The American Dream: Casinos, Buffets, and Bacon
Photo: My iPhone (yes, I have an iPhone now)
My first full day out of the Bay and on the road (though only two hours North on I-5) chewing the fat (literally, this bacon is pretty darn greasy) and looking around the casino buffet I find myself in.
Yes, I’m currently eating lunch in one of the scariest places to try and remain healthy.
I debated whether or not to wait and eat lunch at the Whole Foods an hour and a half away from the Colusa Casino, where I had set up camp last night after leaving the Bay Area at about 6:30pm (the plan, of course, was to leave at 12pm). But considering I had 4 brown rice crackers for breakfast, that wasn’t happening.
Besides, I like buffets. I ain’t afraid to admit it. A true American original–have an overwhelming variety of foods to choose from, and eat as many as you can stuff down. Reminds me of Easter Sundays and visiting my grandparents in Dubuque, Iowa as a child. Hells yeah.
Now, I’m going to go ahead and warn you, this on-the-road series is NOT about being or eating perfect. It’s about eating as healthy as possible for my body when there is limited choice, and without going to the edges of the earth to eat so that food does not take over my life. I’ve been there; trust me, it’s not worth it.
My hope is that you’ll be able to find some tips that can help you to stay healthy when traveling.
What Decent Looks Like
For me, I gotta stay away from wheat. Yep, I’ll probably hit some hidden here or there, but anything that I know that possibly has gluten–such as terriyaki chicken, any kind of sauce on meat or vegetables, and pretty much any dessert other than fruit–is a no-go for me.
Today? Decent salad bar (they have chickpeas, and beets that looked too dark to have come from a can–that is about what constitutes a decent salad bar for me), so I got my cucumber, tomato, and carrot on, with a few greens thrown in for good measure. Also, they have some sort of mixed cucumber/tomato/onion salad with Italian dressing (usually not a problem) that I had a few bites of.
Welcome to America
Little bit of a breakfast bar provided me with eggs, bacon, and hash browns (all the meats were drenched in sauce or fried), and I had a bit of refried beans with the cheese on top pushed to the side. They also had some white rice with almonds and raisins that I threw some cooked (yeah, not even closed to steamed–but that’s ok) veggies on.
Eggs, veggies, and hash browns were most definitely cooked in veggie (usually corn, soy, or canola) oil, which isn’t the healthiest in the world, but I’ll survive doing it once and a while.*
Ok, full disclosure–I had some half and half in my iced tea. I just can’t do black tea without some sort of cream, and you guessed it–they don’t exactly have a choice of soy, rice, almond or hemp milk at the Colusa Casino buffet.
I also dipped some strawberries and a gigantic banana (I’m pretty much thinkin’ it wasn’t organic, and probably developed in a lab somewhere on the other side of the world, but whatdaya gonna do?) in what was probably jello pudding, reminding me of summer afternoons at Matt Edmister’s house in the 9th grade, when we would secretly make packets of Bill Cosby’s favorite creamy goodness, annoying the hell out of Matt in the process. Ah, memories…
And give and take.
*Yep, contrary to what our current food pyramid says, veggie oils are NOT good for you, and many believe contribute in a big way to heart disease. Stick with Olive, Grape Seed, and Unrefined Coconut Oil to cook with whenever possible.
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About the Author
Christine Garvin holds a Masters degree in Holistic Health Education and is a certified Nutrition Educator. She is co-editor of Confronting Love and has written for a variety of health, travel, and relationship sites and magazines. When she is not writing, she gives wellness consultations and choreographs and performs hip-hop and bhangra routines. She currently calls Black Mountain, NC home. Follow her on Twitter @livingwholesoul or on her FB page.
You go! It’s SO refreshing to hear real life tales of someone on the road who cares about food, but has a grip on reality as well. I’m cheering for you. Best wishes and keep up the good work–and good posts!
Thanks, Kendra!
That photo… about the guns and god… is just amazing. Where did you FIND that!?!?
Sarah, it was near Salem, OR. I actually got off I-5 and circled back around so I could take a pic.
There are many more out there. Here’s one that’s caused a lot of commotion over at BNT: http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/06/01/bizarre-christian-billboard-compares-atheism-to-murder/
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