Food Fast (Not Fast Food)

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Julia Butterfly Hill’sFast Food Kitchen

Sure, Julia Butterfly Hill lives to preach the gospel of environmental activism, but she also loves to spread the word about healthy eating.

"It’s a shame that when people think ‘healthy and vegetarian’ they also think ‘bland and boring,’ " laments Hill, who ran a restaurant at age 18, before she began her famous ascent into the thousand-year-old California redwood named Luna. "I can tell you from firsthand experience that vegetarian food doesn’t have to taste bland. And I can also tell you that with a little advance preparation, you can make healthy foods in your own kitchen in minutes."

Setting up what Hill calls Julia’s Fast Food Kitchen means keeping "cupboards, refrigerator doors, and refrigerator drawers" stocked with a few essential items. "Once you’ve got everything you need," she says, "cooking stops being a chore and starts being a joy." And Hill practices what she preaches. When she’s out on the road, she takes along many of the foods listed here and makes her own meals.

To assemble Julia’s Fast Food Kitchen, you’ll need:

Spices, oils, and seasonings

(all organic and nonirradiated, when possible)
Italian spice blend
Low-spice chili-powder blend
Low-spice curry blend
Herbed salt blend, like Herbemare
or Spike
Fresh-ground black pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes
Cinnamon
Allspice
Vegetable bouillon
Tamari or shoyu (organic soy sauce)
Balsamic vinegar
Apple cider vinegar
Light miso
Virgin unfiltered cold-pressed olive oil
Nut butter (almond, cashew, or peanut)

Grains

Couscous
Rice (precooked for speedy preparation)

Fruits and vegetables

Apples, oranges, lemons
Carrots, broccoli, celery, onion, garlic (Hill advises cutting your vegetables right after you buy them to save time.)

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