Okay, people — let’s get serious. If you want change to happen, you have to help make it happen. You know the old saying: "If you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’ll keep getting what you’ve been getting." So if we want to have healthier options available at fast food eateries, we have to encourage it.

One thing that fast food places seldom offer is a whole-grain bun option. I’m not saying that they should toss all their denatured white buns into the dumpster — although that would be great. I’m suggesting that they have 100% whole-grain buns available as an option. Imagine going to Burger Thing and making this order: "Give me the roasted chicken sandwich, no mayo, extra pickles, on whole wheat!" That would be great!

If every fast-food emporium would have 100% whole-wheat buns available — preferably sugar-free, while we are making things better — the health of the entire fast-food-eating population would improve. Don’t sell the idea short. The buns would cost the eateries only a few pennies each. At the end of the day, any WW buns left over can be donated to charity, a tax-writeoff.

Customers will enjoy more fiber and vitamins, which bestow many benefits. The eateries gain good publicity for doing something beneficial for the population at… ahem… large, and they will improve their business. Everybody wins!

How to make this happen?

I suggest starting with B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own Bread). When you know that you will be eating at a fast-food place, bring along a well-wrapped whole-wheat bun. There is at least one brand of 100% whole-wheat, sugar-free bun available in many supermarkets. Second choice would be a whole-wheat bun made with sugar, or (shudder) HFCS. But we have to start somewhere.

When you order your burger or other sandwich, ask for it on a whole wheat bun. When they tell you they don’t have such an option, bring out your bun! They won't use it, but you can make the switch yourself. And be sure to let them know that you want them to carry this option in the future!

As one of the well-known fast fooderies used to say, "Hey, it could happen!"

In the meantime, B.Y.O.B.