Amusing Conversation at Market One

Leave it to me to engage in a healthy-eating related discussion in the drink line of a campus dining facility...but I found this exchange amusing and wanted to share it with you all.

So, I had just gotten my red pepper hummus and veggie wrap (like I do practically every day) from the sandwich shop in Market One and was standing in line at the fountain drink machine. One of the dining services ladies was in line ahead of me. It turned out that we both began filling our cups at the same time, mine with Coke Zero and hers with Mr. Pibb. She looked over at my cup, then back to hers and said "Yeah, I prefer the high fructose corn syrup in my soda, while you're being all healthy with your no-calorie drink." I laughed a bit and then she added, "but at least I'm being somewhat healthy and eating a salad along with it!" She motioned to the prepackaged salad in her hand, and I couldn't resist jumping at the opportunity to take our discussion one step further. "Ah, well that's good...but are you going to put dressing on it?" She responded "Oh yes, but not too much though." To this I replied "Oh ok, but what kind of dressing?" I had a feeling I knew what was coming...and she quickly validated my suspicion. "Oh, I love ranch dressing!" At this response, my health conscious self couldn't resist making a final remark. "Ohh, but ranch is one of the worst ones for you!" I played this off with a slight laugh, as if I was joking, in an attempt to keep from offending her, to which she responded "Oh well, it's not like it matters to me...I'm not on a man hunt or anything!" Priceless response, although it's kind of sad that the only incentive for some people to eat healthy is the idea that they should maintain their weight in order to impress the opposite sex.

While my discussion with the dining services lady in Market One today was quite amusing (to me at least), it provides an example of a typical healthy eating myth that needs to be debunked. While it is true that eating a plain salad, or one with low-calorie/low-fat dressing is indeed healthy, combining it with a sugary soda and high fat dressing completely obliterates its healthiness. Many restaurants have taken advantage of this recent popularity of salads by introducing all types of chicken salads, fiesta taco salads, cobb salads, seafood salads...you name it, and it's probably in a salad! Sure, anything with "salad" in the title automatically sounds healthy, but once they add cheese, croutons, creamy dressing, bacon bits, etc. these salads end up having as many calories and fat grams as a burger!

Now, I'm not saying that you shouldn't order salads...definitely not! Just make sure that you make smart choices when you order (i.e. order a low cal dressing and ask for it on the side, avoid anything crispy, and ask them to go easy with the cheese). Okay, I feel better now that I've debunked that myth for anyone who was unaware of this. Be sure to come out to our Healthy Eating panel discussion tomorrow to hear many more myths "debunked!" (Shameless plug for our advocacy event....you knew it was coming!)

Hope to see you there!