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Inspiration
Could I Have That to Go?
by Tammie Ortlieb
Just because I'm vegan doesn't mean I never want to step foot in a restaurant again. In fact—and please don't share this—I have a somewhat unhealthy obsession with stopping for lunch. Not an easy addiction to cope with amid research findings that fast food consumption increases the risk of obesity and type II diabetes. Although transitioning to a vegan diet has definitely helped—cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets, and steak burritos are not part of a plant based diet—that doesn't stop me from ordering supersized French fries. So while some herbivores sit home steaming veggies, soaking beans, and cooking their whole grains, I find myself scheming ways to garner maximum nutrition from meals that appear in front of me with a smile and a "Have a nice day!"
Why is it, I wonder, that this drive through lifestyle wreaks such havoc on the gut? Some studies point to high competition between fast food places. Toys, prize earning games, and how-low-can-you-go prices keep cars streaming through the parking lots of these cookie cutter kitchens. How can you resist feeding a family of six in fifteen minutes for less than twenty bucks?! Others say we Americans have developed a sense of entitlement. I work hard for my money, I deserve to eat out. And, yes, I do work hard for my money. Maybe I should take some of it and eat out. Even more importantly, some critics blame a general acceptance of passive food consumption. No longer do we look down upon paying for our meals. If anything, we snub our noses at the whole apron scene. What's the matter with you? Are you crazy? Just pick up something on the way home from work. No wonder we're fat. Fast food is easy; it's cheap; AND it's a status symbol.
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A recent study in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine (Feb. 2008), however, suggests the answer may be even simpler still. Researchers maintain that it is the easy availability of fast food that has contributed to the obesity crisis. The more fast food places in an area, they say, the greater the weight problem among area residents. Biologically speaking, this makes sense. We humans are wired to consume quantities of fattening food when it's available. Our early ancestors never knew when they might stumble across the next big kill. Eating huge amounts of rich foods was protection until the next such meal came along. We still have that instinct. It's inside of us even though we no longer color on cave walls or go eons without brushing our teeth. The problem is that this sugary, high fat, calorie-laden food happens to be on every corner, all the time—with a convenient drive through window! We are spared the physical expense of chasing down our prey, gathering wood for a fire, or, heaven forbid, even stepping out of our cars. Literally, we are driven to these meccas of lazy food consumption.
Alas, what is an addict to do? I've tried the twelve steps to recovery. First, admit there is a problem. Hi, I'm Tammie, and I love to eat out. This way of eating owns me. Second, admit there is a power greater than myself who can bring me back to sanity. But what if I don't want sanity? I just want food on the table and fast. I want a break after a long day. I want a time out with a good friend. I want a quiet minute with my husband. I want uninterrupted chat time with my teenagers. I want to spend my afternoon doing something other than boiling potatoes or chopping lettuce. I want time and friendship and peace. And I want it through food. Actually, this sounds a lot like sanity. So, maybe if I can focus on nutritious choices while eating out I can still have time and friendship and peace without having to squeeze my butt into a pair of plus size jeans.
Brendan Brazier, in his book, The Thrive Diet: The Whole Food Way to Lose Weight, Reduce Stress, and Stay Healthy for Life , stresses the importance of fresh, raw, minimally processed foods as the mainstays of healthful diets. Dining out, according to Brazier, need not be restricted in the name of nutrition. At most restaurants, he maintains, one can easily find large salads with loads of reds, greens, and various seeds. Mexican places very often serve fresh homemade salsa which Brazier recommends ordering with a side of vegetables. And many sit down establishments will substitute some type of whole grain for its more refined cousin. Brazier adds that most businesses will usually also take special requests, whipping up vegetable plates or impressive salads just for the asking.
The same study that crushed fast food places as belly busters found that the typical full service restaurant does a much better job of keeping the waistline in place. More sit down establishments in an area compared to fast food places was indicative of a generally healthier population of area residents. Think about it. How many times can you order a whole wheat linguine with marinara and a side salad—oil and vinegar, please—from the other side of a laminate counter? And when's the last time you saw a combo meal for a tofu broccoli stir fry on brown rice? So I should be fine, I figure, if I stick with places where I actually have to sit down to stuff food in my mouth and can only order while I'm looking at a person's face.
Another possibility, too, though in my quest for nutritious slacker mom meals is taking advantage of the services of a personal chef. Channon Mondoux, personal chef, food historian, and owner of Renaissance Cuisine, provides various meal plan options, complete preparation and clean up in the client's home, and attention to details such as allergy concerns and personal preferences. All this, she says, with sometimes as little as a week's notice. Mondoux prides herself on providing "healthy meals for people with special dietary needs." She once served, for example, a vegetarian family with lactose intolerance issues who preferred organic dishes. Key in the care of such clients is the avoidance of cross contamination through the use of the family's own cookware and utensils.
Mondoux, a member of the United States Personal Chef Association (USPCA), suggests searching for a personal chef in your area through the association's website, www.hireachef.com . Whether entering your city, state, or zip code, you can find a chef who has met strict training requirements, adheres to association standards, and fulfills the expectations of the governing board. Whether looking for an immediate relief from food preparation or an opportunity to fill the freezer with complete dinners, through the association's search engine you will find a qualified professional from throughout Canada and the United States.
In the end, I'm drawn to the advice of Michael Pollan in his book, In Defense of Food . Pollan's eater's manifesto declares, "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Food, he says, is that which your great grandmother would recognize as food. It doesn't contain a mile long ingredient list with unpronounceable words. It doesn't make any special claims about being great for you. And it often isn't even found in just the supermarket alone. Farm stands and backyard gardens, for example, boast boatloads of food. Food. Fruit is food. Vegetables are food. Seeds are food. I didn't know my great grandmother, but I'm pretty sure she would be hard pressed to put a name to a French fry or a green tea soy latte. Show her a baked potato, though, with a side of broccoli and she might just pull up a chair. Or ask for it to go.
Tammie Ortlieb is a freelance writer and adjunct instructor with a Master's Degree in Developmental Psychology. She resides in southwest Michigan with her omnivorous husband, four veg kids, and small menagerie of pets. Tammie writes for various vegetarian sources, mostly on being okay with your vegetarian self. She's a book nerd, a research nerd, a health nerd, and a huge glass of soymilk half full kind of creature. Visit her blog at www.middle-agedveganchick.blogspot.com.
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