Fast food based on
healthy ancestral ingredients: a study on a new gastronomic approach
Comida rápida a base de ingredientes ancestrales
saludables: un estudio sobre una nueva propuesta gastronómica
Published Instituto
Superior Tecnológico Edwards Deming. Quito - Ecuador Periodicity January - March Vol. 1, Num. 24, 2025 pp. 84-94 http://centrosuragraria.com/index.php/revista Dates of receipt Received: October 22, 2024 Approved: November 19, 2024 Correspondence author Creative Commons License Creative Commons License,
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
4.0 International.https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.es
William Renán Meneses Pantoja2
Darío Javier Espinoza Bravo3
Carlos Enrique Chica Medranda4
Edgar Huberto Chica Gilces5
1 Asesor turístico
independiente Universidad
Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí – Extensión Sucre -Ecuador https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4758-5918 2 Graduado en Turismo en la
Universidad Católica San Antonio (España), Postgrado en Turismo Rural en la
Universidad de Castilla La Mancha (España), Postgrado en Marketing.
Turístico en la Universidad Católica San Antonio (España). Docente
de la Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí, Extensión Sucre, Manabí,
Ecuador https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8080-9990 3 Licenciado en Ciencias de la
Comunicación por la Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí, Magíster en
Gerencia Educativa Docente
de la Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí, Extensión Sucre, Manabí,
Ecuador https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3301-7138 4 Master
en Educación y Desarrollo Social Docente en la Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí,
extensión Bahía de Caráquez, Ecuador. carlos.chica@uleam.edu.ec https://orcid.org/0000-001-8977-8465 5 Licenciado en Ciencias de la Educación, Magister en Educación,
Master en telecomunicaciones Docente
de la Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí, extensión Bahía de Caráquez, Ecuador. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1202-8807
Key words: Fast Food, Fast Good, gastronomy,
Empanadas.
Resumen. En
la sociedad actual existen nuevos hábitos de alimentación producto de un ritmo
de vida muy acelerado, con mayores disfunciones sociales, trabajos que exigen
tiempos precisos y tendencias nuevas, esto ha hecho en modo que muchas personas
se vean obligadas, muy frecuentemente al momento de alimentarse, hacerlo de una
manera rápida y ágil a fin de cumplir con su caótico día a día. Es ahí donde nace el concepto de comida
rápida y su evolución continua a lo largo de la historia contemporánea de la
sociedad, evolución que dio como resultado grandes franquicias dedicadas a
dicho concepto los cuales dieron paso, a su vez, a los paradigmas que la comida
rápida posee en la actualidad y es el hecho de ser comida chatarra y dañina
para la salud. El presente trabajo investigativo tiene el objetivo de plantear
la interrogante referente al hecho de que si existe o es posible preparar
comida rápida a base de ingredientes saludable a fin de acabar con la errónea
idea de que la comida rápida solo es comida poco saludable y de bajo valor
nutricional. Los métodos que se utilizaron en la investigación fueron elegidos,
dada la mediana complejidad del estudio a su vez que se utilizó el método y
herramienta de encuesta a fin de poder conocer de manera directa la opinión de
las personas ante dicha investigación. Además, fue la herramienta más fiable a
la hora de levantar información relacionada a un comportamiento social. Cabe
destacar que dicha investigación se la realizó en un establecimiento dedicado a
la venta de comida rápida en la parroquia de Charapotó, establecimiento que está
por adoptar una nueva propuesta gastronómica denominada “Fast Good”, propuesta
que se plantea en este trabajo investigativo en los resultados del mismo.
Palabras clave: Comida
Rápida, Fast Good, gastronomía, Empanadas.
Introduction
The purpose of this paper is to raise the question and put an end to one
of the paradigms that determine and subject fast food as something that harms
the body, since, from the conception of the term “Fast Food” it has been
associated with junk food which provides large amounts of trans fats which will
increase the cholesterol of those who consume them. The main objective of this
work is to demonstrate that fast food cannot always be classified as junk food,
much less be harmful to the body, because, if at the time of preparing this
type of food, top quality or organic products are used, the nutritional value
would increase and not only the use of quality and organic raw material, but
also the use of cooking techniques that ensure that the organoleptic characteristics
of the food would not be affected.
Fast Food or fast food, according to Alvarez, dates back to 1912 when
the first automat was inaugurated in New York, a place that sold fast food
behind a glass window and a slot to pay with coins. This type of system already
existed before in Berlin and in some U.S. cities such as Philadelphia.
The concept of fast food, according to Rodriguez, appeared in Europe during the
Napoleonic Wars when in the 19th century the Cossack mercenaries of the Russian
army in France requested in restaurants to be served as soon as possible,
repeatedly mentioning the word Bistró (bystro = fast). In the middle of the 20th century, a food
entrepreneur in the United States named Gerry Thomas marketed for the first
time what is called convenience food. At the end of the 1990s, movements
against Fast Food began to appear and denounced some aspects about the lack of
information, the high content of fats, sugars and calories in some of its
foods.
According to Alfredo Muñoz in his work “Origin and evolution of the Fast Food service”:
Serving meals at the moment, in a fast way is nothing new, the ancient
Romans did it in Pompeii and Herculaneum, preparing dishes, which kept a short
process of elaboration, such as: various types of soup, potatoes or vegetables,
accompanied by fruits, influenced a lot by the Hebrew cuisine.
But the history of fast food restaurants, now also known as Fast Food,
dates back to the year 1765, as mentioned by Muñoz, when a Mr. Bulanger established in Paris the first restaurant with the
name RESTAURANTS, a place where he offered a series of innovative dishes, which
are prepared and delivered to customers quickly, at low cost, denoting the main
characteristics of fast food.
Fast food is characterized especially by the speed with which the service is
offered, but it also has other particularities:
- It is a complete meal. Most restaurants and establishments offer a
menu that includes carbohydrates (bread, french
fries), fats (dressings) and vegetables (tomato, lettuce, onion...).
- It is more economical than the dishes offered in traditional
restaurants.
- It is easy to transport and to consume.
With the above mentioned by Brito, it is possible to give a previous
idea about what the word fast food refers to and the fact that it does not have
to be classified as junk food or food harmful to the organism.
When talking about fast food, emphasis is placed not only on the speed of
preparation, but also on the speed at which it is eaten, as Dolores Molina
mentions:
Fast food is a type of economic food, widely consumed nowadays, based on
menus of easy preparation and, as its name indicates, of quick preparation and
ingestion. Characteristics that in our society become authentic virtues for a
wide stereotype of consumers; from teenagers of precarious economy to workers
who lack time to have lunch because of their demanding workdays.
In a few words, he mentions what fast food consists of and the impact it
has on society, given that it is a food that is within everyone's reach, as
Molina rightly mentions. For some authors, fast food is nothing more than the
cause of obesity in a large percentage of the population, not only regionally
but also globally, with the United States being one of the main authors of this
percentage.
In 1920 the first hamburger joints appeared in the United States,
although it was not until 1937 when the brothers Dick and Mac McDonald began to
use chain production, typical of other industries, with the intention of being
able to meet in a few minutes the orders of the multitude of people who must
eat in a short time (Rodriguez, 2011).
However, some authors determine that the concept of fast food is
something that has always been involved in the different environments of
different countries, as mentioned by Vilaplana:
Fast food was born in the United States as a way of satisfying the food
needs of a society in which production left no time for gastronomic leisure.
However, fast food has always existed in our environment in the form of
sandwiches or tapas.
Vilaplana refers to the fact that
fast food exists in any type of environment, in Spain in the form of tapas.
Here is the dilemma if fast food for the simple fact of being something that
fits perfectly with the needs of the society which every day more and more sees
itself with less time to dedicate to gastronomic delight and prefers to eat
something fast. “As a general rule, fast food is usually identified with
processed products of low nutritional quality: high in calories and low in
vitamins”.
The main characteristics of fast food restaurants are
detailed as follows: The food does not take long to be delivered to the
customer, it is accessible, the desired menu is chosen, they maintain
accessible schedules, home delivery services, sales promotions,
diversification, and above all accessible prices.
These types of characteristics are one of the main causes of the success
of these businesses, since there are many people who, due to lack of time
because of their work, opt for this type of alternative in search of satisfying
their needs.
According to Moliní “it is very important to
emphasize that there are two characteristics that make this food not
recommendable for repetitive consumption: the excess of energy in the menus,
and the high percentage of saturated fats and cholesterol”.
According to Moliní, although the reasons why
the consumption of this type of food is not advisable are true, it is worth
noting that due to this many companies have changed their offer, either to
reduce the excesses or to offer healthy food that is quick to prepare and to
the liking of the customers.
Knowing the concepts of fast food it is time to raise the question which is
what is meant by healthy eating? Well, Healthy eating is one that provides each individual with all the food
necessary to meet their nutritional needs at different stages of life
(childhood, adolescence, adulthood and aging).
Currently, a new trend is emerging which is based on merging the concept
of “Fast Food” but with a selection of healthy ingredients and top quality in
order to be beneficial to the consumer:
An example of this can be found in the British chain Leon, specialized in
healthy fast food. The new concept is thus linked to the Fast Good trend,
aligned with the new consumption habits, tastes and preferences of a growing
number of people, who are increasingly concerned and aware of their health and
well-being.
At this point is where the transformation of an existing trend and
possessing a great place in the current market arises and becomes a totally
different concept, using the same principles, but with such variations that
result in the “Fast Good” which as mentioned by Bartalent
Lab: Thus, we could conclude that the Fast Good is a concept of fast food
linked to a meal, in turn, high quality and with a healthy perspective. We may
have to eat fast for personal reasons, but we do not have to give up eating
well.
The present research will contribute to the knowledge about the reality
of the significance of gastronomy in tourism development and indirectly in
socioeconomic development. In addition, it is important to mention that the
current original article derived from the institutional research project of the
Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí in its
extension Sucre 1016 E01 (Bahía de Caráquez)
entitled: “Museum of History, Archaeology and Paleontology as an instrument
of local development: Cases Chirije and San Isidro”.
Methodology
The
methods used in the research were highlighted due to the medium complexity of
the study and also due to the fact that it is easy to use this type of
methodology.
Among
them is the deductive method, since this method goes from the general to the
specific. That is, the approach starts from a general statement from which
parts or specific elements are unraveled, such as the concepts of fast food and
healthy food. Other methods used in the research are the qualitative method and
the quantitative method.
Similarly,
several types of research were used, such as bibliographic research, and its
use was framed in the consultation of books and authors of works related to the
study carried out, in order to have solvent and reliable theoretical
contributions that support what was developed in the research work carried out.
Field research, which collaborated in the selection and exact determination of
the population to be studied, with the purpose of gathering information related
to the proposed objective and thus being able to verify hypotheses and identify
problems that could cause a negative effect on the proposal.
Finally,
the survey method and tool was used in order to be
able to know directly the opinion of the people before this research, besides
being the most reliable tool at the time of collecting information related to a
social behavior.
The survey was conducted digitally through the Google Forms platform, in order
to facilitate data collection. The total number of surveys was 370, respecting
the results of the sample formula with a margin of error of 5%.
Results
The results obtained through the
surveys were quite satisfactory, however, the figure raised in principle of
people to survey could not be achieved successfully, but despite this it was
possible to obtain 50% of results, since this research was conducted with a
background of case study in the establishment Jireh Bar in the parish of Charapotó, Canton Sucre which is an establishment that is
wanting to emerge with new gastronomic proposals and a unique service. That is
why at the time of conducting the surveys it was possible to visualize that
there are days where there is a lack of customers and days where there is a
high peak of customers and even more so on these dates that are holidays in the
parish and is where the establishment saw the highest peak of customers and
took the opportunity to conduct the surveys.
Table 1. What is your concept of fast food?
|
Literales |
Personas encuestadas |
porcentajes |
|
Comida Chatarra |
25 |
13,9% |
|
Comida de fácil y rápido
acceso |
108 |
60% |
|
Comida poco saludable |
41 |
22,8% |
|
Comida barata sin calidad |
6 |
3,3% |
|
Total |
180 |
100% |
According to
the results given to the question “What is your concept of fast food?” 60% of
the respondents were able to state that it is food that is easily and quickly
accessible, 22.8% responded that it is unhealthy food, 13.9% stated that it is
junk food, and finally 3.3% of the respondents stated that it is cheap food
without quality.
Table 2. If fast food is made
with healthy products and traditional ingredients, would you change your
opinion regarding fast food?
|
Literales |
Personas encuestadas |
porcentajes |
|
Totalmente de Acuerdo |
38 |
21,1% |
|
De acuerdo |
82 |
45,6% |
|
Indeciso |
45 |
25% |
|
En desacuerdo |
11 |
6,1% |
|
Totalmente en desacuerdo |
4 |
2,2% |
|
total |
180 |
100% |
According to the results given in response to the question posed, 45.6%
of the people agree to change their concept of fast food in cases of using
healthy and traditional ingredients when preparing fast food, 25% are
undecided, 21.1% totally agree, 6.1% maintain their position and respond that
they disagree as well as 2.2% of the respondents.
Table 3. Do you consider that
Fast Good (healthy fast food) is a great bet for the parish of Charapotó?
|
Literales |
Personas encuestadas |
porcentajes |
|
Totalmente de Acuerdo |
70 |
38,9% |
|
De acuerdo |
64 |
35,6% |
|
Indeciso |
25 |
13,9% |
|
En desacuerdo |
11 |
6,1% |
|
Totalmente en desacuerdo |
10 |
5,6% |
|
total |
180 |
100% |
Based on the results obtained, 38.9%
of the people were able to state that they totally agree with considering Fast
Good as a great bet for the parish of Charapotó,
35.6% agree with what was stated, 13.9% remain undecided in their position,
6.1% on the contrary stated that they disagree with what was stated, as well as
5.6% who responded that they totally disagree
This question is very important in
this work, given that the research not only seeks to know the concept of fast
food but also to understand the concept of fast food.
The collection of information
regarding the problem posed at the beginning of the work was quite
satisfactory, not only to know the concept that the population of the parish of
Charapotó has regarding fast food, but also that they
are willing to change their position to find a product of the “fast food”
family made with healthy and/or traditional ingredients, also with
manufacturing processes which allow the finished product does not suffer from
the loss of nutrients and is saturated with fats.
Within the theoretical part of the work it was possible to show how fast food emerged and what
was its way to get to where it is today, which is why it is interesting the
fact that something that for some is harmful and unhealthy, has transcended
throughout history and has become a complement in the busy and fast life of
society.
However, the fact that fast food has
transcended throughout history does not make it exempt from new trends and
modifications in order to create something new from something already existing,
and this is where the “Fast Good” trend comes into play, which is increasingly
booming and which consists of typical fast food
products such as hamburgers, hot-dogs, etc. With the great difference that both
the processes and the ingredients are of quality and designed to provide
adequate nutritional values to face the day to day.
So, we could conclude that Fast Good
is a fast food concept linked to a high quality food
with a healthy perspective. We may have to eat fast for personal reasons, but
we do not have to give up eating well.
Within the survey of information,
several questions related to the healthy fast food
trend can be found, because the research not only seeks to know the concept of
fast food but also to know if the parish of Charapotó is willing to adopt this
trend and thus allow the establishment Jireh Bar to opt for this gastronomic
trend in its future expansion of both infrastructure and services offered.
Conclusions
In conclusion, it can be stated that
the healthy fast food trend is a fact which is
increasingly gaining weight in modern society, which is concerned about eating
rich, healthy and fast. The research work highlights the concept and ideas of
the population regarding fast food, but in turn shows that you can change a
paradigm raised for years and turn it into something new while retaining the
ideology, so to speak, and achieve a significant change.
The title of the research “Fast food
based on healthy ingredients: a study on a new gastronomic proposal” should be
emphasized because it is possible to generate and implement a new gastronomic
proposal based on an existing concept but modified in order to be attractive
and pleasing to society.
Finally, it can be mentioned that
the Jireh establishment, where the field study was conducted, is already opting
to prepare fast food with healthy ingredients, thus joining the Fast Good
trend. A clear example is the empanas that are prepared there, which are within
the typical food and fast food, and it is mentioned because when talking to the
owner he said that he uses healthy and quality products to prepare the filling
of the empanas, such as local vegetables, onions, peppers, garlic, celery and
animal protein such as chicken and beef.
References
AEAL.es. (20 de enero de 2017). Alimentación saludable. Obtenido
de aeal.es:
http://www.aeal.es/alimentacion-y-nutricion/3-alimentacion-saludable/
Alvarez,
M. (2012). Origen y evolución del servicio Fast Food. Una perspectiva
global. Vertice.
Barra
de ideas . (16 de 09 de 2019). ¿Qué es Fast Food? Obtenido de Barra de
ideas | Gestión y marketing para restaurantes:
https://barradeideas.com/que-es-fast-food/
Bartalent
Lab. (04 de 11 de 2020). El fast good ha venido para quedarse... ¿sabes
qué es? Obtenido de Bartalent Lab:
https://www.bartalentlab.com/bartalentnews/fast-good
Brito,
G. (22 de Noviembre de 2019). Comida Rápida: Características y Ventajas
para tu Negocio. Obtenido de MetalBoss: https://www.metalboss.com.mx/blog/comida-rapida
Cabrera.
(2010). Repercusiones de la comida rápida en la sociedad.
Cabrera,
D. M. (2007). Repercusiones De La Comida Rápida En La Sociedad. Trastornos
de la Conducta Alimentaria 6 , 635-659.
Casas,
A., Labrador, R., & Campos, D. (2003). La encuesta como técnica de
investigación. Elaboración de cuestionarios y tratamiento estadístico de los
datos. elsevier.es, 527-538.
Concepto.de.
(2020). Metodo Cualitativo. Obtenido de concepto.de:
https://concepto.de/metodo-cualitativo/
Joel,
R. (2011). origen del fast food.
Moliní.
(2012). Repercusiones de la comida rápida en la sociedad. .
Muñoz,
A. (2012). Origen y evolución del servicio Fast Food. Una perspectiva
Global. VERTICE.
Vilaplana,
M. (2002). Comida rápida: ¿una alternativa a la alimentación convencional? Offarm,
112-118.
Westreicher,
G. (19 de Mayo de 2020). Metodo deductivo. Obtenido de Economipedia:
https://economipedia.com/definiciones/metodo-deductivo.html