a burger nightmare? or maybe a traveler's delight!

food list (from saturday)
breakfast: cinnamon life cereal with vanilla soy milk, tangerine, coffee
lunch: peanut butter and jelly sandwich, an annie's granola bar, coffee
snack: fresh fruit (strawberries, cantaloupe), carrots
dinner: burger king veggie burger, fries, diet dr pepper

where did one thing come from?
obviously my dinner was made up of less-than-real food. the veggie burger was a response to my desperate desire to consume protein (because i was tired) on a six hour drive through indiana (another type of eco-conundrum).

burger king is the only fast food place that offers a veggie burger (though if someone else knows an alternative, please share!) since it was first put on the menu in 2002, i've been grateful for the option on long trips or when i've been too lazy to think about packing food (which i did for lunch). yesterday, part of my problem was that i thought i'd be back to my friend's house (where i'm staying in indiana) in time for dinner, which i was not. so, i was left with a couple options: find a grocery store and buy something that is real (and take longer to get back) or stop at a burger king and support their mass-marketing of veggie burgers. i was already tired of sitting and driving, so the second option seemed better.

in terms of what's in a veggie burger, i'm going to suggest visiting this website: http://www.vegparadise.com/news15.html. like most fast food, its not really food at all (especially when combined with fake french fries!)...

ethical reflections
so why eat fake food (even if its only once in a while)?

i'm mindful of the fact that i spend most of my life outside of food deserts, meaning that i usually have access to healthy, affordable, real food. in food deserts, places like mcdonalds or burger king or corner stores are the only option and those are not good options at all. its processed and chemical-laden and fatty and gross. and for people living in food deserts, its the only option.

the veggie burger at burger king is also not a good option, but its the only fast food option that is a meat alternative. it offers access to protein without eating meat (and fast food meat in particular is horrendous) but it also offers an option. this is my main critique of food deserts (outside of the fact that people do not have access to healthy food): the lack of options.

we should have options for what we get to eat and for where we can get it. i should be able to have access to a veggie burger, because meat eaters shouldn't have a monopoly on easily accessible "food." in food deserts, people shouldn't be forced to eat meat just because that's what fast food places serve.

best case scenario: i would be able to stop at a local food place just off the highway and grab a delicious, healthy sandwich to take with me on my drive. but i will take my occasional veggie burger until that happens.