Bar exam

Things I hate about the salad bar:

• Three kinds of cheese and one kind of lettuce
• Six kinds of dressing, none labeled and none light or non-fat
• Tomatoes and broccoli are the only vegetables available
• Iceberg lettuce dispersed throughout the mixed greens

My friend and I decided to try out the options at the hospital cafeteria, which is across from the street from the office. Everyone raves about the food (weird, I know), and the hospital offers us the employee discount.

We walked in, got our trays and began to examine the offerings. On the hot bar, I found stuffed peppers, vegetable lasagna, scalloped potatoes, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli and a vegetable medley. All of the items were posted with nutrition info! There was also a grill with burgers, chicken and black bean patties(!) - with nutrition info, as well. Along the side was a gyro bar, and I found a salad bar in the middle.

I knew I'd have the salad bar before I even stepped through the doors but I was wooed by the gyro. Love tzatziki! I decided to go with a chicken breast from the grill and make a gyro. I was all set to get the pita and slather on some yogurt sauce when I saw the pita nutrition info. It had 240 calories for one piece. Fail. I already had the chicken so I made a deconstructed gyro and made myself a salad.

All in all, it wasn't a satisfying lunch. Dry chicken, non-creamy tzatziki and an abundance of iceberg. I found myself back in line, still hungry, and grabbing a cup of chicken noodle soup ... and Cinnabon coffee.

Next time (and I hear there's a next time) I think I might go for the black bean burger and search for some complex carbs.