Best Place to Get a Healthy Meal in KCK

It's hard to stay healthy in the inner city. Sometimes it seems the only dining choices are artery-cloggers like Burger King, KFC and McD's. But thanks to the United Nation of Islam (not to be confused with Louis Farrakhan's Nation of Islam) there's a safe alternative. Your Diner on Quindaro Boulevard is more than a restaurant, it's a pathway to a better life. Its tasty entrees are crafted from organic vegetables -- tomatoes, squash, potatoes, onions, zucchini, garlic and even wheat for fresh-baked bread -- trucked in from the UNoI's farms in Maryland and West Virginia. The only meats served are salmon and white fish delivered fresh from Alaska. According to James 2X, national secretary for UNoI, the restaurant is part of the group's ongoing effort to "magnify life" within the hearts and souls of individuals and, subsequently, in the community at large. As such, Your Diner is not so much a restaurant as it is a community center. Meals are prepared by neighborhood children who learn from adult volunteers "the ins and outs of the health food industry," 2X says. Your Diner is part of a growing industry of goodwill in KCK, where UNoI members have also established a grocery store, an auto garage and an apartment complex. Missourians take heart: Work is under way for similar restaurants and shops around Paseo.