‘What not to do’ Category

Say hello to the new KFC "burger" (ps. I can't be your friend if you eat this)

April 13th, 2010


Get the buckouttahere with that mess! Really, America? We have sunk to a new low. How is this being accepted as a sandwich? Looking at this thing makes me want to hurl. The sad fact of the matter is that in order for a new food product (and I use the term loosely) to enter the market, food companies have to do a bunch of different steps, including:

1. noticing a void in the market for something
2. creation of a concept
3. research and development
4. development of a prototype
5. sample market test (inc. focus groups to get product feedback)
6. more research and dev
7. market test in Columbus, Ohio (Ohio is thought to be representative of the rest of the US, so companies test new food product there.)
8. product launch

My problem is that this has obviously been tested on a portion of the population, and that portion of the population gave it the thumbs up. Folks have to know this is a ticket to diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Plus, that can’t taste good. There’s no way.

KFC is actually the reason I became a vegetarian. My brother used to work there and bring fried chicken home everyday. It was a family staple. I remember taking a family trip to Lake Tahoe when I was 12 and we brought a bucket of KFC with us to the beach (gotta love Black folks). I literally was having trouble stomaching it and I couldn’t finish my boneless breast. (It’s traumatic even thinking about it.)

At the time, I thought I was a freak. I never liked meat. I didn’t like the way it tasted; I didn’t like the way it made me feel; I didn’t like the idea of eating animals. I would always pick around the fat until there was nothing left (“DAD…you cut me a piece of fat with meat around it!”). But it wasn’t until a couple weeks later, when we went to visit my other (even older) brother and his vegetarian girlfriend, that I realized there was actually a name for people who didn’t eat meat. AND… that you didn’t need to eat meat to survive. My first experience with a veggie burger was love at first bite.

After that trip, I made an announcement to my parents that I would no longer be consuming meat. And I never did.

Seeing this picture of this absolutely disgusting KFC burger reminds me how much I hate meat and that I definitely made the right decision 15 years ago. Just to be clear, I don’t think there is anything wrong with eating meat (if that is something you enjoy). But there is a right way (free range, grass fed, no hormones or antibiotics…if you can) and a wrong way. This, my friends, is the WORST way.

What Not To Do: Buy Lunchables

June 2nd, 2009


Remember when you were a kid and Lunchables were the coolest thing ever? Everytime we went to the grocery store I would beg my mom to buy them, but she always refused. I never understood why she was being so mean.

Today I was in Target when I noticed a stack of $3 Lunchables. The kid in me couldn’t resist and I copped the Nacho one. Big mistake. I finally understand why my mom never gave in. Can we say pure garbage?

Just a few facts from the nutrition label:
Total Calories: 500
Total fat: 23 Grams (35% DV)
Saturated fat: 7 Grams (35% DV)
Sodium: 910 MG (38% DV)
Sugar: 27 Grams

Annnd… it only comes with like 15 mini chips, a dabble of cheese and salsa, a bite size crunch bar and a Capri Sun.

Two words: Thanks, Mom.