Say you are someplace like an airport - how do you know which place is the best (local, organic, healthy) place to eat? Here is my best guess - listed in order of perceived positive impact:
#1 - Bring your own food
Not always possible, but easier thank you think. You’re leaving town anyway - clear out your fridge & get creative (tupperware and willingness to eat cold leftovers a must!)
#2 - Avoid Fast Food
Generally speaking, this means McDonalds, Arbys, Taco Bell, etc.
#3 - Favor Eateries with Fresh Food on Display
Often this will take the form of breads and other bakery items. Even better? Actual sandwiches and salads made visible to you, the customer.
#4 - Don’t eat in Restaurants you’ve seen in other airports
Sure T.G.I. Friday’s is better than McDonalds - but don’t take the easy way out. Most people go for what is familiar - but those chain restaurants are more likely to get their food from the industrial food chain.
#5 - Go Green
Still in doubt? Pick the place with the greenest, healthiest looking menu, logo, and color scheme.
A fellow who goes by the name of WiteekChris! Chris won by following @reluctanteater on Twitter. Upon being notified of his fabulous prize, Chris remarked:
That’s great! I’ve never won anything before, and I’ve been meaning to stop by [The Organic Dish] for awhile now so it’s a double bonus!
Congratulations to Chris who plans to stop by the There With Care Holiday Party & Fundraiser at The Organic Dish kitchen on Thursday night to pick his prize. I’ll be there myself wearing a brown button down shirt with blue stripes. Stop by and chat!
You can follow Chris on twitter: @WiteekChris who we hope will come back and comment on his free meal!
Remember, anyone ordering (online or in person) from The Organic Dish gets 10% off if you use the code “reluctant” (except during Thursdays event…which is trying to raise money for charity)! Take advantage of this discount so I can offer more like it in the future (FYI - I don’t get any money out of this, just goodwill. It’s just a business whose values match up well with my own and one I’d like to support!)
Remember, the contest for a free meal from The Organic Dish ends at the end of the day today. For information on how to win, click here.
My wife and I spent last week visiting friends and family in California, and an amazing thing happened…everyone fed us incredible food. Fondue, local / organic restaurants, fresh brussel sprouts, and a free range turkey. Each more impressive than the last.
How did that happen?
Word gets around. They all knew about The Reluctant Eater, and that the new me actually thinks about what I eat. Although I generally have no expectations when other people are feeding me, I didn’t want to tell them that…the food was too good!
As someone who isn’t preachy about my own food choices, the experience did inspire me to want engage in more food conversations. If the mere knowledge of this blog inspired others to change their eating habits for even one meal, then my efforts have made a difference. In the end, all those little victories add up to something big.
A warm thanks to everyone for going out of their way to make sure we ate real food on our travels…your efforts were sincerely appreciated!
Remember, the contest for a free meal from The Organic Dish ends at the end of the day Tuesday. For information on how to win, click here.
There is an evil genius who works for Yoplait. This man (or woman) devised a clever ploy back in 1999. I can just imagine the boardroom pitch now:
“Ladies and gentleman. As you all know, it’s high time we expand our product line to foods only tangentially related to yogurt. I have devised a colorful food that our food scientists assure me can be legally marketed as yogurt. It tastes like candy, comes in a tube, and will be the next hot item for today’s kids-on-the-go. I give you: Gogurt.”
Real yogurt is nothing but milk and live bacteria cultures. Gogurt gets a +1 for including one of the required ingredients. The marketing opportunities are endless. I found Shrek branded Gogurt and this RoGurt:
Yes - Scooby Doo's agent is a marketing genius
Hubpages also points out that Gogurt has roughly 1/3 MORE sugar than Coca-cola. No guilty conscience for you parents, it’s yogurt afterall! The product is successful enough to have spawned Gogurt Fizzix which is…CARBONATED yogurt?!? I don’t have to tell you that The Reluctant Eater recommends real food, not crap that was invented in a laboratory, patented, and then sold to a giant food conglomerate. (Edit: Their website is ridiculous, and features many inexplicable “games” that all revolve around burping. Check out this “challenge” that I issued. Gross, right?)
Has anyone tried this stuff? Speak up…I promise the mockery will be contained to the product itself.
Remember, the free meal from The Organic Dish contest ends at the end of the day Tuesday. For information on how to win, click here.
Last week, Dan from Vendor Hippo asked me to tag along with him on a visit to Food Concepts Inc. Aside from cooking their own recipes and selling to local venues, they also work with food entrepreneurs to help cook, bottle, and launch products (I recognized Simply Boulder Culinary Sauces on the shelf).
Although Dan normally serves as the onscreen talent, he put me on the spot with an impromptu live interview:
