Sunday, November 15, 2009

I'd like a fries and a coke

Hey Foodie Nation!

Hope all is well on the home front. I was walking home from good ol' Aldy today (Alden Library, natch) and noticed something I failed to recognize before. Court Street is flanked, and I mean flanked with restaurants...mainly fast-food joints. What gives, Athens? Aren't we known for our organic reputation? Well, with that said, I decided to get all newsy on yo' bad selves and write a little story for your viewing enjoyment!


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She picks up a greasy, oddly shaped French fry, dips it into ketchup and puts it in her mouth. “Ahhh…delicious,” says Katie Pretzlav, a junior studying English at Ohio University.

Located on 40 South Court Street, Wendy’s is just one of the many fast food restaurants Athens offers to hungry college students in a bind.

It’s no surprise that fast food is high in fat content. However, more recently studies have shown that there is a correlation between fast-food intake, excessive weight gain leading to health complications.

“I try not to eat fast food too often,” says Pretzlav while indulging in another fry. “It’s hard, though, when you are in between classes and some place like Jimmy John’s or Chipotle is so quick and simple. I guess I don’t really look at the health risks.”

It appears efficiency is a common theme during college and here at Ohio University students main objective seems no different.

With a myriad of fast-food places just on Court Street in Athens, it’s easy to find a quick bite to eat. Places just on Court Street include:

  • Subway
  • Jimmy John’s
  • Bagel Street Deli
  • Wendy’s
  • Big Mamma’s
  • and several other quick and easy fixes.

Fast food consumption in the United States has increased steadily in the past three decades. According to Barbara Alving, M.D. an Acting Director at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Insitute, “Obesity and diabetes are on the rise in this country.”

In 2002, investigative journalist Eric Schlosser published a book called Fast Food Nation that delves into the United States consumption of the fast food industry. In his book he places important focus on obesity and people’s body mass index.

Schlosser writes that an obese person has a body mass index of 30 or higher. He writes that 44 million American adults are now considered obese and another six million are considered super-obese which is weighing a hundred pounds more than they should.

Another similar investigation of the fast food industry was done by Morgan Spurlock in his documentary, Super Size Me. Spurlock wanted to see the health risks associated with eating nothing but McDonald’s and during one month in 2003, he ate nothing but what was on the Golden Arch’s menu.

Throughout his 30 day trial, Spurlock noticed considerable changes in his emotional, psychological and physical state. By the end, Spurlock 24 plus pounds, a cholesterol level of 230 and a 13% body mass increase. Besides the physical, Spurlock went through phases of depression, liver damage and a loss of sexual appetite.

“Now, I know what you're saying,” says Spurlock. “You're saying nobody's supposed to eat this food three times a day. No wonder all this stuff happened to you. But the scary part is: there are people who eat this food regularly. Some people even eat it every day.”

After the documentary was released, McDonald’s immediately did away with the option of having your meal “Super Size” and has generated for healthier options.

While fast food restaurants are making strides to offer fat free options such as salads and fruit, Mark Pereira, Ph.D. author and professor of epidemiology at the University of Minnesota thinks otherwise.

“It’s extremely difficult to eat in a healthy way at a fast-food restaurant. Despite some of their recent healthful offerings, the menus still tend to include foods high in fat, sugar and calories and low in fiber and nutrients.”

Instead of using fast food restaurants as a fall back, Pereira says, people need to reevaluate their eating habits and cut back.

“I only eat fast food up on Court Street once a month,” says Clarissa Kumor, a sophomore studying Special Education at Ohio University. “Maybe it’s because I’m still in the dorms and dining halls have healthier options, but everything just seems kind of unappetizing and high in fat.”

Darek Wilson, a junior studying Interior Architecture agrees. “A lot of the United States has an overwhelming amount of obese people. Having all these fast-food chains doesn’t make sense and it’s only perpetuating the problem.”

A problem it may be, but until consumers start to realize they are feeding in (no pun intended) to the problem, I guess America and the world will keep “having it their way.”



Below is a map of some of the fast-food restaurants JUST on Court Street in Athens, Ohio. It's a little ridiculous how many there are in a half-mile radius.



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Until next time fellow foodies, try an apple and milk at Subway instead of that
liquid death we call pop and chips!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Confessions of a Shop-a-holic

Completely random, but necessary:

I went to Easton Town Center in the good ol' 614 (Columbus, if ya'll didn't know) and took pictures of my a) "condition" and b) this amazing burger place called Five Guys: Burgers and Fries.

I am now in love. I hadn't tasted a hamburger in quite some time and sinking my teeth into this bad boy was heavenly

.


Should be illegal, eh?

So, here's a FANTASTIC but short slideshow of my Veteran's Day indulging in excessive consumerism and fantastic foodie delights:











Until next time foodies, pumpkin pie is calling my name and therefore, I cannot neglect!

Berry Berry Good

So, school is winding down and i'm still hungry.

I've been trying to eat well-balanced meals, but with papers, blogs, projects, homework, etc...things have gotten the best of me.

I do, however, have something that I've been randomly thinking about.

Aphrodisiacs.

Now, maybe it's because I've been seeing couples all over campus displaying their affection, rather grotesquely. Even when I did have significant others, I don't announce it to everyone. I find it a little tacky, even. Hand holding? Fine. A small peck to say goodbye? Sure, whatever floats your boat. But, it seems everyone has been eating foods that somehow make them pounce on their boyfriend's and girlfriend's.

Can you tell I'm a little bitter? Hah.

As I was doing research online, I found a list of foods broken down into specific groups that is set to stimulate your sexual prowess.

As follows:


Vegetables

  • carrots
  • cucumbers
  • onions
  • asparagus
  • artichokes
  • radishes
  • celery
  • tomatoes
  • parsnips
  • truffles
  • mushrooms
  • cabbage
  • potatoes

Fruits

  • mangoes
  • pomegranates
  • peaches
  • strawberries
  • avocados
  • guavas
  • passion fruit
  • persimmon
  • dates
  • figs
  • bananas

Nuts

  • pine nuts
  • pistachios
  • coconuts
  • chestnuts
  • walnuts
  • almond
Okay, interesting, right? But onions??? Every time I've gone on a date (do kids in college even go on dates?) and have had a meal with onions, the guy has been kind of disgusted with my "onion breath" and quickly gives me a piece of Orbit. I suppose a nice gesture, but dang...can a brotha catch a break?


I need to talk to my friend Emilee who has a fantastic sex blog called Bad Touch and she talks about everything and anything sexual. I wonder how she feels on the subject.


On a Web site I looked through, it had this to say about foods riling up yo' senses:

"
The best way to use food to stimulate is to set your table with love in mind. Great cooks say the best food is made with love. Captivate your loved one with sensual foods and flavors that can be savored. Select foods that of varying textures and tastes. To enhance the attraction select foods that can be finger fed to each other."

So, I wonder if fish sticks and sauerkraut balls could be considered aphrodisiacs? They are finger food and while fried, completely and utterly delicious. I may have to try that out sometime.

The alpha of all aphrodisiacs seems to be the oyster, right? I never understood how something so slimy and smelly could be considered so sexual and "hawt."

I delved deeper into the history of the oyster and found that, "these slippery critters are full of zinc. Zinc controls progesterone levels, which have a positive effect on the libido. Zinc deficiency can cause impotence in men, so any food rich in zinc is considered an aphrodisiac in that respect, and oysters happen to be loaded with the mineral.

Many believe that oysters were originally labeled "aphrodisiac" because of their shape. Upon close inspection, they somewhat resemble the female sex organ. This could be a reason why people in the past associated mussels with sexuality. Sexual appetite, more often than not, starts in the mind rather than in the body, so oysters could have a psychological effect on the libido."

Whew, interesting, right? Who knew food could have such hidden meanings? And while Valentine's Day is three or so months away, i'll be at Kroger taking all the onions in preparation.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Breaking the daily bread

I was inspired by my classmate Kailey's blog, Snackface this week. She is a fellow OU student and foodie blogger, writing about her daily food jaunts with a twist: she's a vegan!

Anyway, as I looked through her blog, rather creepily might I add, I found that I loved when she posted pictures of her food throughout the day.




With that said, I decided to go down the path of self-discovery and figure out if food reflects your personality. Let's see, shall we?




Like I said, I usually never have breakfast unless a coffee is defined as a suitable break alternative. And, I usually spend most of my afternoons in the lovely and refined Baker University Center which leaves me to satiate my hunger.


Lately i've been on a mexican kick and decided on Tuesday to go to Chipotle to indulge in "authentic" mexican cuisine.





Doesn't it look absolutely delicious and awful at the same time? Sour cream lathering a mix of lettuce, pinto beans, cheese and rice? Heavenly? Yes.

700 calories later...not so much.





After that I was full until dinner time and decided to snack on saltines with peanut butter and strawberry jelly! Personally, I find this to be a great snack/dinner (if you eat about thirty, which, well, let's be honest--I did) on the grind.

The next day I began my morning right:





Add The Post and i'm set to go. I believe I haven't gone a day without some sort of "coffee drink" as my roommate Emily likes to call it. I love coffee so much that when I take an absence from it, the effects remind me that I can't neglect--cue the Intervention music. Hey kids, caffeine is a drug, too.




For lunch my friends and I have our tradition, "Quesadilla Wednesdays." Call us lame, silly, you name it--we probably know.

Anyway, today we weren't really feeling the quesodilla, at least the people who make the food thought so. We asked for them and they gave us burittos and chips. So, I tried adding a little less to this mexican fiesta since my Chipotle experience was pretty filling and intense.




Real big improvements, right?

After that I had my Online Journalism class I ran to grab a "Quick Fix" aka-Red Bull (i'm hilarious) and my classmate who I mentioned earlier, Kailey brought me a Cliff Bar. I was asking her about these because she had a few pictures on her blog of them. Coming in various flavors, she gave me the chocolate chip and it was delicious! It usually can substitute for a meal, pairing it with apples, etc to balance out the food groups. Anyway, shout to Kailey for being awesome and helping a fellow foodie out!



So, your tour officially ends here. I borrowed (stole) my friend's camera which is super nice...can you tell the quality of my photos are getting better?

I'm pretty excited about it, I know.

Have fun foodin' this weekend and since i'm going home for a few short days, i'll be taking pictures of my travels!

Until next time, keep on party-ing in the USA.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Because i'm still a kid at heart...

So, it's Tuesday and the beginning of Week 9. 

I can feel the intensity brewing with final exams and papers looming over my head, making me more and more stressed. 

However, I realize that stressing doesn't do the body good, but animal shaped foods do!

So, with that said a photo montage of some of the most kickin' foods shaped like your favorite animalias! 




Pigs shaped as pastries...can it get any better??





Cat sandwiches: Easy and fun...meow. 





Modeled after my favorite animal, Panda's are all the rage in desserts these days!





The world's most popular gummy...Swedish Fish could kick Gummy Worms asses any day. 



A classic treat, frosted animal crackers with little confetti...cue the lions, tigers and bears, oh
 my!



 

These are probably the coolest things I've seen since, well, ever. Everything is better in shapes and I believe everyone can attest. Let's be honest, Kraft's Mac & Cheese in shapes somehow ALWAYS taste better than the original noodle. 


Anyway, while this post may seem a little silly, I think we (OU students and students in general) need a little break from the chaos. 

Until next time, keep enjoying week nine and here's to feeling fine! 

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Ghouls and Gobblings

The saying this weekend was "Happy HallOUween!" and it sure was happy at that.

I had an internal struggle on Saturday whether to be a Grecian or a Lumberjack--the Grecian won by a landslide. However, as I went through the day, besides the visible lack of clothing adorned by OU students, I saw a ton of Halloween food that looked oh-so appetizing.

I've compiled a list of top four Halloween treats that would make any ghost become friendlier than Casper:

1. Candy Corn- Candy corn is one of those Halloween staples that gets overlooked year after year. It seems everyone hates candy corn, but it's small, delicious and cost-effective! A huge bag costs around three dollars and even more recently, candy corn is in different shapes! No long does it look like elongated corn, but the "corn" also comes in a pumpkin shape and chocolate and caramel!

2. Pumpkin seeds- While pumpkin seeds may not seem like the traditional Halloween treat, pumpkin seeds are delicious when lightly salted and roasted. Inexpensive and quick, pumpkin seeds last a long time and are a nice compliment to any meal or dish. I personally love my pumpkin seeds with light salt, dipped in hummos. Tasty, to say the least!

3. Candied Caramel Apples- I equate nutrition by the amount of fruits and vegetables I consume. So, with that said, when I eat caramel apples I am having the best of both worlds...eating something completely healthy, while indulging in a sticky treat. One of the easiest desserts you can do for Halloween, grab a batch of Granny Smith apples with some caramel and go to town!

4. Popcorn hands- Popcorn is simple, it's quick and even better when it's in hand form! Adding some melted chocolate, candy corn, caramel chips and pretzels to the mix makes it even better. As easy as it seems, popcorn hands are such a throwback to when you went Trick-or-Treating. All you need are plastic gloves and all the fixin's of a Halloween extravaganza and you're all set.


Don't these sound like fantastic foodie items? It makes me a little nostalgic of Halloween's past, but with these quick treats you can bring a taste of Halloween to your life at any moment! I also want to emphasize how easy all of these suggestions are. Ten, fifteen minutes tops and you're all set to do the "Monster Mash."

Until next time, have a lovely Sunday Funday and hope everyone is successfully recovering from their Halloween's.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Foods Across America

As everyone knows, I love food. As we speak, i'm watching the Food Network and seeing Paula Dean make love to a stick of butter.

With that said, I've been thinking about foods that are staples in American culture. I investigated via Google and found ten quintessential foods that capture that good ol' American essence. A lot of what I found was quite interesting and pretty surprising.


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So, my question to you Quick Fix readers is this: What is your favorite type of food. Or...what food do you think is the epitome of All-American?


Until next time, have a safe and happy Halloween and eat tons of candy corn!