Day 17 - the ethics of eating (Sat.)

I've been thinking a lot about my McDonald's binge... it doesn't just bother me about the calorie count and nutrition. I hate supporting them. The movie Food Inc made me sick to my stomach and McDonald's was largely to blame.

today has been a day of grazing. i'm going to try and quickly list everything because most of the amounts are so small, i'm not sure how to quantify it.

strawberry greek yogurt - 150
2 shortbread sugar cookies - 100?
piece of banana bread (warm) - 200?
flatbread with taboule and roasted red pepper hommus - 300?
4 dried plums (the package doesn't say prunes. marketing to a younger audience anyone?) - 100
4 mini peanut butter cups - 200
3 cups chickory coffee with skim and vanilla syrup - 200?
god i shoulda had the coffee earlier... i was getting out of control with my appetite... :(

most of the stuff i ate today came from Costco. it's really nice to have food in the house, cause most of the time i don't eat during the day on weekends because all the food requires extensive preparation, or i eat too much crap like cereal out of the box or 6 bottles of beer at noon. here's the thing: is Costco better than McDonald's? doesn't the bulk-ness of the venue create nightmares like the ones in Food Inc? nick and i are so concerned about buying local, especially when it comes to food, but doesn't getting groceries at Costco completely negate our efforts? its a depressing thought because - once again - it ties food to money. and honestly, that's the worst combo when you're trying to make healthy decisions.

this week the first lady, Michelle Obama, spearheaded an initiative with Walmart (the nation's (world's??) biggest retailer AND grocer), where they are going to provide healthier foods. less salt, refined sugar, fat. it's awesome, because Walmart provides more Americans with their groceries than any other source. it's taking the "we're so big, we run the market and affect your personal choices" phenomenon and going POSITIVE with the influence. however, the entire premise that Walmart has so much affect on the way food is produced and purchased is frightening. however, i guess if McDonald's took a similar initiative, I might feel SLIGHTLY better when i binge there. (yeah, binge. not "eat." the word "eat" implies dining on food that doesn't kill you - and the planet.)

ok, keep going...
i had to go to western market and there were samples everywhere...

boarshead turkey and white cheddar - 100?
cinnamon bread with glaze - 100?
fresh squeezed OJ - 100?

1 bottle Short's Autumn Ale - 200?

spaghetti squash with marinara - 300?

ham sandwich - 300?

2 bottles beer (autumn ale, mad hatter) - 400?

2800 total-ish?
tomorrow is another day.