Fast Food Protection

I need a diet fast food restaurant where everything on the menu is OK to eat.

There is no way I can order a salad with the smell of fries in the air. Some place I can drive through at lunchtime and not be disappointed I didn't get a cheeseburger when I'm driving away. Since this place only exists in Wishful Thinking Land I have to plan ahead what I'm going to take to work every day.

The problem is that I'm lazy. I'll go to the market and fill my cart with romaine lettuce, zucchini, asparagus, carrots, green peppers, strawberries, watermelon and other good-for-me foods. It all gets tucked away into the refrigerator where it sits untouched until it turns bad and I have to throw it out.

Why? Because by the time I get home from work, I don't feel like cleaning veggies. It's a struggle enough to make supper, let alone think about what I might want for lunch the next day and prepare that too.

I have good days when I do feel like cooking and I usually make extra so that I can have the leftovers the next day or two.

Most days however, I haven't planned ahead, I'm too hungry and I'd just as soon find food that is already ready to eat. Lumpy Girl starts singing in my ear, "two all beef patties, special sauce…"

For those days I need fast food protection.

If I were Batgirl (and you'll never know for sure…) I could simply grab the Cheeseburger Repellant Spray from my utility belt and mist my way past fast food row. Since that would have to be a pretty big can of spray, I have found some alternative ways to eat fast without eating fast food.

I like to visit my local market's fruit and salad bar. The veggies are already cleaned and there's more variety than I could ever have on hand at any one time, and I can grab some fruit for dessert. I'm not a fan of the bagged salads-they have a funny taste to me.

I did find some pre-washed, bagged green beans that were very good though. You stab the package with a fork and throw it in the microwave for a few minutes. Maximum taste, minimum effort.

Another time saver is to buy a roasted chicken. It's good hot the first day and then you have extra to throw in a salad or dip in barbecue sauce the next day.

When I do spend some time in the kitchen, I like to hard-boil some eggs to have on hand for snacking. They are satisfying to eat, easily portable, and if you don't slather them with mayo, they are good for you. You can even throw away the yellow if you are being real strict about fats, but really, that's the best part.

That's it for my time saving tips. Needless to say, I eat a lot of salad and roast chicken.

Any suggestions for other non fast food fast foods would be greatly appreciated.

Claire