The Drive-thru Conundrum: A Pointless Post

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It's just so easy, isn't it? No cooking, no preparation, no dishes, no wait. I don't even have to worry about getting the Sprout out of the car. I say "Hey, I'm hungry!" and pull in somewhere. Five minutes later, away I go with no less than a soda and fries, and maybe a burger or some other cholesterol laden monstrosity. As I drive away, munching my fries and slurping my soda, I am filled with a perverse satisfaction from the grease, carbs, salt, and sugar. I don't even like french fries, and yet, I scarf them down, savoring the salty, greasy goodness. There's just nothing like fast food, and try as you might to find a "healthy replacement" - it ain't never gonna happen. 



Carrots? Celery? Are you mad? Source



First of all, part of the beauty of fast food is that someone is handing you a hot meal that you can eat with your fingers on the go. Healthy food comes in two varieties: Cold and Portable or Hot and Stationary. Hot food is always more satisfying that cold. There's no way you're going to be happy with an apple and some celery sticks when you could be eating a burger and fries on the go. Now, if you were so inclined to wait, in half an hour you could have a healthy soup, a fish filet and veggies, or even a casserole. We are the "now generation" though. That's waiting and work that we aren't interested in. So, the fries win. 



 I'll cook. You. Source



Secondly, even if you were so inclined to wait, go home, and *gasp* cook, you're not going to find a healthy alternative to all that grease and salt. Grease and salt are not healthy, and they've yet to develop a food tricky enough to make us forget about that kind of decadence. Who wants a boneless, skinless chicken breast with a green salad and steamed veggies knowing that there's a Zaxby's that just opened up down the street?

Bearing all of this in mind, I've got to at least try to find a solution. I'm going to die someday soon if I don't, and I'll be talked about like Mama Cass. Her ham sandwich will become my Coke and Fries. It will be embarrassing. 

At least I have a reasonable solution to the soda problem. La Croix sparkling water is like a gift from the gods. It provides me with my bubble fix. The caffeine is a different story . . . I always wanted to have an addiction, you know, for my street cred. Little did I know, I had one all along. Hmm.

As for the salt thing, the best I can think of right now is Pretzels. That's pretty uninspiring. Jerky comes to mind, but that tends to give me heartburn. Salted avacado would be good, but it's not really portable. All this is cold food anyway . . . so it's bound to be unsatisfying. Maybe some Edamame . . . I don't know.

This seems hopeless. I just need more self control. And more gum. Lots more gum. Soooo much gum.