Old time logic
I heard something great the other day,
"If your great-grandmother wouldn't
recognize it as food, you probably shouldn't eat it." Makes sense to
me. My wife, Kelly, DVR's Oprah every day. She was watching an
episode the other day featuring Michael Pollan who is the author of 'The Omnivore's Dilemma', 'In Defense of Food', and
other books about food and diet. He said this in reference to the various
"edible, food-like substances" he now sees at the grocery
store. All of the prepackaged, processed foods that have become staples
of our diet are the same things that are making us terribly
unhealthy. We have become a people who thrive on convenience with a 'got
to have it now' mentality. But when that mentality affects the fuel that
powers our bodies, we have a major disconnect. Now, I'm not getting on
some pedestal, saying I'm all-knowing and you should eat the way I say,
but just take a look at some of the stupid-ass things in the grocery store and
think about what your great grandparents would think. Squeezable yogurt
in a tube? Give me a fucking break! Cookie dough in a shrink-wrapped
tube in the freezer section that you take home, cut into discs and bake?
Put it this way, if you ain't cracking eggs, you ain't making cookies.
You can drive a car with your feet if you have to, doesn't necessarily make it
a good idea. I saw a commercial last night for fruit that was prepackaged
into single serving portions, so convenient that you could eat it at your
desk! What a revolution! Yeah, I eat fruit all the time in a single
serving portion that's wrapped up all nice and pretty. That wrapping is
called a PEEL. What a concept. I'm certainly no authority on food,
but I simply ask you to really look at what you are eating and feeding your
family, and then ask yourself, "What would Nana think?"
Hi Penn. I'm Lisa, a friend of Kelly's. I agree with your post with one exception... I do use the grapefruit in a cup. I detest peeling grapefruit (too much pith) and I'm willing to pay a premium to get a healthy food choice that I will actually eat.
ReplyDeleteI can say, however, that I've never eaten cheese from a can, yogurt from a tube, peanut butter mixed with the jelly in one jar, fluffer nutter.
Eat well, live long!
I think we still have a little bit less of this in Sweden, but it is rapidly catching up un us... We have a discussion right now about thrombin which is supposed to "glue" pieces of meat together to look lika a filet for example. i find it disgusting!
ReplyDeletebtw, looking forward to follow your blog!
I think the essence of the thing is to realize the difference between food and food product. The former is what enabled you and your ancestors to survive and evolve to the point where they vex themselves with silly problems like this; the second is money-hungry bastards trying to kill you off. If you haven't already read them, I heavily recommend Michael Pollans' The Ominvore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food. Just remember, if it comes in a carton with writing saying it's "health food", avoid it like the plague
ReplyDeleteLoving your blog already. Thanks. I just got home from my kids school where we ground corn yesterday into meal and today added water, salt and lime. Ta-da, tortillas! I am constantly reminding my family that we shop only the perimeter of the store where the "real" foods are. But the brightly colored packaging with cartoon characters on the labels are forever calling to us. I spend hours in the kitchen making food that I can freeze so it can be more convenient when the hungries strike. We grow our own foods, buy grass fed, humanely raised meats and speak out to anyone who will listen. But the vast majority of Americans choose to live like cattle. It saddens me. Call me granola, but Capitalism and the Farm Bill are killing us!
ReplyDeleteI heard that new Pizza in a Cup was pretty good though. The owner drove the other Pizza in a Cup guy out of business. People come from all over to get the new pizza in a Cup.
ReplyDeleteWorst offenders of food-like substances.. tomatoes. Such a potentially beautiful, fragrant and flavorful food has been genetically manipulated into a poor excuse for an earth-grown fruit. As a good Southerner, I can only wonder why people eat it just because it is shaped like a tomato. Well, never mind. As a Southerner I should know that people will eat shit if it is shaped like a Twinkie.
ReplyDeleteEmma, we eat it because don't have any other options! There is a very short period for tomatoes in Sweden, even if green houses are used. :( I actually prefer canned tomatoes of good quality (not the cheap stuff) to the watery, greenish unripe stuff we get here in the winter...
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything except the cookie dough. That is THE perfect food, and I'll kindly ask you not to badmouth it.
ReplyDelete