Thank you, Taco Bell, for making my resolution easier.

As 2010 grew to a close I made a list of eleven things I wanted to do in 2011, and one of those was to avoid fast food for the whole year. I didn't think it would be difficult as we never really ate much fast food, but it is nice when the universe comes together and makes an easy task that much easier.

Thank you, Taco Bell. The news today reported that a lawsuit has been filed against the restaurant chain alleging that less than half of the "taco meat filling" in their beef tacos is actually beef.

Gross. But I'm not shocked. Have you ever looked at their "taco meat filling?" It doesn't look, smell or feel like meat - apparently for good reason.

Let me share a story. If you have a weak stomach, you may want to skip this paragraph. When I was in high school in the 1990s, the local Taco Bell was the victim of a pretty scandalous allegation that one of its employees had defecated into the taco meat mix, causing a number of customers to get sick. I don't believe that was anything more than a disgusting rumor, but the damage was done. The restaurant's reputation took a huge hit. I was more troubled by the fact that, true or not, people had no problem believing that someone wouldn't notice an amount of poo in their dinner. "Shit? Or taco meat?" shouldn't be a tough game to play.

So yes, I am banging the healthy eating drum once again this year. I am really becoming a believer in the idea that we as a nation are making ourselves horribly unhealthy because we are eating so much trash. Between this story, the article on "honey laundering," and everything I've been reading on high fructose corn syrup, I have really spent a lot of time reevaluating my family's eating habits and I'm really happy with the changes we've made. We're making 2011 the year of healthy eating, even if it means we work a little harder for our food, meals take longer to prepare, and we miss out on a little convenience now and again. I think we'll thank ourselves for those little sacrifices.

And, a P.S.! Right after I published this blog, I finally got around to reading about the blueberry scandal. Nothing is safe.