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Eat a small fry

McDonald’s in Japan is experiencing a serious crisis:

A French fry shortage.

The company is unable to source enough potatoes, likely a result of recent flooding issues in Canada, a common point of transit. The problem is severe enough that McDonald’s recently charted three 747 planes full of potatoes to Japan in an effort to meet demand.

In response to the shortage, McDonald’s Japan has temporarily halted its sales of medium and large fries.

Here’s the thing:

You should never purchase a medium or large fry at McDonald’s. The small fry is vastly superior, for two reasons:

When you purchase a small fry, nearly every French fry in the bag is standing upright. This is good because it means no fry has been crushed. A medium or large fry will inevitable have a second and even third layer of fries beneath the top layer, and these lower level fries are being squashed under the weight of the fries on top, making them softer and soggier.

In a medium or large fry, the fries actually get worse as you eat.

Also, you don’t need more than a small fry. A small fry is just enough French fries to feel like you’ve enjoyed a French fry experience without the inevitable regret that comes with eating a larger size.

A small fry is 229 calories.

A large fry is 498 calories, or the equivalent of 2.21 small fries.

You’d be better off ordering two small fries instead of one large fry. The quality of the French fries would be vastly improved, and you’d still save yourself 50 calories in the process.

Or you could just order the small fry. It’s plenty. It will make you happy. I promise.

The Japanese are about to discover this firsthand.