# My Lunch is Not Good **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 9, 2003, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lunch-is-not-good/187261 "2003-07-09T16:23:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lunch-is-not-good/187261/1 "2003-07-09T16:23:19Z")
I’ve been bringing my lunch to work lately because I’m trying to cut back on calorie consumption. Every weekend I go to Trader Joe’s and raid their frozen food section to stock up for the week. Until today every selection I’ve purchased has been absolutely scrumptious. In the past I’ve had their Chicken and Cheese Tamales (yum), Grilled Eggplant Parmesan (yum), Pad Thai with Tofu (yum and Vegan), Chicken Biryani (yum) and Spinach Lasagna (yum), to name a few Today I brought the Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas. The ‘Low Fat’ on the label should have warned me but I swear I didn’t see it until I removed the wrapper to nuke it. Blech… ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lunch-is-not-good/187261/2 "2003-07-09T18:22:51Z")
If it doesn’t have fat, it can’t be any good. That’s my take on it. ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lunch-is-not-good/187261/3 "2003-07-09T18:23:22Z")
Ew. Low fat cheese. You have my condolences. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lunch-is-not-good/187261/4 "2003-07-09T18:50:38Z")
Amen, Kalhoun. Maureen, I don’t think the cheese was low fat I think there was just so little actual cheese it qualified the dish as low fat. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lunch-is-not-good/187261/5 "2003-07-09T18:54:15Z")
Low fat = Low flavor If you need proof, think “rice cakes.” ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lunch-is-not-good/187261/6 "2003-07-09T19:01:46Z")
That’s too bad. Don’t let it keep you from trying the roasted vegetable chiles rellenos, though. They’re really good, especially with a little low fat sour cream. I wish I had some now. The nfbsking office fridge froze my rabbit food. If I’d wanted iceberg lettuce, I would’ve bought iceberg lettuce, dammit. What is it with these small refrigerators, anyway? Do they think they have something to prove? ---
**Author:** ![bittersweet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@bittersweet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bittersweet)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lunch-is-not-good/187261/7 "2003-07-09T19:04:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kalhoun \* > \*\*If it doesn’t have fat, it can’t be any good. That’s my take on it. \*\* Bingo. No fat _usually_=no taste. ---
**Author:** ![EMW2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@EMW2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EMW2)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lunch-is-not-good/187261/8 "2003-07-09T19:05:37Z")
I love Trader Joe’s and I almost bought that very dish. Thanks for saving me the trouble! ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lunch-is-not-good/187261/9 "2003-07-09T19:05:52Z")
I’m a masochist, cher, so I’ll give the rellenos (from Trader Joe’s, I assume) a whirl. I don’t buy low-fat anything. Curiously enough, the milk I buy for cereal is lactose-free skim milk. For some reason, lactose-free milk with any kind of fat just tastes weird to me. When I’m buying regular milk (say, for recipes) I buy whole milk. Zenster, rice cakes should be used for packing material and nothing else. ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lunch-is-not-good/187261/10 "2003-07-09T19:09:34Z")
er…except as maybe coasters… ---
**Author:** ![Blonde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Blonde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blonde)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lunch-is-not-good/187261/11 "2003-07-09T19:11:25Z")
I share your pain, **JuanitaTech** …my lunch today was non-fat cottage cheese. Not low-fat, mind you, but NON-fat. Ick. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lunch-is-not-good/187261/12 "2003-07-09T19:25:29Z")
I mostly agree on the low fat issue. Low fat cheese is not worthy of consumption. Chewing my own hand off would be tastier and more conducive to weight loss. I do buy low fat sour cream, though. It’s a lot better than it used to be. I remember trying it once about 10 years ago and thinking that it tasted like paste, but most of the dairy brands I’ve tried recently have been good. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lunch-is-not-good/187261/13 "2003-07-09T21:17:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JuanitaTech \* > … Zenster, rice cakes should be used for packing material and nothing else. Rice cakes _ **are** _ packing material. The manufacturers just cleverly disguise that fact by putting them in food containers. My favorite Guindon cartoon shows the tearful airport reunion of a disposable coffee cup and a rice cake while other assorted vegetables look on. The caption reads; “A rice cake is reunited with its long lost birth mother, a styrofoam cup.” ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lunch-is-not-good/187261/14 "2003-07-09T21:33:51Z")
I had the same thoughts on rice cakes as JuanitaTech, Maureen, and Zenster (as well as countless others, I’m sure), then I tried [these.](http://shop.store.yahoo.com/drsoda/quakminricca.html) The apple cinnamon ones are really quite good. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lunch-is-not-good/187261/15 "2003-07-09T21:42:27Z")
They’re just flavored packing material. ---
**Author:** ![Plankspanker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Plankspanker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plankspanker)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lunch-is-not-good/187261/16 "2003-07-09T21:50:33Z")
indeed. over the pond they call them by the über-bizzare name of ‘snack-a-jacks’. WTF are they trying to do?? ---
**Author:** ![Jonmarzie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jonmarzie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonmarzie)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lunch-is-not-good/187261/17 "2003-07-09T22:40:14Z")
I think soda (“pop,” for you Midwesterners :rolleyes: ) is pretty good, and I don’t think it has any fat in it. Just think of it: \ Try the new drink… **Non-fat Surge!!!** \ Wait. I don’t think I want to think about that. …Surge… …ewww… ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lunch-is-not-good/187261/18 "2003-07-09T23:08:11Z")
Trader Joe’s is a great place. Those things that look like the Uncle Ben’s rice bowls (but are TJ’s own brand) are yummy. There’s one with chicken and spinach that’s really good. Their egg rolls are good, too, but I’ve never microwaved them. I go to the TJ’s in Towson, **Juanita** , in the Towson Circle. You get stuck down there with Barnes & Noble, Trader Joe’s and Pier One. It’s a wonder I ever get home again. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Juniper200](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@Juniper200](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Juniper200)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lunch-is-not-good/187261/19 "2003-07-09T23:15:11Z")
I really like plain rice cakes without any toppings. Apparently, I’m the one they make them for. All those supermarkets keep them on the shelf in case I drop by. ---
**Author:** ![Mariemarie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58f4c7/32.png) [@Mariemarie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mariemarie)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lunch-is-not-good/187261/20 "2003-07-10T01:02:56Z")
It makes more sense to me to eat a lot food that is naturally low-fat, like fruits and vegetables, lean meats, pasta, rice, skim milk, etc. rather than to eat stuff that normally should be fatty, but they did all kinds of weird chemical shit to it to make it “low -fat.” Low fat suasage? Fat free cheese cake for dessert? That’s just wrong. Eat some fresh cherries or grapes for dessert most of the time, and have a little real cheese cake only for very special occasions. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lunch-is-not-good/187261.md?page=2)