sarah's sustainable life

i have posted in the past about the company “tom’s shoes” and their business model. basically, for every pair of shoes you buy, they send a pair to a child in a third world country who cannot afford shoes. april 8, 2010 will mark the third annual tom’s shoes campaign “one day without shoes”. people are encouraged to spend one day shoeless to raise awareness and to experience what a difference a pair of shoes might make in a person’s life. i plan to participate in this experiment myself; now if i could just figure out where to go so that people might notice and learn…

you may be eating one as you read this!! an interesting article from guyism.com recently revealed the top “eight fast foods that will guarantee you die of a heart attack”. this type of knowledge should be common, but sadly, many people still practically live off of the stuff. so here, in the same order as posted originally, i give you the 8 WORST fast foods you could possibly eat. if you see something here that is a favorite of yours, you may want to move it to the “once a year treat” category of your food intake.

1) Hardee’s Philly Cheese Steak Burger – could we get any more red meat into one meal?
2) KFC Bowls – the whole menu slopped together and topped with gravy and cheese. what comedian patton oswalt refers to as, “a failure pile in a sadness bowl.”
3) Burger King’s Loaded Steakhouse Burger – what does this have to do with a steakhouse? it’s a burger covered with mashed potatoes, fried onions, bacon and cheese. trying to make the munchies seem like a classy affair is a top priority for BK.
4) Nathan’s Famous Chili Cheese Fries – as if hot dogs weren’t enough to clog your arteries, this “side dish” weighs in at a whopping 1600 calories, which i believe translates into about six and a half fully bunned and loaded hot dogs.
5) Hardee’s Monster Biscuit – in case you were wondering, it is EVERY KIND OF BREAKFAST MEAT on the menu with egg and cheese on a buttery biscuit.
6) Cinnabon’s Pecanbon Roll – it’s cinnabon. it’s 1100 calories. enough said.
7) Craz-E Burger, Various Locations – believe it or not, a beef patty, cheese, bacon, and fried egg between two Krispy Kreme glazed donuts. any gaffigan fans will recognize this one as the ugly cousin of the doughnut ham hamburger.
8 Taco Bell’s Volcano Nachos – 900 calories for a side dish. you could split it between three people and still have enough calories to make it a full meal!

i was totally shocked wednesday morning. for first time in probably years i stopped at a starbucks for a cup of tea (because it was on the way to my destination). though i was hungry, i went in search only of tea, for any vegan knows that mainstream coffee shops are not the place to find healthy vegan munchies (except the occasional overpriced banana). but there they were! baskets of vegan goodies waiting to be devoured! i settled on a “two moms in the raw” granola bar because it was a brand i have been wanting to try anyway. according to vegnews magazine, vegan meal options are on the rise. in a nationwide survey of chefs, vegan menu additions were number 13 on a long list of major trends in the food industry for 2010. can we expect to see a veggie grill open on every corner? unfortunately not, but i am already starting to see the progress and, after years of suffering through dry salads and naked baked potatoes in most restaurants, I AM READY!

be sure to stop at “the cove” the last sunday of the month! the cove is a restaurant i have written about previously as a good place to dine on local, organic, and sustainable foods; that is their specialty, and they do it well! february 28th, 2010 marked the second monthly brunch held at the cove. i partook of a vegan special (cornbread and tempeh sausage with gravy) and washed it down with some ayurvedic coffee. there was some bluesy live entertainment and, as always, an open and friendly atmosphere in the restaurant. dining at the cove is like joining a social club, except all you have to do is show up and you’re one of the gang. 20% of the money collected from this now regularly scheduled event goes to support girls, inc. the crowd was lively, the food was tasty, and the cause was good. this is worth going out of your way to attend!