“Do We Eat for Speed or Health?”

At noon on a busy workday, people are coming and going on the streets, looking for something to eat. A long line has formed at High Street Place in the heart of downtown, just blocks from City Hall and the financial center. The carefully designed food hall with 20 vendors, draws in workers from across the area. Some customers eat while working and discussing business, while others hurry off with packed boxed lunch in hand.

Entering the High Street Place hall, there is a long line of Charming Gardener. It attracts a large number of diners with its healthy and fresh vegetable salad, beef and chicken bowls. But healthy eating is not the first thing on everyone’s mind.Further inside is Wheelhouse, a fast-food restaurant serving burgers, fried foods, and milkshakes. Its speed and affordability attract large numbers of diners as well. In order to adapt to people's pursuit of health, High Street Place is also constantly introducing new vendors. "Like Human Club which is an Indian food, they offer really healthy bowls as well but rice based", said Holly Trippett the manager of High Street Place.

"There are so many people in Charming Gardener,” said Mike Chiang, on a business trip to Boston as he leaves Wheelhouse. “I'll just have a burger and go back to work.”

"Sometimes I have to go to Charming Gardener before 12, or you couldn’t even see the end." said Aaron Lawson, who works at The HartFord.

To break people's prejudice against fast food, many fast food vendors are making changes. "A lot of vendors try and offer at least one thing that be considered healthy, even the burger place Wheelhouse also have a vegan burger, so these vendors have wanted to create some healthy options," said Holly Trippett, the manager of High Street Place.

The future trend of lunch is becoming increasingly clear - no matter whether customers ultimately choose salad bowls or hamburger combo, the word “health” has quietly become an unavoidable keyword for every food vendor. At the same time, reducing the waiting time to within five minutes is also an area that every food vendor still needs to improve.

At High Street Square, some vendors have already been making similar attempts, such as preparing vegetables in advance, optimizing processes. Perhaps in the near future, remote ordering will be available. Office workers will no longer have to hesitate between lines but can easily receive a lunch that is both fast, nutritious and satisfying. Health and efficiency may eventually no longer be in opposition but will find a new balance in the fast paced urban life.