” albeit in other cultural settings.