April 15, 2010

You have an active mind and a keen imagination



“To determine whether a food is whole or not one must be awake when making food choices. Before we put a bite in our mouths, before we heat it up, before we even decide to toss it in our grocery cart, there needs to be a moment, a second, when we consider where the food came from.” Cynthia Lair, Chef and instructor extraordinaire

I would like to describe 3 near pitfalls into the depths of NOT whole foods choices.

#1. Location: QFC

While shopping for yet more grapefruits, I passed the bakery and there were free sample crumbles of their chocolate chip cookies encased in a plastic dome with a pair of black, plastic tongs invitingly dangling over the side. Normally I would wander by several times, acting nonchalantly, grabbing cookies as I passed so I would have enough to munch on while waiting in the grocery line to buy the grapefruits. NO MORE. I walked directly past and into the self-checkout line.

#2. Location: apartment complex lobby

As I picked up mail from the office (not 5 minutes after the QFC cookie fiasco) I was met by a large blue platter filled with cookies of undefined origin and type on a plate next to the coffee machine. The aroma of coffee and sugar filled the air, taunting me. Again – I ran the other direction. Is it possible that the only tool I need to eat whole foods is avid avoidance of processed foods?

#3. Location: Snappy Dragon aka. the best Chinese restaurant in the world

My first try at eating out “whole foods” style. I have determined that noodles are decidedly NOT whole foods. Noodles do not grow on trees, unfortunately. We ordered chicken with bell peppers and onions with a side of asparagus with black bean sauce. Because Judy Fu makes her own sauces, I feel better about eating here than some other restaurants, however, I would like to admit that I know that there may be sugar or other additives in the sauce that don’t completely fit into my new diet. I would like to counterbalance that statement by declaring that I did not eat my fortune cookie. For the first time in my life, I did not eat the fortune cookie. My general analysis of fortune cookies is that they are delicious vanilla-crunchy goodness, however, on a second observation of them sitting there on top of the check at the table in their little bowl – they are sort of like waxy styrofoam and certainly not a whole food.


“You have an active mind and a keen imagination”

Gum xia and Thank you Judy Fu!

2 comments:

  1. Isn't it amazing that there is always junk food laying around to be eaten? Why can't there be carrots and celery sticks lurking around every corner? Ginger, I love your voice and can totally relate to what you are going through...by the way 100% Buckwheat soba noodles. Delicious and Whole. Also, wait till you make chocolate chip cookies in whole foods with whole wheat pastry flour...not cuttin it in my book. Give me that Nestle toll house original!

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  2. If it looks like it came from a factory, DONT EAT IT! Yay Ginger!!!!!

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