A post before dining...

So wasn't I just on a hiatus?

The stories of my return from hiatus were greatly exaggerated.

Life has a way of keeping you busy, but a guy's got to eat right?  So what do you eat when you are constantly on the go?  Fast food?  If you have to, you have to, but you can make some smart choices.

Let's take McDonald's as an example.  Without going into calorie counting and fat gram counting let's just assume from the outset that a Big Mac, Large Fries, and a Dr. Pepper probably have enough salt, fat, and calories to give your dietitian a coronary.

While you're at it, let's think about the cost..  That "Value meal" just ran you $6 or more.  What can you buy at the grocery store for $6?

• A gallon of milk and a sack of cookies. or
• A pack of hot dogs, buns, and ketchup, or
• A pound of carrots, o head of lettuce, a tomato. and some salad dressing, or
• Half a pound of Ground beef and hamburger buns, or
• lunch meat, cheese, and a loaf of bread, or
• 40 packs of Ramen noodles, or
• A can of white beans, a pound of brown rice, a pound of frozen spinach, and a ham hock, or

The list goes on and on, but your time doesn't, so here you are in the drive through at McDonald's.  You don't want to spend an arm and a leg, you want to eat healthy, you want to eat tasty, and you want to be satisfied.  The Value menu is actually a pretty good place to start.

Start with ONE McDouble, McChicken, or if they have it, 4 piece chicken McNuggets.  Most people really don't need more than that... not even a big 'ol Sasquatch like me.  Then, and this is the hard part:

Skip the fries.

That's right, skip them. "But they're so good!"  Sure they are with all of that starch, hot oil, and salt, even kitty litter would taste good.  Just wait until they're cold; they won't be quite as good then.  Plus, Fries are what I call "Empty Calories".  You really don't get any nutrition for what you are eating.  Instead you should order a side salad.  In fact, order TWO.

WHAT!  Rabbit Food?  Yes, a side salad.  McDonald's makes a very good side salad with mixed greens, grape tomatoes and carrots.  Best of all, almost everyone loves Ranch dressing, so get it with Fat Free Ranch.  The Newman's Own is very good, it doesn't taste fat free, I promise.  The packet of Ranch dressing has a lot in it; you can DROWN your salad in it.

What about a drink?  This is the tough part for me.  If you can do it, just get a cup of ice water.  Sure it's cheap, but so are you.  If you have to order a drink, a bottle of water, bottle of milk (bonus points for nutrition!), unsweetened ice tea, black coffee, or diet soda.

Is this health food?  Not really, but it is healthier food.  You are limiting your carb intake by having one small sandwich.  You are having green leafy vegetables which are full of vitamins and fiber.  Do eat everything you order., don't waste.  Eat slowly and eat with friends if you can.  This isn't "Diet" food, this is "Eating Healthier" and saving money to download an extra app for your phone.

So until next time folks, I wish you peace, love, and hollandaise sauce!  (which seems really weird since we've been talking about eating healthy - go figure)