Proof Is In The Pudding

Excess calories, high fat content, and too much sugar are just a few reasons you should pass up the drive-thru window. For my action project, I wanted to let my associates, family and friends know that you can make healthy versions of your favorite fast-food dishes at home.

I believe that people buy fast food for three reasons: speed, convenience and price. However, fast food has many hidden costs, including the high price of bad health. Not to mention the fact that for such cheap food, you're actually being overcharged by a big amount. So the real reason isn't price, but convenience. You can get much cheaper food by cooking for yourself, but you're not always home to do the cooking, or you don't always feel like cooking.

I spent a lot of time over the past four months in the lunchroom at my office listening to people’s reasoning for occasionally giving in and buying fast-food: mom’s said it’s easy, college interns said it’s cheap, overworked executives said it’s quick, the hungover assistant admitted it’s the salt and grease factor. Regardless of why people go for fast food, I learned that people are also concerned with healthy, obesity and general wellbeing that comes from food choice.

In challenging the fast food system, I found that you must have two things: creativity and organization. In terms of creativity, you have to think outside the box: for example, a burger doesn’t have to be beef, it can be chicken, turkey or bison; a nugget doesn’t have to be chicken, it can be zucchini, spinach + feta, cod or mushrooms. In terms of organization, you have to be willing to take the time to plan out your meals; for example: make a weekly-dinner menu and go shopping on Sunday night, this way, you’ll have all the ingredients at home and you won’t be able to make an excuse about why you don’t want to cook.

Here are some ideas I learned from my co-workers:

1. Jen said Plan ahead. Many times we get fast food because we're hungry and we have no alternatives. But if you plan your day each morning (or the night before), you can figure out better alternatives. Make sure you're home during mealtimes, for example, or pack a lunch or dinner to take on the road. With a few minutes of planning, you can save some money and eat healthier.

2. Joey said Cook in bulk. Along those lines, you could take an afternoon and cook a few different foods in bulk. A big pot of soup or chili, for example, is easy to make, and you can put single-serving containers in the freezer to grab when you head out the door. With a little creativity, you could probably come up with a bunch of your favorite foods to cook in bulk.

3. Aex said Sandwiches. Make a sandwich in the morning to take with you (they're very portable)—you’ll save a ton of money.

4. Anna said Make your favorite fast food. If you get a hankerin' for a certain fast food, make it yourself. You can buy the ingredients, easily make a bunch at once, and freeze them individually for quick consumption later. Much healthier, and tastier.

5. Seth said Always pack snacks. Keep a bag full of snacks to take with you on the road, as they can keep hunger at bay and thus keep the need for fast food to a minimum. Fruit, cut-up veggies, nuts, trail mix, blue corn chips and salsa, dried fruit ... the possibilities are endless. If you pack snacks that need refrigeration, toss an ice pack in the bag.

6. Nick said Bring water. Often what we think is hunger is actually dehydration. If you drink water, you feel less hungry. Always have a bottle of water with you on the road, at your desk, along with your snacks, and keep yourself hydrated (and less hungry) all day long.

Over the past four months, I asked my co-workers what some of their favorite fast-food meals were. With those suggestions, I spent time in the kitchen coming up with alternatives—healthy, quick, affordable options. I was surprise at how easy this was: when you identify what you want, say a burger, it’s amazing how quickly you can invent a creative, cost-effective recipe. I shared some of the recipes with people in my office, friends and family, and everyone had the same reaction: they wanted to take action and start cooking.

Here are all nine of my food challenges:

1. The Burger Challenge: Turkey Burger
2. Soup + Salad Challenge: Tomato Soup with Crunchy Grilled Cheeses
3. Fried Wings Challenge: Baked Chicken Wings
4. Junk Food Snack Challenge: Zucchini nuggets
5. Egg McMuffin Challenge: Southwestern Egg Scramble
6. Chicken Nugget Challenge: Golden-Panko Nuggets
7. Club Sandwich Challenge: Avocado Chicken Sandwich
8. French Fries Challenge: Sweet Potato Fries
9. Chili Challenge: Homemade soup

In closing, I believe that the proof is in the pudding. The original saying is from Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, the phrase dates back to at least 1615 when Miguel de Cervantes published Don Quixote. In this comic novel, the phrase is stated as, "The proof of the pudding is the eating." Meaning, the true value or quality of something can only be judged when it's put to use. I put my culinary skills to the test and found out that if you want to eat quick, cheap and healthily, you can.....but you have to be willing to do the leg work.

Final Challenge: THE BURGER

I am not a huge red meat fan, but I cannot complete my 'fast-food challenge' until I have provided a healthy, quick and DELICIOUS burger alternative.

Here's what I came up with: Feta and Spinach Turkey Burger (with bacon...why not, right?)

Turkey meat is much leaner than beef, which is why I prefer it. It is also milder in flavor, which gives you the opportunity to play around. Turkey meat is wonderful if you mix it any of these flavors: apples, chutney, chipotle, or soy/ginger/ scallions. Play around next time you make turkey burgers.....see what you come up with!

Here is my Feta and Spinach Turkey-Bacon Burger:

• 1 egg, beaten $1

• 1 clove of garlic, minced

• Bacon $2

• 2 ounces feta cheese
• roughly 5 ounces frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed dry) $2
• a dash of paprika (adjust to your liking)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lb of ground turkey $3

Cost: $8

Step 1: Combine all your ingredients in a bowl

Step 2: Patty your meat up into four generous patties

Step 3: Grill or broil your burgers for four minutes on each side

Step 4: Cook your bacon strips until they are crunchy

Step 5: Pile it high and take a big ol' bite!!

New Trend In Fast Food

When you think of fast food, do you think of cheeseburgers and fries or Panera Bread, Boloco and Chipotle Mexican Grill?

A “fast casual” restaurant does not offer full table service but provides conveniences like non-plastic utensils and plates. Fast-casual customers demand low-fat, high-quality ingredients, freshly-baked bread and organic fruits and salads at prices not much higher than true “fast-food” fare. The average check ranges from $8-$15.

These fast casual chains are targeting younger generations who claim to want better ingredients and a clean décor with a lot of different seating arrangements and, of course, music.

The fast-casual sector has earned the reputation as a healthier and fresher alternative to fast-food. Most fast-casual restaurants emphasize the importance of fresh, sometimes organic, ingredients and avoid the deep-fryer.

I'm not convinced that fast-casual food is necessarily a healthier, fresher alternative to fast-food. Admittedly, I do love Panera--their soups rock-- my favorites are their French Onion, Broccoli and Cheese, and Tomato.

I am going to try to make a "fast-casual" meal tonight for dinner....cutting down on the salt and the $$.

My Fast-Casual Tomato Soup with Crunchy Grilled Cheeses

• 14 ounces (1 can) diced tomatoes in juice $1
• 1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced $1
• 1 1/2 cups plain milk $2
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Coarse salt and ground pepper, to taste
• Parsley leaves, for garnish
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Bread (my choice: sourdough) $3
• Cheese (my choice: sharp cheddar) $2
• Butter

Total Cost: $9

Step 1:
In a food processor combine the browned tomatoes, garlic, chili pepper, carrot, milk, reserved tomato juices, and lemon juice. Puree until the mixture is smooth.

Step 2:
Once the soup is pureed, transfer to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.
Step 3:
Season with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley prior to serving.

Step 4:
Warm some butter, add your bread + cheese, slowly cook (you don't want to burn it!) and flip it when the underside is buttery and golden.

ENJOY!!

Baked Wings

My boyfriend is an artist. He works late--we're talking until after 2 a.m. He'll be driving home in the middle of the night and realize that he's starving. Usually, he stops at this greasy joint called Windy City and gets chicken wings.

Wings, in general, gross me out. They are fatty, salty and usually loaded up with some reddish colored sauce that is both sweet and spicy-- plus, they are incredibly messy to eat.

My mission: create a quick, non-fried, no-sauce version of this crowd, and boyfriend, pleaser

Challenge #9 Baked Wings

Ingredients:

• 3 T olive oil
• 1 T dijon mustard
• Dash of cayenne pepper
• 1 t garlic
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper
• 1 T lemon juice
• 1/2 t lemon zest
• 16 chicken wings, halved at joint with tips removed
• 1 C freshly grated parmesan
• 6 T parsley, freshly chopped
• 1 1/2 C whole wheat breadcrumbs

Total cost: $10

Shake....


First you want to combine all your wet ingredients into a big, Ziplock bag: in goes the chicken, chopped garlic, oil, lemon juice + zest and mustard. Shake around-- really massage it in.

Coat....


Now coat your wet wings with all your dry goodies: parm, parsley, breadcrumbs, cayenne, salt + pepper.


Bake....


Last step is place your dressed up wings onto a oiled pan. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes. Rotate the wings half way through. I like to make sure that the wings are brown and crispy, so if they look like they could use a bit more color, toss them back in the oven for another 5-7 minutes.

Zucchini Nuggets

Kids can be very challenging, especially when they want junk-food. I was babysitting the other night and I did the dumbest thing: I asked the kids what they wanted for dinner. What a novice move...the minute I did it, I knew I had committed a cardinal sin....because of course the kids shouted the M-word...McDonald's.

I refuse to feed kids fast-food. It's a moral thing. I just can't do it. It's my health rule of thumb.

So when kids want junk, I like to try and offer quick and yummy alternatives. I like to serve zucchini nuggets (with a side of my sweet potato fries) because kids can eat them with their hands and they are just greasy enough to seem like a treat.

Food Challenge #8

Zucchini Nuggets

Ingredients

3 small zucchini, grated $2
2 cups coarse bread crumbs $2
2 Tbsp flour
2 eggs $1
1/2 cup cheese (cheddar, jack, whatever you like) $2
canola oil for frying

Total Cost: $7

In a large bowl, combine zucchini, crumbs, flour, eggs, and cheese. You want the mixture to have a meatball-like quality to it.

Heat up a small amount of canola oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Gather up scoops of the zucchini mixture, slightly smaller than a golf ball. Mush the ball in your hands a few times until the mixture is really holding together, and then flatten into a nugget shape. After all the nuggets are formed, cook them in batches.

I cooked them "low and slow" - about 4 to 5 minutes per side, over medium-low heat - to let them get nice and golden. This made about 20 nuggets.

Breakfast War

Just about everyone in the fast food industry has entered into the breakfast arena. At stake: a piece of the $77.6 billion breakfast market that, for the fast-food giants, can mean the difference between growth and stagnation.

Name 'em and they are all doing hot breakfasts: Starbucks, Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, McDonald's and now, Subway. There are so many varieties of breakfast choices-- it's hard to keep track-- Peppered Bacon, Egg & Natural Aged Cheddar Cheese on English Muffin, French Toast Sticks, Sausage & Egg Burrito and a Steak & Egg Breakfast Sandwich.

Breakfast, however, is probably one of the easiest meals to make at home. It is a nutritious, quick way to start off the day and save some money along the way.

Food Challenge #7

The Egg McMuffin

Nutritional Information:

• 300 calories
• 840 mg of sodium

My Fix: Southwest Eggy Scramble

Ingredients

• Eggs (3 eggs plus 2 yolks) $2
  
• Corn (canned or frozen) $2
• Scallions $2
• 1 Pepper (any color!) $1
  
• Avocado $2
• Cheese $2
• Whole Wheat Tortillas $2
  
• S+ P
• Olive Oil
• Hot Sauce (optional)
  

Santa Fe Stir Fry
Chop up your veg: scallion, pepper. Add some oil to a pan. Saute the scallion, pepper and corn bits together. Add salt and pepper.



Place mixture aside in a bowl.



Egg Power
Eggs are a terrific source of inexpensive, pure protein. Add a dash of oil into your pan and scramble your eggs on medium-low heat.

I like to slowly stir my eggs as they cook-- it makes for a creamy texture.

Once the eggs come together in a loose scramble, add your veggies and incorporate.

Guac Squawk
Avocado is another kick-butt source of pure protein and goes great with anything Southwestern. Slice a ripe avocado over your eggs (or, for an added kick, make a quick guacamole and serve it on the side).

I like to lightly warm my tortilla and serve along side my eggs. To add some ole, douse your eggs with hot sauce!

Action: Writing Letters to the Editor

I made it onto Grist.com

I spend a lot of time at my internship at Corporate Accountability International writing letters to the editors of various newspapers. Today I was thrilled to see that one of my favorite news outlets, Grist.com (a beacon in the smog...) picked and responded to my letter about retiring Ronald McDonald as the mascot for getting kids hooked on junk.



Umbra Fisk is a Research Associate at Grist and manages a "green goddess" web column Ask Umbra. She loves to talk about food politics and green-living questions.

Check out her response to my question at Ask Umbra!

Golden-Panko Nuggets

Food Challenge #6

Everyone loves chicken nuggets, but the chicken nuggets from the fast food chains are scary. I've heard many urban legends about the meat inside the nuggets and in Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma he discusses the fact that a McDonald's Chicken McNugget is 56% corn. What else is in a McDonald's Chicken McNugget? Besides corn, and to a lesser extent, chicken, The Omnivore's Dilemma describes all of the very unnatural thirty-eight ingredients that make up a McNugget.

I want chicken nuggets with no additives, so I decided to make my own as a healthy, natural quick dinner.

Nutritional Information:

McDonald's Chicken McNuggets (6 piece)

• 280 calories
• 600 mg of sodium

My Golden-Panko Nuggets

Ingredients:

Chicken (boneless breasts) $3

Panko Japanese Breadcrumbs $3

2 Eggs $1

Parmesan Cheese $2

Lettuce $2

Flour

S+P

Olive Oil

Sauce (Optional):

Apricot Jam

Mustard

Total cost: $12

Chicken Bites

Cut chicken into small bite-size pieces.

Eggy Wash

Salt + pepper your flour.

Dredge your chicken bites into the flour then the egg wash.

Shake N' Bake

Mix your panko breadcrumbs with parmesan cheese, olive oil (a tablespoon) and pepper. Drop the battered chicken into the panko and cover with the breadcrumbs.

Juicy, Crunchy Niblets

Lay the chicken bites onto a wire rack and bake the nuggets at 375 degrees for 20 minutes until they are golden brown.

If you want a dipping sauce, I suggest combining your apricot jam with the mustard and some olive oil. Mix it up and serve. This is a great alternative to a sweet-n-sour sauce.

Avo Chicken Clubber

Food Challenge #4

Today, at the office, I asked some of my co-workers about their favorite fast-food sandwich. Someone mentioned a chicken club, which got me thinking...A club sandwich, also called a clubhouse sandwich or double-decker, is a sandwich with two layers of fillings between three slices of bread. It is often cut into quarters and held together by toothpicks. To order a club sandwich without the third piece of bread you would ask the waiter to "hold the club". Get it?

To me, a club sandwich looks something like this: juicy grilled chicken or turkey, crispy bacon, creamy avocado and fresh, thinly sliced bread.

At a fast food restaurant, the club really isn't a club at all: over-done chicken, flimsy bacon, wilted lettuce, under-ripe tomatoes on a bulky cardboard bun slathered with warm mayo.

YUCK!

My mission: recreate the traditional club-- without all the bread, since it's just extra, unnecessary calories.

Nutritional Information:

Fast Food Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich

• 530 calories
• 1470 mg of sodium

My Avo Chicken Clubber

Ingredients:

Chicken $2

Avocado $2

Bacon $3 (I like low-sodium turkey bacon)

Lettuce $2

Bread $2 (I buy individual whole wheat rolls, freeze and thaw them when I need 'em)

Olive Oil, S+P

Total cost: $12

American Classic
In a pan, grill up your chicken (dress it up with Olive Oil, S+P) for about 3 minutes on each side.

Uncommon Condiment
Avocado is WONDERFUL, natural condiment substitute. Instead of using mayo or mustard on your club, try mashing up some avocado. It's buttery like mayo but loaded with good fat and protein.










Bring On The Bacon
Bacon has received a bad wrap over the years, but if you use it in moderation, it can be a healthy source of protein and salt. In the microwave, place three strips between paper towels and cook for 3 minutes until crunchy. Break the bacon up into little bits and mix in with your avocado.









Toasted Bread
Traditionally, a club sandwich is served with toasted toast, but untoasted bread can be used. It's a personal call. Now start stackin.....









Looks good, huh? Try it with my Sweetie Fries for a combo meal!

Sweetie Fries

Food Challenge #3

Sweetie Fries (AKA Sweet Potato Fries)

I love potato ANYTHING: especially French Fries from a fast-food joint. But I know that they are loaded with tons of salt, too much oil and who knows where the potatoes are from. Today, at the Harvest, they had organic sweet potatoes on sale, so I thought I'd try making fries for a snack.

Nutritional Information:

Fast Food French Fries

• 500 calories
• 350 mg of sodium

My Oven Baked Sweetie Fries

• 190 calories
• 320 mg of sodium

Ingredients:

Sweet Potatoes $3 (organic)

Olive Oil

Salt

Total cost: $5

Preheat 350 degrees

Play the Mandoline:












The quickest and easiest way to make fries is with a mandoline. The mandoline allows you-- or your kids-- to cut even, thin slices. Test your skills with a carrot first. I like to leave the skins on because that is where all the vitimins and nutrients are hanging out.

Slice your strips thin so that they crunch up in the oven.

Bake Away:









Toss your strips in olive oil and salt. Bake for 20 minutes.





















These were delicious, quick, low-calorie and SALTY! MMMM.

American Food Revolution

I recorded Jamie Oliver on Oprah last week.

He was discussing his American Food Revolution and I wanted to see whether we were on the same page. It looks like he is also challenging the food system..... and is on a mission to revolutionize the way families eat.

In 2003, the renegade chef decided he would not stand for the overprocessed foods served in British grade school cafeterias. So, he launched a one-man crusade to bring real food back to the cafeteria line. After four relentless years, the British government answered Jamie's call—spending nearly $1 billion to serve fresh, healthy foods to millions of school lunch tables.

Now, Jamie is taking his mission stateside. Plate by plate, this determined father of three (with a fourth on the way!) wants to freshen up American meals. A new primetime show, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, chronicles Jamie's radical three-month plan to transform eating habits in Huntington, West Virginia—recently ranked one of America's most obese cities by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. "I'm here to start a revolution," he says. "The biggest food revolution that this country's ever seen."

I'm thrilled to see international interest on this issue!

Bon Appétit Italy

In Rome, the fast food giant McDonald's just introduced a new "McItaly" line of burgers made entirely with Italian ingredients such as a burger with artichoke spread and Asiago cheese. Burger King Corp. had its $2.99 Italian Chicken Sandwich, a crispy chicken patty topped with mozzarella and marinara sauce on a hoagie-style sesame-seeded bun.

Tonight, I'm craving an Italian-style meal, but I don't want all of the starch and sodium that comes from a heavy sandwich. My challenge: deconstruct the new McItaly menu and come up with a healthy, quick alternative. Pavarotti is playing and I have about 40 minutes to whip up a buonissimo dinner.

Food Challenge #2

The Italian Chicken Sandwich

Nutritional Information:

• 580 calories
• 1730 mg of sodium

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts $3 (I buy a pack of four and save two)

1 Egg 25¢

Breadcrumbs $2

Mozzarella $4 (I indulged on a fresh ball of mozz, but you can also use the shredded kind)

Tomatoes $2

Garlic $1

Pasta $2

Zucchini $1

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Total cost: $15.25

Preheat 350 degrees

DIY Tomato Sauce: Coat a sauce pan with Olive Oil (3 tablespoons). Dice tomatoes (cherry or vine) and garlic (3-8 cloves, depending on how zesty you want it). Throw in pan, cook on medium-low, for 10 minutes. Add S+P to taste. Cool. Puree if you want it smooth, let it be if you like it plump.

Super Simple Crispy Chick: Make egg wash (mix egg with water). Pour breadcrumbs on a plate. Set aside. Cut chicken breasts in half and then pound the 4 pieces out between wax paper (recommend pounding tools: small pan, hammer, rolling pin, soup can). Heat a large pan with Olive Oil (3 tablespoons) and while it's heating up start to dredge your skinny chicken slices in egg wash then breadcrumbs. Sizzle your chicken until both sides are honey-colored. Set aside to cool and rest.

Zucchini Strips: Take your zuch and slice it lengthwise. I like mine cut in fairly meaty strips. Brush each side with Olive Oil and Salt. Line on a cookie sheet.

Pasta Pasta: If you want pasta with this meal, now's the time to make it. I recommend any shape Barilla Plus Multi-Grain pasta.

Putting It Together: Assemble your dinner by placing your sauce in a baking dish. Nestle your chicken in a saucy spot and top with mozzarella. Put dish in oven for 15 minutes. At the 15 minute mark, put the zucchini in the oven. Cook for 15 minutes longer.

Dinner's ready! Bon Appétit!

Blogger Behavior: Joey on Value [the] Meal

Bloggers at my office challenge the food system, specifically the fast food industry. Curious about my co-workers behaviors, I will be interviewing them on a weekly basis and finding out a little bit more about their personal values, action, lifestyles and responsibility.

Q: Tell me about yourself?

A: I am the online organizer here at Corporate Accountability International, which means I help manage and expand the online presence of our campaigns and our organization. I didn’t know I wanted to do online organizing until 2006, when I interned in the New Media department of Deval Patrick’s gubernatorial campaign. Before then I was pretty sure I wanted to work in a national park somewhere (and before that I wanted to play on the Red Sox). When I’m not watching baseball I like to bake bread and play really nerdy board games.

Q: What was your diet like before working at Corporate Accountability International?

A: I was in college up until the summer before I started at Corporate Accountability International, so my diet was a college diet (not very good). I remember eating a lot of eggs and French fries. I became a vegetarian in the fall of 2007, and I have avoided fast food for a long time.

Q: Be honest, do you eat fast-food?

A: I stopped eating fast food after I saw Super Size Me and wanted to puke. But on the rare occasions that I’ve indulged in fast food, I sometimes like to get the McDonald’s milkshake.

Q: Since joining the Value [The] Meal campaign, what's changed?

A: I nag people about bottled water more.

Q: What does a ‘value meal’ mean to you?

A: I guess a value meal to me would be a meal made of fresh and healthy ingredients that I didn’t pay much for – ideally organic/local/something like that.

Healthy Ways, Healthy Days at Work

At my office, field organizers challenge fast-food giants and program coordinators confront big agriculture. In the midst of this hard work, my co-workers and the company environment models sustainable lifestyle choices. Here, staffers practice what they preach.

1. The Coffee Club. You can join for $10 a month which will save you loads of cash since a Grande Starbucks latte is now, what, $5? The club-o-caffeine uses fair trade coffee beans, they expect you to use a mug and wash it out when you’re done, and they offer turbinado sugar and organic milk. Here’s my cup…

2. Community Lunch. Smells from the kitchen during lunchtime are intoxicating: a basil and mozzarella Panini is melting on the press; a homemade whole wheat pasta salad is set out to taste, try and share (an action to get people to eat more whole grains); a quick assembly of salad with beans, nuts and dried berries is considered fast-food here. Staff members sit and talk about hot issues (clean drinking water, environmental policy, healthy school lunch options, and social justice issues) as there is an unspoken policy at the lunch table banning personal gossip and jargon. All of this makes for a smart, satisfying meal. This is the whole wheat and broccoli pasta salad with salty parmesan cheese…

3. Dish Duty. We had dish washing duty in prep school. Every student was expected to contribute to the maintenance and upkeep of the school such as running the post office, working in the admissions office, dishwashing and a variety of other duties. My office employs the same kind of progressive programs: watering the plants, cleaning out the refrigerator, emptying the dishwasher, cleaning the kitchen table tops. That’s Jamie washing her dishes…