Although most of my childhood memories have faded and I am constantly infamous for forgetting important details in my friends’ and families’ lives, there is one memory that I find hard to forget.

When I was in the seventh grade, I walked into Taco Bell accompanied by Sofia Salas, my parents and an empty stomach. I looked up at the seemingly delicious choices that the Taco Bell menu provided me and I made my choice. I don’t remember the exact title of the dish but it was a flatbread filled with deliciously marinated steak, or so I thought. The picture on the menu board painted a vivid picture in my mind and as I waited for my meal, my mouth began to water. But what I was served on this horrid day, was not what I was promised. It was dog food. It looked like old pieces of mediocre steak covered in goop and plopped on a crusty piece of old bread that Taco Bell passed as a flatbread. Needless to to say, it was disgusting and not fit for human consumption. At this point, Sofia was in tears from laughter and I had decided that I was not going to judge a book by its cover. I tried the slimy meat and it was worse tasting than it was looking. Although it looked and smelled like my dog’s food (which comes out of a tin can and is plopped on a plate for my pet to enjoy), I would not have even subjected my dog to this horrid meal. That’s how terrible I found it. Since that day, I haven’t had more than a cheese quesadilla  or a fresh order of cinnamon twists (which I still do enjoy) from Taco Bell.

I think Taco Bell shouldn’t continue to gain fame for its unoriginal faux mexican food because of the lack of nutrition density in all menu items.

It’s not a secret, fast food is attractive. It’s simple, easy, usually quite cheap and it gives people all over the world the greasy meal they desire, me included. But it’s also not a secret that the sodium and fat levels found in this cuisine is terrible for your body. Did you know that when you roll through Taco Bell’s drive through for a bean burrito, you’re subjecting yourself to 1,060 mg of sodium?  Although the beefy Fritos burrito only costs a dollar, according to tacobell.com/food/nutrition/info, it packs a punch with 1,010 mg of sodium.

If Melodie Anne from healthyeating.sfgate.com is correct in her findings, then both of these menu items consist of almost all of the recommended 1,500 mg of sodium that teenagers should consume per day. Even if you do find fast food appealing, it will have negative effects on your body if it’s made a regular part of your lifestyle.

So, it’s simple, when eating fast food, it’s too easy to overindulge on foods that your body doesn’t need. True, I love places like Sonic and I’m always craving a Deluxe Chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A, but I don’t make these restaurants a habit in my lifestyle. In my opinion, it would be best to steer clear of the dog food infested Taco Bell and rarely eat McDonalds but, in moderation, eating food from these places is okay. Eating large amounts of fast food on a regular basis is not a healthy way to live and although the price and convenience puts these franchises at the top of the most profitable businesses in the world, no amount of savings (whether it be money or time) is worth your health.