Hazardous dining

May I begin saying, I hope all of you experienced love and kindness on valentine's day yesterday. OK, here was my day.

I awakened to the sounds of birds, a feeling of happiness and love and an excitement for what the day would hold. A few good friends and I decided perhaps we'd celebrate the day with a Valentines day lunch. We narrowed it down to two restaurants: El Torito and Olive Garden. Not optimal choices, but I was trying to roll with the punches since they were seeking a budget friendly meal ( first mistake there. Budget friendly unfortunately usually equals heavily processed).

In our usual fashion, my best friend and I took to the internet to review the menu selections and the nutrition content and OMG! Not one of the entree's we would have ordered was healthy. The sodium topped more than 2600 mg for some dishes and even the ones with much less sodium were very small portions which was worse because I am thinking "Where are they putting all of the salt?"

We were disgusted. I got angry! How can you possibly have such an astronomical amount of fat and sodium in such simple dishes. Why you ask? Here's my theory. This is typical of chain restaurants, which is why I prefer fine dining. Chain restaurants partner with suppliers that provide their sauces, meats and other items that help speed up food production. To maintain freshness with minimal to no spoilage, preservatives must be added to these food items.

See, I like food that is uncomplicated. Food that will spoil quickly if it isn't consumed in a few days. That is natural! Food that comes from the store, to my kitchen to my table. Pure Goodness. Food that I can explain. Ingredients that are common and the comfort of knowing everything that is in the food I prepared. So, on valentines I spread the love to my friends by preparing a meal for them.

I fixed herb paprika roasted chicken, spiced black beans, Spanish rice and a green salad with homemade cilantro Caesar dressing. It was flavorful, healthy and the perfect expression of love to my body and my loved ones.

Please dine responsibly. Check the facts before you dine. Be aware of the nutrition facts on your food choices. Let's stop the robotic eating!