I remember one very hungry afternoon, after dragging our three disinterested, energetic kids through a downtown museum, guiltily suggesting to my linen napkin mother-in-law, that, “Maybe we could just drive through somewhere…” I was surprised when her response was, “Sometimes you just want to get the meal over with.” Yep.

As it turns out, 20% of all American meals are eaten in the car. One fourth of the population eats fast food every day. I suspect that the reason for this is that thinking about, planning for, and preparing meals is time consuming. It takes attention. If you are like me, you long for someone else to pick up some of the slack. And it isn’t even that it’s so hard, it’s that it’s so redundant. Add to that the ever shifting recommendations about how we “should” and “should not” eat, – and any escape seems preferable.

If we all had endless hours and dollars, dieticians with a clear understanding of which foods were best and in what amounts, and cooks that knew how to prepare them well, the considered meal would not be so difficult. But the truth is we all only have so much time and attention. We need to dole that out carefully.

One way to simplify driving through is to think color, green especially. Almost all fast food establishments now offer salad, or “wrap” options, or grilled versions of what were once only available as deep fried choices. Apples slices in pre-packed kids meals can be requested separately, and “special orders” can help move a carbohydrate and fat laden meal into something lighter in calories and higher in nutrition. Milk or water instead of soda are other healthier options for “on the go” eating.

Do Something 11 facts about American eating habits

WSJ A look at average US diet

US News 5 food and fitness trends

Kimchee – what I call one of the world’s healthiest foods — is a dish that only someone very experienced in its preparation can make.

It’s also something that just about anyone can whip up.

If I’ve confused you, let me explain. And then I want you to get going chopping some bok choy!

Because I’ve discovered a super-easy recipe that includes a secret ingredient that will have your kimchee tasting like a master chef made it.

Kimchee is a beloved Korean side dish made up of napa cabbage, bok choy, daikon radishes, scallions and spices. Just about every Korean family has its own special recipe — some methods for preparation can date back hundreds of years. And each one has its own unique flavor and “hot” scale rating.

In traditional kimchee-making, the ingredients are even buried in earthen containers to enhance fermentation. Because true “classic” kimchee is a fermented food – just as sauerkraut, yogurt and pickles are.

Fermentation is basically the production of “good” or beneficial bacteria (which beats out the pathogens, or bad ones). Foods were fermented long before refrigeration came along, since it is also a method of preservation. And while there’s a whole new movement of “home” fermenting, it’s something that has a bit of a learning curve to it.

Which brings me back to my recipe – one that doesn’t ferment the veggies, but will still give you a highly nutritious and tasty side dish that goes really well with a whole bunch of other foods.

So here’s my quick and easy kimchee recipe, which has been successfully taste-tested on a professional chef (one who worked in Hawaii and knows how “real” kimchee should taste).

It may look like it has a lot of ingredients, but it’s really simple, basically softened cabbage that’s flavored with spices.

• 2 heads of napa cabbage
• 1 head of bok choy
• If you can find them: 2 or 3 daikon radishes, sliced into thin strips (they look like white carrots)
• 6 scallions, sliced at an angle
• 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• One-half to 1 teaspoon crushed dried hot red chilie peppers (I used an organic crushed red pepper from the spice aisle, which was not as “hot” as the real thing would be).
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Secret ingredient: 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (Note: this is not something you’ll find in any traditional Korean kimchee recipe. But because of the anchovies and unique flavor of this condiment, it’s an easy way to add some “real” kimchee taste to your dish).
• Kosher salt for soaking the cabbage

Cut the cabbage and bok choy into pieces of about an inch or so. In a big bowl (the biggest one you have), dissolve 3 tablespoons of kosher salt in a cup or so of water.

Put all the cut cabbage and bok choy into the bowl with the salted water. Mix it around and then add more water just to cover it all. Then refrigerate it overnight. The salt water softens the cabbage and allows it to soak up the spices later.

After soaking for 8 to 10 hours in the fridge, drain it and rinse the veggies well to get off any extra salt. Rinse any salt residue out of that really big bowl.

Mix the garlic, ginger, sugar, chilies and Worcestershire together and add that to the rinsed cabbage, bok choy, scallions and daikon that’s back in your big bowl. Mix it well and portion into small “canning” jars. Cover and put in the fridge for at least two days for all the flavors to combine before serving.

Serve with rice, noodles, fish, and salads, or just as a really tasty and healthy side dish.

Although soy products have not historically been part of the American diet, they are definitely becoming a part of it  –  a big part of it.   If we lived in Japan, we would be eating some form of soy literally every day, often in every meal!  Miso soup, a broth made from fermented soy and containing pieces of tofu, is served at every meal – even breakfast.  It is good and tasty soup!!

When talking about soy, we could go in many different directions. Is soy milk healthier than cow’s milk?  Does it matter if the soy is non-GMO (not genetically modified)?  Is soy considered a complete protein?  Can you develop a soy allergy?

These are all important topics, but, today, I’d like to briefly talk about the link between breast cancer and soy.  This is a complex topic.  What I’ll cover here is just some of the latest info from the medical literature.

Soybeans contain isoflavones which are phytoestrogens  –  plant based substances that mimic estrogen.  Estrogen is a hormone made by both women and men.  Most (but not all) breast cancers are “estrogen receptor positive”.  So, you can see the connection  –  if most breast cancers are linked to estrogen then couldn’t eating a phytoestrogen that mimics estrogen cause a problem?  It is a big topic in the medical community.

We know that Asian women eat a lot of soy throughout their lives and that they have a lower occurrence of breast cancer.  In a study from Georgetown University  “Is soy consumption good or bad for the breast?” They state: “Results reviewed here suggest that women consuming moderate amounts of soy throughout their life have lower breast cancer risk than women who do not consume soy.”  They also looked at the effect of soy isoflavone after a breast cancer diagnosis and concluded: “ … that a moderate consumption of diet containing this isoflavone does not increase the risk of breast cancer recurrence in Western women, and Asian breast cancer survivors exhibit better prognosis if they continue consuming a soy diet.”  So, based on this published data, it seems reasonable to eat some soy based products.  That is good information.

However, a different study  just published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute presents new information that looked at 140 women who had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.  In this study, all of the women drank a protein beverage for 7 to 30 days before surgery was performed.  Half the women got a soy protein drink and half got a milk protein drink.  In the soy drinking group there were several genes that were activated that would generally increase the growth rate of breast cancer cells.  This was not seen in the milk protein group.  Their conclusion was: “These findings raise the concern that in a subset of women soy could adversely affect gene expression in breast cancer.”

Confusing right?  Yes.  So, is it necessary to avoid soy if you are worried about breast cancer?  There is no complete clarity on this issue.  I definitely recommend working with your trusted healthcare professional as you make the decision.

Oh, and, for the record, I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer over 20 years ago.  I am delightfully healthy.  I comfortably include soy in my diet.  I enjoy it in moderation and, I really enjoy it!  I eat other good things too.  In my medical practice, each person’s desires and circumstances are considered as we put together a game plan.  I’m not your doctor, so I’m not giving you medical advice.  One of my strong recommendations is “to be aware and use good judgment”.  So, if you decide to include soy in your diet, it makes sense to do so in moderation.  That’s how it is eaten in Japan!