Are you living in the Fast Food Nation? Chances are that you are, just like I used to be. But this year I decided that I would start to wean myself off of that junk for good. Over the past year I have already cut back from several times a week to only a couple times a month, and my plan at this point is to go completely Fast Food Free by February1st!

Of course, this will be no easy task, as I usually like to get away from the office for lunch both to eat and take a much needed break from the hustle and bustle of work. There in lies the problem – there isn’t much selection for dining out in Cottage Grove, Minnesota that wouldn’t qualify as fast food. A quick run down of what is near by: McDonald’s, Arby’s, Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Wendy’s and Dairy Queen. We throw those out of the option list right away.

Then we have the chain sandwich restaurants, like Subway and Quizno’s. They both claim to serve fresh food, but their definition of fresh doesn’t coincide with mine. Sure, the sandwich is made fresh to order right before your eyes, so it’s prepared fresh. That’s at least a leg up from the other places. But just how fresh IS it? Have you ever thought about that lettuce sitting out in the open air for hours before they make your sandwich? And now long has that been in their refrigerator? Forget about the fact that the type of lettuce they serve is just worthless roughage anyway. So let’s toss out the sub shops.

We have an all you can eat Chinese Buffet, which is very good, don’t get me wrong, but the food is mostly deep fried beef and pork, and smothered with thick gravies and sauces. No telling how healthy, or more likely, unhealthy that is. There is also a more traditional sit down type Chinese restaurant, but the food is bland and probably not any better for me then the Buffet. There goes another two options.

So, what am I left with? A grocery store, although not a Whole Food Market, that does carry fresh fruits and vegetables and a wide array of more healthy alternatives. We also have the Ruby Tuesday’s salad bar that is stocked with wonderful baby spinach. Do I have the time to shop and make my own food at lunch, or wait in line at Ruby’s? Perhaps…

So begins the quest to eliminate Fast Food and start eating the right food!