FOOD INC

 

 

FOOD, INC

 

 



            

 

The documentary, FOOD, INC. is "eye opening" about the mass agricultural food factory processing that most of us are not aware of in this country.  I did not realize how much power that Monsanto had over the farmers.

 

The most important point is that we can vote and affect change for what we want by being aware of what we are putting into our bodies.  We can make the choice NOT to support and accept cheap and convenient for healthy and sustainable.

 

If we demand a change with our hardworking dollars eventually the high cost of organic will decrease.

 

Don't allow Monsanto to control our rights as healthy minded consumers!

 

You will not regret spending the 90 minutes it takes to become aware of one of the most important changes in the last 10 years that has directly caused increased obesity and diabetes in this country.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/8144245/food_inc/  

 

or get involved in the healthy food movement at

www.takepart.com

 

Organic Healthy Fast Food Drive-Thrus

While researching the stats on fast food drive- thrus, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that there are a few successful healthy fast food drive-thru restaurants in the USA.  Wow!  I would have thought there was more of an interest as an owner or patron for this type of establishment.

1.    Evos-Feel Great Fast Food http://www.evos.com/

2.   Better Burger in New York City  http://www.betterburgernyc.com/mission.htm

3.   Burgerville-Oregon  http://www.burgerville.com/about-us/

4.   Nature Express-Berkeley    http://natures-express.com/

5.   Evolution-San Diego   http://www.evolutionfastfood.com/about-evolution

6.   Veggie Grill-Las Angeles  http://www.veggiegrill.com/

7.   Oreans Health Express- http://www.oreanshealthexpress.com/orean.asp

I also learned that it is very difficult to open a fast food restaurant, especially with a drive thru, because most cities and communities feel there are too many fast food places and do not want to add more locations.  The only way that these select healthy few have survived is by taking over defunct drive thrus.   

“The idea of healthy drive-thru chains isn’t ready for the masses.  All that traffic on the road, all those mainstream Americans who are eating their Big Macs, they don't want to eat at Veggie Grill," reflects T. K. Pillan, co-founder and co-CEO of the chain of five vegetarian restaurants located in (you'll never guess!) California. "Hopefully in 10 or 15 years they will be. But not yet."

My goal is to prove them wrong and develop a successful healthy fast food business model in the next few years that will surpass any other currently established non healthy fast food joint.  I’m sure if I am searching for convenient, affordable, healthy fast food, that many other health conscious patrons are doing the same thing.

It is rather astounding that over 25% of the entire American population eat fast food EVERY DAY!  It is estimated that in 2011, $110 billion (with a B!)  was spent on unhealthy obesity-inducing fast food in the USA. 

I have included a very simple and important guideline to eating correctly:

Cow Crap and Pink Slime-Yummy!

I believe it was the movie Fast Food Nation that made such an impact on me regarding ground beef which is why I have not eaten the product in over 5 years and may never eat again.  The movie’s main premise was to inform the public that there is cow crap in ground beef and the fast food companies know it and accept this fact and serve it to their customers every day.  The movie also showed how the cows are slaughtered and how disgusting and dirty the plants are that handle the bulk ground beef that is packaged and sent to major fast food chains.    

Apparently, ground beef has major issues with salmonella, ecolli and other assorted bacteria.  There are many recent recalls found on the USDA website listing ground beef as one of the main culprits. http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/enteritidis-07-12/index.html.  

Do you know what you are putting into your body when you go to McDonalds, Burger King or In and Out to have a big juicy burger?  Well, it was only until recently when the fast food companies were selling you a big juicy burger filled with pink slime!   Lycogala epidendrum, commonly known as wolf's milk, groening's slime, or pink slime is a species of plasmodial slime mould , according to Wikipedia.   MMMmmm…yummy!    Do you trust your local fast food burger joint now?

Pink slime is the mechanically processed beef product known to the processed meat industry as LFTB or lean finely textured beef.  They take all the beef trimmings that would normally be used only for dog food and treat it with ammonia to kill the bacteria which turns into cow slur or pink slime which is added to ground beef in order to bulk it up and make it more affordable.  There is a very good chance that you have eaten this product already and our children have eaten it at school.

This is a food that I can do without in my life. After all, there are many other risks that we have no control over that affect our health. Why would we knowingly choose to ingest a product with so many negative side effects?

The Heart Attack Grill-Seriously America??

The Heart Attack Grill is an actual restaurant in Las Vegas.  The food at this establishment is so fatty and high in calories that it has literally sent customers to the hospital.  Well, it's a marketing ploy but come on America, do we need to make fun of our own stupidity by eating ourselves to death?  The theme is pretty disgusting...

The owner, "Doctor" John Basso, a former certified nutritionist, previously ran a Jenny Craig weight loss center.  If this was only a joke it would be funny but we have a serious obesity problem in our nation that leads to diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.  Why would someone choose to make themselves sick by eating this way?   

The Roach Mobile has turned trendy

In my day a food truck was better known as a “roach mobile” and definitely not trendy.  Food trucks were utilized quite literally because there was no other way to get breakfast or lunch at your job.  There is no time to drive to the local restaurant or grocery store to get something to eat so either you risk the roaches or you better have packed your own brown bag.

A couple of my friends were saying just this evening that every week there is a special event in their  Oakland Temescal neighborhood when the food trucks convoy to a popular foodie haven event.  Who knew that this was such a special sought after type of culinary cuisine!  In my pursuit to research healthy fast food perhaps this is the answer or at least one of the options.

www.roaminghunger.com lists 165 food trucks and their location in San Francisco.  I was relieved to see one truck closed for the day because it was being checked by the health department.   Good to know that they are checking.  There is quite a variety of pavement cuisine ranging from sweets to ribs to bacon to burgers but I only located one truck that looked semi -healthy featuring vegetarian and fresh healthy soups and salads.  One out of 165 trucks with healthy food.  This may be a market that is not tapped yet.  Stay tuned… 

Healthy Fast Food with Integrity

Chipotle is one healthy fast food business model that I admire.  The marketing phrase that they use on their web site is “food with integrity”.  This means that the owner and business model starts with purchasing their food products from local farms that don’t pump their animals with antibiotics in order to get massive manufactured quantities of overly fat meats and poultry.  The one obstacle is the high cost.  Chipotle charges a higher price to their consumers in order to stay in business but according to the owner, he says it is worth it.  The enclosed video, “Back to the start”, is a good depiction of Chipotle’s mission.

I would like to create a similar business model that would support the local communities by utilizing their farms and businesses to support a sustainable environment.  How is it possible to do this and also provide a fresh organic product that is convenient, available and affordable?  I would need to rely on volume sales in order to reach higher revenues to keep costs manageable.

High cost free range organic meats and poultry are not the only way to go.  I want to invent a completely new taste experience that will provide the nutrition but without the risks to the environment that cattle create.  The new food will be a good source of protein possibly made with legumes, seeds and beans.  It may be a vegetable protein with grains combined with a healthy fat such as olive, coconut or avocado oils to provide that American comfort food buzz.  My plan is to get into a test kitchen with chefs, chemists and scientists to come up with new wonder foods that are good for you and satiate fulfillment like a juicy hamburger and French fries but without the high caloric repercussions.

Back to the Start

"Healthy" Fast Food

When the word “healthy” is connected with food it has negative connotations.  Most people have the view that if food is considered healthy it must not taste good.  I disagree and believe that in order to change people’s attitude toward healthy food, it must be marketed to the public properly.  My quest is to create a chain of affordable healthy fast food restaurants that cater to people who care about optimal health and nutrition.

The current selection of popular fast food joints include the likes of Burger King, McDonalds, Taco Bell and KFC that serve up a fast food feast that packs a full day’s worth of fat, sodium, sugar and grease in one over- sized meal  and typically for under $5.00.  Fast food is convenient, cheap and affordable but most consumers have no idea what they are doing to their own bodies by eating this type of food three or four times a week.  What if there was another alternative?

If a new fast food competitor came on the market and served an affordable healthy selection of organic, locally grown sustainable and most importantly good tasting fast foods, would the public be interested?

Could an effective marketing program change the public’s negative opinion of “healthy” fast food and turn it around to make it as popular and trusted as McDonald’s?  These are the questions that I will explore in the FOODKWEST blog and would welcome your innovative ideas.