You have heard it said many times over the years - "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." Perhaps your parents said it to you when your elementary school classmate showed up at school with the same lunchbox as you. It may be what you said to your own daughter to settle the "she's got the same prom dress as me" battle. I even heard the NHL discussing the concept this week as it pertains to hockey teams in the league trying to create as powerful and unstoppable a forward line as the Boston Bruins (their three forwards, known as "the Perfection Line", have a record of 31 goals in their last 14 games). It is not uncommon for copycats to appear when something or someone is successful. Just google "copycat recipes" and you will be inundated with a plethora of ways to attempt to replicate Red Lobster's very popular Cheddar Biscuits, Olive Garden's Alfredo sauce, Chipotle's Cilantro-Lime Rice, Panera's Mac and Cheese, and Cinnabon's rolls. While I am often encouraging you to "do your own thing" and be a health and well-being trailblazer, today I am writing to encourage you to be a copycat. I want you to start cooking and eating the PF Chang's way. Don't worry, they won't mind...imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!
Many restaurants have a "secret" menu that only the hardcore regulars know about. The Secret Menus are made up of unadvertised selections that do not exist on their regular menus. Just ask the biggest Starbuck's fan that you know - there are many fabulous concoctions you can get if you know enough to ask. In some cases the restaurants themselves created these extra special and secret menu items. In other cases they were invented by the customers and passed along by word-of-mouth. Starbuck's "Medicine Ball" falls in this category. Believe me when I tell you, it's what you want to order the next time you aren't feeling well. I was lucky enough to have been tipped off to PF Chang's big secret by none other than one of their waiters. I had no idea until that moment that all you have to do is ask, and for no extra charge, PF Chang's will load your entree with lots of extra vegetables. So whether your personal favorite is broccoli, carrots, red bell peppers, sugar snap peas, mushrooms or onions, you can have the chef toss lots of extras into your Mongolian Beef or Ginger Chicken. I love this idea! It is the way I cook at home. Speaking of secrets, my kids never knew they were getting their 6-8 servings of vegetables every day because their favorite dinners were secretly loaded with them. I have often chuckled to myself over the years when I overheard one of my sons saying "I don't like mushrooms and onions" because they were actually eating them every night, they just didn't know it.
The movement towards a more plant based diet isn't something that is just reserved for vegetarians and animals rights activists. Every single one of my professors in Nutrition School talked at length about the benefits of eating more vegetables. There is no shortage of evidence to back up the claims that your body will function better and last longer if you are fueling it with phyto-chemicals, antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. You are definitely not going to find nutrients, vitamins and amino acids at the bottom of a bucket of fried chicken or a bag of potato chips!
Another reason I think we should imitate PF Chang's is because they embrace the SLO movement - which means eating Seasonally, Local and Organic - which I highly recommend for each one of us. It is time to put down the popsicles and watermelon and embrace the bounty of the season - root vegetables like pumpkin, butternut squash, carrots and sweet potatoes, legumes, whole grains, green veggies, warming herbs like ginger and turmeric, and seasonal fruits such as apples, pears and pomegranates. As the temperatures continue to drop, it is important to stay nourished and warm and eating the correct foods is one way to do this.
So while you can spend time trying to copycat KFC's formula for their extra-crispy fried chicken, I would love it if you would join me in my "let's imitate Chang's" project. Stock your fridge, pantry and freezer with lots of vegetables - the ones you love and the ones you have always wanted to try. Add them into your soups, stews, salads, sauces and smoothies. Your kids and spouses may not notice, but all those extra nutrients will mean a healthier household. You will be doing yourself and your loved ones a huge favor by entering the upcoming holiday season feeling strong, healthy and energized. I have to warn you, however....you are going to look and feel so good, people are going to want to imitate you! Just remember...it's the highest form of flattery!