Cheap food is fattening food.

Or at least that’s the way it goes around these parts [American Midwest]. Last night, on a whim, we ordered a truckload of Long John Silver’s hushpuppies. 40 of them. That cost the three of us a total of $6.50.

$6.50

$6.50 to feed three 20-something men. But as far as fried oil-bread-balls go, one is good. After about 5 you start to lose it. We didn’t nearly finish all of them. It’s hard to resist such a good price even though it’s killing me slowly. We were discussing the sawtooth nature of the LJS craving. Some folk’s frequency is so low they don’t ever try it, others [the morbidly obese] succumb about every other day. For me, it’s about once every 10 years. I have some friends that go once every three months. Nonetheless, after you consume the LJS you immediately lose all craving. Much like orgasms… but not really [you know what I'm talking about].

But LJS is a bit of a special case. The real problem is the options available to the vast majority of the US. For instance, when we don’t have anything in the fridge at work we have to go out somewhere. This basically leaves the healthiest option that isn’t a sit-down-expensive restaurant as some kind of joint serving sandwiches. That makes up about 10% of the choices and even then these sandwiches/soups aren’t healthy, they are just healthier. The other 90% consists of your fast food chains peddling fried fatty goods.

It’s no surprise that when the average American is faced with the choice of the narrow variety of low-cost dining options in this country they choose the cheaper option. People always poke at fat-america [pun intended] and ask why, why, why? Well it’s simple. When none of the low-cost and time-saving dining options offer healthy options, few will eat healthy.

I’m tired of eating shit day-in and day-out and if the environment isn’t changing there is something I can do to change what I eat. Simply eat well at home. Groceries don’t really follow the whole cheap-fast-food-phenomenon. The quick and easy meals seem cheap, but if you bought simpler ingredients and made it yourself the base cost is much lower. Also, if you buy wheat crackers and hummus that pretty much runs the equivalent of potato chips and dip. But in general, I think it can be cheaper using some discretion and culinary trickery.

I can eat a single baked russet potato for around 40cents with a chicken breast for about $2 per pound. That’s a decent meal [big potato]. It’s not most exotic thing in the world, but I challenge you to eat an absolutely pure baked russet potato with no salt/butter or anything. Just try it! Make sure you bake it for at least 30-40 minutes at 350?F. Ghandi would be proud of you. For not spicing your food.

ps. When buying potatoes, do not buy the 5-10lb. bags. It’s cheaper, but they will spoil quickly, plus they taste like paper.