Spring Rolls as Fast Food

Hello, everyone!

So, one of the great problems the United States has created is the conundrum of healthy, fast food. There... really isn't much to offer besides Subway. I happen to greatly dislike Subway because I dislike bread - I believe it's not something our bodies are used to processing, so I avoid it at all costs in my diet. I adore Noodles and Company, but they don't exist in my area! On the other hand, let me list the number of national chain unhealthy fast food options we have:

• McDonald's
• Wendy's
• Arby's
• Burger King
• Jack-in-the-Box
• Chick-Fil-A
• Panda Express (don't try to tell me they are healthy, it's loaded with salt and oil)
• Carl's Junior
• Dairy Queen
• Sonic

I could go on, but you get my point. Not all that much healthy fast food out there in comparison to unhealthy fast food.

So - I was out driving a couple days ago, absolutely famished because I hadn't eaten for about six hours. I had been on the road all day for a load of reasons, and I just needed food. I don't like eating the fatty foods offered at the above fast food chains,so I was feeling a bit depressed. I resolved to just tough it out until I got home in about three hours. Then I passed a Thai restaraunt.

I pretty much love all Asian food. Lovely, lovely flavors - I love the spices because so many of them are good for you, not to mention the amazing taste! Anyway, I saw this random Thai restaurant, and I had a brainwave - I could go inside and ask for some spring/summer rolls! Every Thai/Vietnamese restaurant has them, so I figured, why not? They don't take very long to make - a matter of a minute or two, usually - so I figured I could pop in and out in five minutes. 

The rolls I am referring to are the NON-deep fried rolls. They consist of rice noodles, fresh lettuce, sometimes fresh mint, sometimes bamboo shoots, lean, boiled pork, and boiled shrimp, and they are wrapped in rice paper. Some places call it a spring roll, other places call it a summer roll. Make sure you ask the person at the counter - at the place I went to, the spring roll was the deep fried version, which I definitely didn't want! The contents are basically the same across all Thai/Vietnamese restaurants. And it's always DELICIOUS - unless that particular restaurant overpacks the rolls with too many rice noodles. 

Four dollars and two rolls later, I was full. And I felt good. Five dollars for lunch - not bad, especially for restaurant food. And healthy, too! A spring/summer roll has a load of fiber so that you feel full, and the ingredients are nothing but healthy. Plus, it's wrapped in rice paper - no deep frying involved, so no extra oil, and really easy to eat. The meat and/or seafood is boiled, so no extra oil there, either. I was in and out in five minutes. It truly is a perfect fast and healthy food.

Not only that, but they are really easy to make, too. I have done so myself in the past. I'll make another blog post sometime about how to make these lovely and tasty things.

If you struggle with eating healthily on a busy schedule on the road, as I do a lot of the time, I hope this gives an option.

Thank you for reading!