There isn’t a problem with food in America, unless you look into it. I just finished reading In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto
To be honest, for a few years I’ve felt a bit of superiority (limited solely to inner monologue and the like) in regards to my eating habits. I don’t eat out much. I don’t eat a ton of “bad” food. And especially no fast food. Buying the “healthy” stuff at the grocery store gave me a guilt free pass to eat whatever I wanted, silently snickering at the people who filled their carts amongst the rows of frozen foods, the meat department (I am not a vegetarian, but have cut back on meat dramatically in the last few years), and the chips & snacks isle.
(photo courtesy of dce)Anyway, as it turns out, most of the food in the supermarket is so processed that we should hardly consider it food at all.
Basically, up until now, food has served a more utilitarian role in my life. I am not reluctant to eat by any stretch of the imagination (I don’t have the unhealthy love/hate relationship that many do), but basically I eat for no other reason than because I know I need nourishment.
But it stops now. I am going to clean up my act which means:
- Eating locally grown food whenever possible (which sadly means some adherence to the seasonality and whims of mother nature)
- Eating responsibly grown food (grass fed meats, organic is good, but doesn’t trump local)
- Eating real food (no boxed foods that were created in a General Mills lab somewhere)
- Enjoying food!
(photo courtesy of .michael.newman.)This blog will be an account of my journey into the world of natural, local food. Don’t worry, it won’t be preachy. Stick around…you might even be inspired to adopt some new eating habits you didn’t know you needed…
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Hi Ryan. I enjoyed reading your comments about food etc. I read Pollan’s book in the winter - and am still reeling from the whole “everything is corn” realization. Have you read Animal Vegetable Miracle yet? Do yourself a favor and listen to it on tape - it’s amazing and fascinatng. See you at the market.
What a fantastic idea for a blog! Way to go Ryan for recognizing what is out there - it is true 75% of food in a grocery store is unhealthy for us in one way or another - so sad…. And yet most don’t think twice to stop and think about it and then we wonder where our diseases come from, etc.
Congrats on your lifestyle change - your body will thank you greatly!