Health-Wise Wednesdays

Topic: Vacation eating

This morning I'm down to 132.6 lbs. As I mentioned last week, I'm not too concerned, because we'll be leaving for vacation this Sunday and I won't be monitoring myself quite as closely, which means I might overeat or not always eat as I should.

It's sad that there are so few places with truly healthy food alternatives. Yes, most restaurants have "healthy menus," but when you break it down they aren't as healthy as the restaurant would have you believe. I'll be making an effort to put as much "good for me" food in my mouth as possible. Trouble is, I don't know what is nearby so that I can plan ahead.

Take a look at a typical fast food meal. Not even taking into account the amount of sodium they contain (enough for a day and a half of salt in some cases), the meal itself doesn't look healthy. God made food pretty to look at, with lots of color and texture. A cheeseburger, fries and soda don't have much color; it's all beiges and browns. If all you're eating is a bunch of neutral colors, you're not getting the nutrition you need.

Just look at all the veggies and fruits out there: they come in all shades of green, red, purple, yellow and orange. Serve up a veggie platter and the whole thing jumps up at you; a fruit platter is just as interesting and artistic. Let's face it: food can and should be beautiful! The typical American meal, on the other hand, is bland looking. A piece of meat, potatoes and bread. Blah. All you have to do is add a small salad, with some lovely greens like romaine lettuce and cucumbers, reds like tomatoes, red onion or radishes, maybe some carrots, and already that plate looks more alive. It also gained vitamins, anti-oxidents, fiber, iron, you name it, all the things that the original dish didn't have.

This is why I like to select places that offer colorful alternatives to the everyday fast food place. Now, I'm not promoting these places, nor are they paying me to advertise; I'm just stating my opinion of why I prefer to eat at certain places. For instance, there are burger joints everywhere, but if I have my choice I pick Wendy's. I like the fact that I can have, for the same price as a regular value meal, a side salad with low-fat dressing instead of fries. I like that I can have bottled water instead of soda. I like that I can skip the burger altogether and opt for a delicious salad. The variety is much better than any other fast food place. What about deli-style sandwiches? I've heard people complain about Subway, because their sandwiches have more salad than meat. That's exactly what I love about them! I get filled up on a sandwich on wheat bread and lots of lettuce, tomato, onion, peppers, cucumbers, pickles, the works, without feeling like I ate a brick of fat and cholesterol.

I don't know if I'll be eating at these places. I do know that I'll be keeping my plate as colorful as I can while we eat out. Remember: the more colorful your meal, the better it is for you! Have a great rest of your week. God bless.