Sugar Turned On Me

As Alton Brown once pointed out, going out to eat is one of the great joys in life. It’s not just about the food, but about the experience. The sad truth is, sometimes that experience turns out bad.

America’s traditional dinnertime lineup is meat and potatoes. The protein starch combination comes in many forms, but it is so ingrained into the psyche of the culture and market that few people question it or make allowances for someone who might want something different. This is seldom more evident than when you’re trying to find a non-carb side item because you’re diabetic.

Last night, my wife and I went to a place that serves gourmet burgers. By default, all their burgers come with fries. I’ve been there before but I’d been avoiding it because the low-carb menu is slim and that’s usually where my eye falls first. Still, the food is good and worth trying to work with.

So I order my food and trying to be good ask the waitress what their other side item choices are. She looks at me mildly panicked. After a moment, a slow list of options comes out and by list, I mean pair: side salad and vegtables.

An anemic selection to be sure, but with enough options that I do have a choice. I go with the veggies. I’m thinking broccoli, carrots, maybe the cauliflower that I never eat.

Imagine my surprise when I get a little crock of mostly steamed lettuce. Steamed. Lettuce. There was, mixed in among the slightly wilted strands other things: mushrooms, onions and peppers. These would have been fine on my burger, but not as a stand alone dish.

I tried to be okay with it and picked at the mushrooms but in the end, most of it went back to the dishwasher and I was sad for having wasted food. I left a comment card, but I doubt I’ll be seeing any massive changes in the restaurant or the chain.

I’d love to put a moral to the story, but there really isn’t one. Next time I’m offered mixed veggies, I’ll probably be more inquisitive as to which ones, but for the most part it’s just a sign that I’m in the minority.

I’m not griping. I don’t expect special treatment or every fast food place to have a twenty item, diabetes friendly menu. But it would be nice if when eateries make healthy, low sugar options available, they make them edible options as well.

I mean, for crying out loud… steamed lettuce?

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