Healthy Living

Friday, September 5, 2008

New York is tired of being a total sausage fest

Early in 2007, my BFF and I did a weekend in New York City. My plan involved a carriage ride through Central Park, preferrably while it snowed, and perhaps while the Pogues serenaded us with their "Fairytale." His plan involved stopping at every hot dog cart we saw as we wove our way through the city. Due to global warming, it was a balmy 70 degrees that weekend and the Pogues were apparently busy, but I did get my carriage ride and we dutifully stopped at just about every cart from the Village all the way up to East 72nd Street. I ate hot dogs, pretzels and had an unfortunate incident with a roasted chestnut on Fifth Avenue. And never once did I see anything more than a bruised and battered banana or a sorry-looking apple on any of the carts.

New York is gearing up to issue 500 new licenses for carts in the city, but the catch is that the carts are only allowed to sell fresh vegetables and fruits. No hot dogs. No Polish sausages. No giant sodium-avalanche pretzels with frighteningly plastic shiny cheese-stuff. I'm pretty sure that even a vegetarian chick pea falafel is illegal!

I'm all about tradition, but can I get a "hells yes"? Do you know how much I would patronize such a cart? A ton. Seriously, if I don't plan ahead during the day, my only options for vegetation near my office are either to go to a very large suburban grocery store in the next suburb over and dig through their precut options or swing through McDonald's and get one of those dismal apple and walnut trays. That's it! Do you know what I wouldn't give for a full-service, all-healthy fast-food joint? A place where the majority of the choices are completely wonderful, well-balanced and loaded up with vities? As God is my witness, if I won millions of dollars in the lottery, I would make that venture happen. No French fries. No scary gray meat. No trans fats or high fructose corn syrup or scary lettuce that is coated with some kind of youth chemical because it never rots. Smoothies instead of milk shakes, steel-cut oatmeal instead of the soggy grease bombs that pose as croissant sandwiches. Grilled chicken and poached salmon instead of nuggets and Filet-O-Fish. And glorious naked vegetation as far as the eye can see. A thing of beauty, that's what that is.

So yay for New York and their fresh fruits and veggies carts! Now get cracking on Whole Fast Foods, okay?

Rev up your metabolism with SELF's flab-erasing workout!

(via the yummy and addictive Slashfood)

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From the Community…

Comments 1-3 of 3
  • D's Avatar
    Posted by D Tue Jul 1, 2008 5:08pm PDT

    I wish they could just sell both.

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  • HHawk840's Avatar
    Posted by HHawk840 Thu Jul 3, 2008 1:37pm PDT

    The person that wote this article must be a communist. I think they should sell both. Isn't that what this country is all about? The people making up their mind for themselves. I guess they're trying to stifle free will, all together. Perhaps, if we were given more choices the economy would be in better shape. I love those dogs, dammit.

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  • graylady's Avatar
    Posted by graylady Sun Jul 6, 2008 10:17pm PDT

    Those sausage carts are part of the history just like the name The Big Apple,they will lose alot of tourists.They need to serve both kinds of foods.Even though I have never had a chance to go to New York,that is one of the things I'd like to have is a hotdog or sausage from one of those carts, if I ever had a chance to go.Its part of the New York attraction.

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Weight training and walking at the same time? Can you even do that?