Healthy Fast Food Restaurant... Would You Eat Here?

Why do 99% of American fast food restaurants offer french fries as a side item?  Because people BUY them.  In recent years some of the more popular fast food chains have begun offering apple slices or a fruit cup in exchange for the fries, but only when you buy a kids meal.  If I want fruit instead of fries I would have to bring my own because it's just not an option at most restaurants.

Below is my ideal menu for a healthy fast food restaurant.  (Note: This restaurant does not exist, yet.  Perhaps you the reader will be interested in opening one?)

I'll start with the side items.  You may be wondering why.... well because these are the items that need to change the MOST to make fast food healthier. 

Roasted Chickpeas
photo courtesy of Maggie Hoffman

Healthy side items:

sweet potato fries
apple slices

mandarin oranges

raw baby carrots
yogurt cup

lime seasoned roasted chickpeas

chili seasoned roasted chickpeas

Healthier dessert choices:

pumpkin chocolate chip cookie

applesauce oatmeal cookie

cranberry white chocolate chip cookie

Healthy entree choices:

Turkey burger on whole wheat bun

Garden burger on whole wheat bun
Grilled chicken sandwich on whole wheat bun
Vegetarian pita sandwich - hummus, lettuce, tomato, onion, green pepper, feta cheese and provolone cheese on toasted pita bread

Grilled cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread 

Healthy topping choices for burgers and sandwiches:

Fresh Spinach
photo courtesy of Clearly Ambiguous

turkey bacon

fresh spinach leaves

fresh romaine or red top lettuce (no iceberg lettuce found here)

fresh green bell pepper strips

fresh purple onion strips
fresh diced tomato
hummus

organic ketchup (no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial
colors or flavors)

lite mayonnaise

lite ranch dressing

low fat white American cheese
low fat provolone cheese

low fat pepper jack cheese

So, would you or your family eat here?  Would you even miss the french fries with so many healthy choices?  I know our family would love these foods and would likely eat here several times a month if it were available at a reasonable cost.

In addition to the above, I would love to find a family friendly restaurant that not only offers healthy, wholesome foods, but offers food without any artificial food colorings, artificial flavorings and no high-fructose corn syrup.  Think it's not possible?  Well I think it IS possible.  We the consumers just have to demand these types of foods.  The stores track what we purchase and therefore stock more of what we purchase.  Restaurants do the same.  Items that don't sell very well won't remain on the menu.

Choose to eat healthier foods.  You and your family will be happier and healthier for it.

Best Friend Conversation In Darci's Apartment

Darci's balcony

As soon as they were both sitting Darci turned to Verdin and asked, “Okay, what’s going on?”  Seeing that Verdin wore a surprised look, she decided he might need more explanation for her question.   “You have always been super polite and courteous when in my home, but you’ve also been relaxed around me as well.” She paused to see if he was following along before she continued.  “Just now you practically forced me inside from the balcony and said it was too windy for me.  Then you stood and waited for me to ask you to sit, while normally you would have been already lounging on the couch before I came back from the other room.”  Darci looked at him intensely and saw that his clear gray eyes looked a bit taken aback.  “I want you to tell me what you are thinking,” she said softly.  “Why are you acting this way?”  

Verdin looked away from Darci and closed his eyes for a brief second before looking back at her again.  She was so astute at what he was feeling, he thought.  Apparently he gave away too much information with his actions.  Taking a deep breath he began to try to explain.   “I’m sorry if I have made you uncomfortable in your own home.  I realized today that I am perhaps the best friend that you have.”  Verdin paused to see if Darci would object to this comment, but she didn’t so he continued.  “After realizing that I was indeed your friend I figured I needed to do a better job and make sure that you were taken care of.  I didn’t mean to almost ‘force’ you inside; I merely wanted to get you out of the wind so you wouldn’t become ill.”  Verdin gave her his best abashed look and hoped she would understand.  “Please,” Darci burst out with a laugh. “I’m not a fragile flower and a little cold wind is really nothing.”   He saw her look down at her lap before looking up at him again. “But I do appreciate your concern,” she added quietly as she gave him a smile.

This is an excerpt from a book I've been writing.  Comments welcome.

Homeschooling Blog Move

A couple of months ago I decided there was a need to have a separate blog for my homeschooling information.  I had been wanting to create a Word Press website for a while so it was the perfect opportunity for me to combine both of these into a new site.  You will see some of my older posts from this page on the new blog as well as a bunch of new information as well.

I'm keeping this blog up as a personal blog and place to share the funny and cute things that happen in our lives, but 99% of all homeschooling stuff will be on the other blog.  If you enjoy reading about our homeschooling journey or want to find out more information join us.  You never know what you might be missing out on.  My latest post is, "Why Do People Underestimate Children?".

Darci's Birth Scene

The day I was born I almost died. The doctor told my parents that he didn't know how I had survived, but it was certainly a miracle and the first one he had ever seen. My dad says angels were watching over me that day and that God had answered his prayers.

I was born a bluish-gray, the color of death, or so I've been told. At some point before birth the umbilical cord had wrapped around both my chest and my neck, so with each contraction the cord had squeezed around me tighter and tighter. Upon my blessed arrival when I should have been taking my first breaths, I was limp and lifeless. I remember my mother once told me how she held her breath and watched in disbelief as the doctor suctioned out my mouth and nose all the while demanding me to breathe. He then breathed into my tiny mouth and nose and gently shook me trying to stimulate life back into my body. I don't recall my mother ever making it past this part in telling the story. She would become quiet and I could tell she was trying not to think about it.

My dad, however, seems to enjoy telling the story. He goes into great detail about how the nurses scurried around me hooking up monitors while the doctor tried to get me to breathe. He says at one point the machines which had given a few soft beeps went eerily quiet and then the only sound in the room came from the doctor who would occasionally yell out, “Come-on, BREATHE!” while performing CPR. A long time passed without any change and my dad says he prayed over and over for me to live. Right about the time it seemed the doctor was giving up on CPR and was going to stop, my dad says that I took a deep breath. I then continued to breathe and within a few seconds my color began to look a little more healthy. He claims it was the happiest moment of his life.

Obviously I don't remember that day, but I'm sure there was an angel there with me. I keep hoping that one day I'll get to meet him or her. I'd like to ask them if they somehow gave me my gift or did they already know that I would be special? I have no doubt that my gift comes from God, but I'm curious if I was born with it or did an angel bring it to me on the day my life was saved. I guess it doesn't really matter though. Either way the outcome is the same, but that doesn't stop my questions from coming. Why do I have this gift? Why was I saved when other infants would have died at birth? How am I ever going to fit in with 'normal' people when I can't help but act differently?

This is an excerpt from a book I've been writing.  Comments welcome.

Red #40 and the Places it Hides

There are many, many articles available online about the food dye red #40 and it's effect on children.  It can cause major behavior problems, emotional upheaval, hyperactivity and cause normally happy children to act "possessed".  How do I know?  Because our 3 year old daughter is also one of these children who is effected by it.
Red #40 is a menace to our children and it can be found in the most unlikely of places.  Below is a list of the most bizarre places red # 40 can be found.  You'll notice I didn't list the obvious red/pink/purple things, but the food items that are white, golden, yellow, etc. may also contain red food dye so don't be misled!

Baked Goods: Pillsbury Crescent Rolls -dough Pillsbury Supreme Frosting -vanilla (yep! Check the label!) Pillsbury Moist Supreme Cake Mix -Funfetti -Yellow Pillsbury Pie Crust -Refrigerated Pie Crusts Pillsbury Quick Bread & Coffee Cake Mix -Cinnamon Swirl Duncan Hines Deluxe Cake Mix -Golden -Fudge Marble -Yellow Duncan Hines Homestyle Frosting -vanilla (yep! Check the label!) Breakfast: Trix Cereal Eggo Waffles -blueberry -strawberry Snacks: Del Monte Fruit Salad Yoplait-Trix Yogurt Snack Packs Combos Pretzel Snacks -Pizzeria Pretzel Doritos -Most flavors Little Debbie -Fudge Brownies -Swiss Cake Rolls Smuckers Fat Free Topping -caramel Drinks: Ocean Spray Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice Country Time Pink Lemonade Crystal Light Pink Lemonade Roughly 99% of the items below have red #40 in them: popsicles jello fruit-snacks lollipops and candy cough syrups liquid pain relievers/fever reducers You can assume these items above have it unless it specifically says “dye-free”. Popsicles are easily made at home using various fruit juices. Annies brand organic fruit snacks use natural fruit and vegetable juices for color (check for these at Target, Publix and similar stores). Our latest find has been some awesome organic lollipops at the health food store. They're made by Yummy Earth, they taste great and are completely dye free.  Read the labels and make wise choices.  Your child will feel better and be healthier for it.

Queen of the House

This was taken before her injuries.

Nap time together.
This was taken before her injuries.

Those who know even a little about me quickly realize I am an animal lover.  I've posted before about the number of farm cats we have (most are rescues).  This blog post is honor of our miracle cat, Paisley.  She's like a furry member of our family.  Or as our 3 yr old would say, "like a person in a cat suit."

When she was just ten months old she was hit by a car and sustained three broken legs.  After many hours of surgery, ten weeks of cage rest, physical therapy, hydrotherapy, and a ton of prayers our sweet cat was eventually able to walk again.  It took another 4-6 months before she was able to run, climb and jump.  All of this was accomplished through the daily prayers of our young children, my husband's willingness to spend a whole LOT of money on a cat, my dedication to doing the physical therapy & hydrotherapy (it's true that cats really don't like water) and the dedication of the veterinarians at Bit & Spur Animal Hospital.  She not only survived, but has surpassed the veterinarians' highest hopes.  Though Paisley is left with a limp due to her right front leg being shorter than her other legs, it doesn't seem to bother her and it certainly doesn't keep her from jumping on dressers, or climbing around behind the entertainment center.

Just 2 weeks after surgery.

Paisley is now a little over two years old and is living the good life of being ruler of our house.  We love her and in exchange she brightens our days by getting in her favorite "dead cat" sleeping position right in the middle of a walkway so we have to step over her.  She sleeps where she chooses, in whatever position she chooses and brings great comedy to our family.

Best friends watching cartoons.

Her favorite way to sleep post-surgery.  I think she became so
accustomed to sleeping in odd positions due to the external
pins on her front leg that she just prefers this now.

Lying right in the middle of Luke's school work.

This cat truly sleeps where she wants, when she wants.  She was sound asleep in the pictures above until I disturbed her with the camera flash.  Far left she's in the bathroom sink, middle she's on top of my dresser and far right she's laying in a basket of clean laundry (note the paw lifted up to block the camera flash from her eyes).

Constantly Amazed by the Ignorance Around Us

Have you ever seen someone that doesn't seem to have ANY common sense at all?

In the news we hear about the people who think it's okay to leave their young child in the car alone while they run into the store, post office, etc. Typically one of three things happens: the car is stolen with the child in it, someone takes the child, or the child finds a way to get out and the mother drives off leaving the child behind unknowingly. What is wrong with these people? Sometimes drugs or alcohol are involved, but many times it's just a seemingly normal mom who thought it would be quicker to run into the store without the child.

Friday evening our family was in Sears Essentials and a little girl of around 4 or 5 years old was skipping and running up and down the toy isles.  What caught my attention was the fact that she was barefoot and completely ALONE.  Not an adult in sight anywhere.  I kept my eye on her for a while thinking her mom or dad would come from the next isle over any minute, but no one ever came looking for her.  The young girl just looked at a few toys here and there then ran to the next isle.  At one point she even ran around a few isles in the electronics department which was right beside the toys, then apparently realizing there were no toys over there she ran and skipped back to the toy department.  A good 7-8 minutes had gone by at this point with no adult supervision of this child.  We were ready to leave the toy section so I let one of the sales associates know about the young girl by herself.  As soon as we turned to walk off the mother of the girl came walking over from another part of the store.  I overheard her tell the sales associate she had been keeping an eye on the little girl.  Yeah right!  I had looked around many times hoping to find a parent watching her from a distance and saw no one.  The way the girl was running back and forth from one isle to the next there was no way anyone could have kept track of where she was without being right there.  I just shook my head and went on with our shopping.  A while later we walked near the toy section again and I noticed the same little barefoot girl was back, skipping up and down the isles by herself.  I don't think her mother had a clue in the world that leaving her young daughter alone like that was a danger.

Common sense is partially instinct, but the larger portion of common sense is learned. This means people need to be taught by their parents, grand parents, teachers and other mentors things like:

• You cannot leave young children unattended ANYWHERE (car, home, front yard, etc.)
• You cannot let an elementary age child play games on the internet without some supervision to make sure they are playing what they’re supposed to be playing and haven’t accidentally clicked to something that is not child friendly.
• Children should not walk around in public areas barefoot (neither should adults for that manner). The floors in stores aren’t THAT clean, not to mention who lets their child walk barefoot through a parking lot to and from the car? Broken glass, sharp rocks and hot pavement are the first dangers that come to my mind though I’m sure there are others.
• Put all trash in a trash can, don’t throw it out the window of your car or leave it in the parking lot. Adults who litter are teaching their children to litter. Children learn more by seeing and observing than they do by listening.

I could go on and on, but what’s the point? The people who NEED to read this the most are the ones who are least likely to read it (again the common sense thing). All I can say is we should try to be good mentors to others and by doing so hopefully we can help the next generation improve.