Are you addicted to fast food?

[Debi]

I think I'll take my cue from Dog. Time to hit the hay before I decide to raid the fridge! Night all!

 

[Speedbird]

Goodnight, Pup! Get some rest. (Yeah, lived in St. Pete for 10 years! lol I understand what you're saying!)

I will be in Lakeland tomorrow , not sure if that is close to St Pete.

 

[Debi]

I will be in Lakeland tomorrow , not sure if that is close to St Pete.

Not so much. St. Petersburg is on the West Coast near Tampa. Still have a son who lives down there. Enjoy the sunshine!

 

[Speedbird]

Have a safe trip my friend.

Thank you SR-71 , rest well my friend when you turn in for the night.

 

[Speedbird]

Goodnight Nekki

 

[Naked Apple]

Good night all!

 

[surge]

Seems like you all had a party yesterday! Nice to see a thread get so long,.

Now then, I'll offer my 2 cents on a few things, filling the quota for the day late and dollar short crowd.

What are your eating habits, and is it a regional thing? Every day on my way to work I pass by several Burger Kings, Subways, Popeye's Chicken, Mc Donalds, Dunkin Donuts, etc. Even the delis don't offer much in the way of healthy options- sandwiches with processed meats and cheeses, salads with tons of mayonaise, fried knishes, hot dogs, soda, Hostess type cakes, etc. I think if I lived in a more rural area, my fast food options would be more limited, or is it the same all over the country?

Typically, we do try our best to eat healthy,, but we also don't deny ourselves the little treats that everyone likes to have. We just limit how much we have and how often we have it. Usually we'll designate Sunday as our day to be bad as far as what we eat, so that's the day we might have bacon and homemade biscuits & gravy or maybe a doughnut for breakfast. We don't splurge the entire day, just have something at one meal that we might not eat regularly.

During the week there are lots of veggies and fruits, and usually a meat at supper. Pork, fish or chicken usually, but beef occasionally. Normally, where beef would typically be used we substitute venison. You have to be a little more careful cooking it because the fat content is so low, but it's healthier and you can't get much more free range and organic. For burgers, you can have the meat processed and some pork fat added to compensate for the leanness.

Also, we don't fry. Except for the bacon, of course. The meat is either grilled (especially this time of year), baked, or used in a slow cooker dish. I also drink very little soda, although my chosen alternative of coffee probably isn't any better for me.

And rural doesn't really cancel the availability of fast food, Nekki, as Debi said. I live in a town of 1200 or so and there is a Subway here, in addition to a locally owned burger joint and two pizza places. So, yes, the variety isn't there but the food is. Besides, if you really want that Whopper or Chalupa, is a 20 or 30 minute drive really going to stop you?

We don't eat fast food at all. First, it's a 20 mile round trip into town to get it. Second, my son absolutely refuses to eat fast food...period. Why? Because he's worked in fast food places and knows what goes on with people messing with that food. He has horror stories that would deter anyone from taking the chance!

We will grab some coffee on the road when we travel or stop at a Cracker Barrel to eat, but no Micky D's, no Whoppers, etc. As far as being rural, there are fast food places in any town, Nekki. In our little burg of a town, we have all the regulars and then some, but it makes you think twice if you have to drive "into town." When we travel, we actually load a cooler here at home and travel with the cooler with pre-prepped stuff from home.

Both of my boys worked at various times in fast food places, or as waiters in restaurants. Their stories of food tampering usually involved difficult customers rather than just random acts of spitting or genital rubbing. I'm sure there is plenty of boredom-triggered tampering as well, though. It does make you leery of stopping at the golden arches on those long trips, and we normally pack a cooler as well. In addition to knowing there are no hidden bits of protein, it also saves time. Depending on time of day, a stop at the drive-thru can take 15 minutes or longer.

I go to Trader Joes a lot.

I miss Trader Joe's! There is one in Leawood, KS that we used to shop at. The closest thing I've found here is Whole Foods.