A Healthy Convenience

It was the kind of work day that went by so quickly that it’s hard remember if you did anything. I was so involved in what I was doing that when I looked up at the clock it was 2pm and I hadn’t eaten lunch. At that point I was so hungry any food would have been good. 

Instead of just grabbing whatever was closest, I decided the right choice would be to get something substantial that would get me to dinner time. The closest café from my office open at 2pm is Subway, so I had them make me a veggie sandwich and apple slices for a snack. When I first walked in, I saw a large display of small bags of chips. I really wanted to get one, but I had to remind myself why I didn’t need it. I was really glad I didn’t impulsively reach for a bag because the apple slices were deliciously sweet. They always remind me of fall. I’m really looking forward to my apple recipes.

I had a few minutes while I waited in line and I took a look at the bags of chips. I noticed that the companies that make them are advertising them as “healthy.” They use pictures of vegetables for garden flavored and claim they are baked or use the word “multigrain.” The true test for whether a product is healthy, natural, or organic is by looking at what is in the ingredient list. If you can’t pronounce the ingredient or know what it is, it’s most likely a food additive. These are the worst kind of things to eat because they’re basically bad chemicals that try to make packaged food taste as good as fresh food.

Let’s face it, fresh food has no comparison. Eat a cup of black bean soup from Panera then go home and make a homemade batch yourself. I guarantee you will prefer the homemade kind better. When you take fresh ingredients to make a home cooked meal, there is no need to add an altered chemical because you can eat it now. 

I prefer homemade over convenience foods. However, I can’t ignore the fact that life doesn’t always allow us enough time to go home from work and whip up a homemade batch of spaghetti sauce or roast an entire chicken in the middle of the week. Tonight I had to go with a quick meal because I’m still dragging from a cold. I love Amy’s Organic brand because all the ingredients are certified organic, which means there are no bad chemicals in them. I prefer my homemade pizza crust, fresh organic cheese, and a bunch of veggies on top, but tonight I didn’t have a couple hours to spare. 

I came home from work and collapsed on my couch. August is a strange time to be sick, but the weather today never got that message. Off to relax on this stormy night.

Today’s food blog:

Breakfast
2 tbsp	cream cheese, organic
2 pcs	multigrain toast
Lunch
6 inch	honeyoat baguette
1 c.	salad with lettuce, spinach, cuke, green peppers, and tomatoes
2 slices	provolone cheese
1 tsp	red wine vinegar
1/2 c.	apple, sliced
Beverages
2 c.	black coffee
7 c.	Water
Snack
1 bar	Kashi brand Pumpkin spice
3 oz	semi sweet chocolate
Dinner
2 slices	Cheese pizza, Amy's Organic brand

Sarah Jenkins