Chloe Shaw
is a writer and mommy living in Branford, CT.
If I were ten years younger, single, childless, petless, and blessed with the boundless energy of such a footloose state, I would be devoting my energy to figuring out a way to provide healthy, delicious, locally acquired, drive-thru food for people like the actual version of myself: thirty-four, car-dependent, married, mother of one tiny human and four peaceable animals. I stress drive-thru because one of the most surprising aspects of my new momhood has been how hard it is to eat healthily while out and about, bouncing between errands and doctor’s appointments.
I’m not talking about the kind of Eat This Not That healthy that asks you to choose the lesser of two evils—like an Egg McMuffin instead of a bagel with cream cheese or a grilled chicken sandwich rather than a crispy one. I’m talking about honest-to-goodness goodness. Picture Whole Foods with a drive-thru—only less expensive. While I try to eat at home pre-or-post-errands as much as I can, a breast-feeding mom gets hungry! And—due to a sleeping baby or an aching back—can’t always get out of the car.
What a dream it would be to pull up to a window between music class and the supermarket and order egg whites, swiss cheese, spinach, tomato and sprouts on multi-grain. Or a Cobb salad wrap with tofu and turkey bacon. Or egg salad with dill and hot peppers on pita. I think today’s about-time focus on what we’re feeding our school children is fantastic. But what about what we’re feeding our caretakers, who will quickly tell you that it isn’t always possible to pack a lunch or make it home for meal time? I wish fast food—at least the kind that exists today—didn’t feel like the only option for the car-bound and the busy and the stressed. I don’t want to have to spend time weighing the pros and cons of which restaurant has the least caloric burger, not to mention slaughter-house dependence. I have too many other important decisions to make.
So, which one of you young entrepreneurs wants to give this a go? Placing an order could be just an app away. Anyone?