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French Fries and Faux Chicken Nuggets?

Julia finds a way into the fast food nation without sacrificing her eco-minded ideals.

Monday Jun 18, 2007.     By Julia Steinberger

Lifestyle Feed

Now that I'm no longer a growing kid, it amazes me when I think about how much food I could fit in my stomach at age 12. Not to mention how often those binge fests involved the kind of salty, processed, guilty goodness that comes with a label from Taco Bell, Burger King or McDonalds. Yup, in my preteen phase, I was able to take down many a seven-layer burrito and man, I really loved Big Macs and fries.

Though books like Fast Food Nation wised me up in later years, I have to admit that there are plenty of times when I still crave something salty, greasy, wrapped in wax paper and handed over within seconds. But as a vegetarian, I see things a little differently. Marketers' images of bulky roast beef sandwiches and perfect grill marks shape the nation's idea of filling comfort food on-the-go, but we've thankfully reached an age where we have other options that are healthier for our bodies and the earth and just as satisfying.

While the Western states have lapped us on this issue, Chicago is starting to get on board with vegetarian fast food. Case in point: Veggies To Go, a new quick-service restaurant in Hyde Park near the University of Chicago campus. Gyros, barbecue tofu, corned beef and chicken sandwiches all made from soy or wheat protein will leave you blissfully stuffed and plenty thirsty. Vegan options and accoutrements like soy cheese and vegan mayo abound. Vegetarian and former Whole Foods chef Rahtsiyah Wolfolk is the genius behind Veggies, and you can still find her line of "Soul Gourmet" meat-free dishes in the packaged foods section of the market.

Another vegan treat resides even farther south at Veggie Bite, the second outpost of a California-born enterprise that seeks to serve every state someday. The cheery little building dishes out fried tofu, buffalo wings, hot dogs, faux chicken nuggets and rich desserts (soy soft-serve included) with a message that's more than just health-conscious: Owners Moshe Shalom and Sylvia Watycha are serious animal rights activists and hope to foster a like-minded vegan community through food and meet-up events (including free movie nights). The couple claims that customers have been voicing their approval with a willingness to drive all the way from up north, and they're planning to reward those regulars with a North Side location later this year.

Now I'm not necessarily equating vegetarian with healthy because deep-fried is deep-fried whether it's onions or pork skins, and neither will impress your physician or your personal trainer. When veggies are prepared in a healthy manner, however, they are indeed usually better for you than meat, and while Americans really have no problem meeting their daily protein requirements, many of us sorely lacking servings of system-cleansing, nutrient-rich vegetables, if only because they're just plain intimidating to prepare and cook.

The vegan fast food argument is strongest, I think, from an environmental standpoint. Though not every vegetarian will agree that it's necessarily wrong for people to eat animals, there is a simple fact that cannot be argued: Because fruits and veggies require no processing before in order to fuel our bodies, they're an exceedingly efficient source of energy.

Let me break it down for you: Conventional vegetable-producers use fossil fuels in the growing, processing, packaging and transporting of their product. Getting meat on the table requires many more steps, and often times much more fuel. Once the conventional meat-producer grows, processes and transports the veggies to feed his stock, he dips even further into the fuel reserves to then transport the animals to processing facilities, process and package the meat and deliver the final product to the consumer.

According to the Transmogrified blog, "Switching from a red meat based diet (27 percent animal products) to a lacto-ovo diet (27 percent animal products) is equivalent to switching from a Toyota Camry to a Prius in terms of the greenhouse gas burden." Vegan diets, which cut animal products altogether, take the fuel burden even lower.

Though that comparison is just an estimate, the facts behind it are indisputable. I keep meat off my plate and shop local/organic when I can to further reduce my environmental impact. And, thanks to the tasty new vegetarian options popping up around the city, I can't say it's much of a sacrifice.

For a quick craving-satisfying snack you can whip up at home, try my latest obsession, the 10-minute tofu reuben. You'll need firm tofu, scallions, a few spices, sauerkraut, two slices of bread and a whole lot of spicy mustard.

1. Slice tofu ultra-thin (this will let it get a little crispy) and sauté with chopped scallions in a pan with about 1 tsp. olive oil. When the tofu starts to brown, I like to add salt, pepper and a little cayenne.

2. Toast your bread. Coat one slice with mustard (the mustard is the reason for the sandwich, as far as I'm concerned), and, if you like, slather the other with a little Smart Balance or other vegan butter spread.

3. Add a heaping spoonful or two of sauerkraut to the tofu pan for the last minute, just to warm it up and mix the flavors.

4. Scoop the tofu mix onto one slice of bread, cover it with the other, and you're set!

After four greener-than-average college years as a co-op dweller-turned-aspiring-permaculturist, Julia Steinberger finds it hard not to feel guilty about her one-bedroom apartment, daily commute and indulgence in the occasional dollar burger. She'd like to dream that she could live in a tent/treehouse/rabbit hole, but the truth is, she'd rather stay in the city while doing her best to leave a lighter footprint on the earth. You can contact her here.