a reasonable alternative to fast food.

For awhile last year, I was on an unfortunate kick of Lean Cuisines for lunch. They're convenient enough, and they taste OK (the Santa Fe Beans & Rice is a particularly good one), but I started feeling weird about all the additives and preservatives (not to mention sodium) in those little black plastic trays.

The wakeup call came when I recognized the irony of eating a nuked meal at my desk while reading "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle." There were so many things wrong with that picture, not the least of which was eating at my desk.

So over the last several months, I've re-committed to bringing a healthy lunch. You'll note the importance I place on a good lunch by observing that it's a regular topic category here on mooth. My favorite destination for recipes has been 101cookbooks.com, where I've discovered all kinds of healthy, hearty and well-balanced salads: white bean/spinach/walnut/goat cheese, roasted squash/farro, fresh ravioli/spinach, quinoa/zucchini. Heidi Swanson favors all kinds of protein-packed whole grains like farro and quinoa, which are satisfying and not overly filling.

Which brings me to today's lunch—and, oddly, back to the microwave. A week or 2 ago, when I knew I wouldn't have time to make a big batch of something to take to work all week, I snagged a couple of Kashi frozen meals from the freezer in the organic section at the grocery. Oh, my, are they terrific! All the ones I've tried are based on Kashi's 7-grain pilaf, which is tasty and good for you. So then, I picked up a box of the pilaf, which (combined with a bit of sauteed onion and red pepper) made a terrific base for seared sea scallops.

I [heart] Kashi.

But be forewarned: Too much Kashi product in one day does not a happy tummy make. Monday, I mixed some Good Sense high-protein/fiber cereal in with my Frosted Cheerios, then snacked on some Kashi 7-grain crackers mid-morning and then had a Kashi lunch. Mph.