Fast Food can be Good Food

"I don't like waiting in line to get my food," one of my dining companions explained to the group, as he complained about the uninspired food quality in the dining hall. Others picked at their poorly dressed salads and shoddily constructed wrap sandwiches.

Meanwhile, I sat there, quietly contemplating my sliced strawberries and banana, covered in honey, granola, yogurt and flaxseeds. This was the third course in an otherwise delicious meal, all procured from that same dining hall.

Why was my food so much better? so much different? Because I care. I care enough to ask for pesto on my salad, to get mushrooms and edamame from the salad bar to put into my fried rice, and to slice my own strawberries so I can have fruit in my parfait.

I don't mind waiting in line for 2 minutes if it means the difference between fresh, hot food and eating pasta that's been sitting in a steamer for an hour. I don't mind going every so slightly out of my way to make my own salad dressing if it means I know everything that goes into it.

It doesn't take a lot of time to make good, healthy food—just a good dose of care and simplicity. Dinner can be roasted broccoli and a piece of good bread. (Bonus points if you grate some parmesan on the broccoli as it comes out of the oven.) A salad can be lettuce and dressing. Breakfast? A banana with peanut butter.

I'm not perfect. There are days when I just don't feel like caring. Yesterday, I ate cake for breakfast. But most of the time, I do most things right. And in the end, I gave the rest of the cake away.

Once a week, make a 5-ingredient dinner. Not a 5-ingredient dish--a whole meal. Salt. Pepper. Oil. Vegetable. Starch.

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Simple Salad

Ingredients
1 lemon
2t mustard
4T olive oil

spring mix
cherry tomatoes

{or arugula and avocado}

Directions
1. Juice the lemon into a bowl. Whisk in the mustard, then the oil.
2. Toss the {washed} lettuce and tomatoes with the dressing.
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Let me know what you think by leaving a comment or emailing me at piquantprose [at] gmail [dot] com.

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