Fast Food - Supermarket Salad Edition

$2.02 - that is the cost of my lunch today, thanks to my local Kroger salad bar!  If you are a United States citizen, chances are you are aware that we have become a fast food nation... thanks in part to the numerous documentaries and books on the subject.  Supersize Me, Food Inc., Forks Over Knives, I've watched even more than this.  The truth is, they have an immediate, take-action impact on me, and then my years of food habits creep back onto the scene and I find myself driving through McDonald's, T-Bell or Wendy's once more.  It's cheap, easy, fast, convenient, comfort food.  But I'm 39 now, and my metabolism is in rebellion mode, which in truth I am thankful for, cause crappy food equals a crappy me.

So, a new habit I am working to develop is finding fast food alternatives.  My best one so far is to make a quick stop at my local supermarket salad bar.  This beautiful creation happens to be from Kroger.  It includes fresh spinach, spring mix, romaine, shredded carrots, peas, broccoli, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, green olives, chickpeas and walnuts.  Since I was able to take it home for lunch, I made my own dressing with condiments I had on hand... 1 t. of grapeseed oil, 1 t. of sweet hot mustard, 1 T. of orange muscat vinegar, some salt and pepper.  I drizzled the dressing on the salad, closed the lid and shook it up to coat.  As my kids would say, easy peasy!

Had I been on the go, I'd have simply added some salt, pepper and vinegar from the bar.  Now that I've tried skipping oil, I really don't miss it, and choose to at least half the time.

Again, all this fresh variety for the low, low price of $2.02 -- plus no pink slime!  Do you have any healthy tricks to replace fast or junk food... if so, please share!