When I was growing up, it was a big treat to go to Taco Bell. It was a forty minute drive from my little hometown, to the comparative bustling metropolis of Holland, MI, and we always looked forward to trips there. I loved the food and couldn't get enough.
When I went to college, my love affair with Taco Bell continued for a couple of years. It was right there on Grand River Ave, and I went once a week or so. One of the strange things I did in college was collect Taco Bell hot sauce packets. I would keep them in my dorm fridge, and pop them out for little snacks. I'd rip open the pack, stick it on my tongue, and I'd have a little rush of spice. I loved them, and eventually had relatives collecting them for me so I would get whole baggies of them. I've never been a fast food eater at any other fast food restaurant, but for the first couple years of college, Taco Bell and I were tight.
This stopped after I got serious about my health. Taco Bell didn't have much place in the world of a guy on his way to a 120-lb weight loss, which I experienced between 2000 and 2002. I doubt if I've eaten there at all in the last five years. This is even though I know that Taco Bell is certainly no worse than much of what I eat, or much of what is available at other restaurant. My Taco Bell item of choice, the bean burrito, has 370 calories, 12 grams of fat, 13 grams of protein, and 54 carbs. The latter amount is huge, but it also has a lot of fiber - 12.0 grams - amongst the carbs. So it's not terrible, I must admit.
Tonight, I went to Taco Bell for the first time in years. I was giving a kid a ride home to somewhere in West Baltimore, and we passed by a Taco Bell out near Edison Highway. It was 7:30, and I knew I hadn't eaten, and figured he hadn't either. I got a grin on my face, and said, "Jamel, you want some Taco Bell?" He answered affirmatively, so I went through a drive through for the first time in ages, and we both filled ourselves with hellacious Mexican food. It doesn't taste nearly as good as an adult as it did as a kid.
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2 comments:
If you are a fan of Taco bell, you should check out Qdoba. (there's one in White Marsh near the Best Buy, and another in Towson behind the Target on Joppa). They have awesome food and will prep it ala "subway" so you can control how much good/bad stuff you want on it. It makes for a good meal :)
I'm partial to the pintos n cheese. Not too many calories or fat, you can order a bunch of the little cups and cover the beans with hot sauce. If you are still watching your weight you can ask for no queso or queso lite.
In most fast food places there is always something healthy to eat, you just have to look for it.
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