Saturday, August 28, 2010

Are you going to eat that?

    What is food?  Please see definitions below:

food

-noun 1. any nourishing substance that is eaten, drunk, or otherwise taken into the body to sustain life, provide energy, promote growth, etc.  (dictionary.com)

also:

Food is any substance or material[1] eaten to provide nutritional support for the body or for pleasure. (en.wikipedia.org)

     People eat a lot of foods that are non-nutritive: I know two year old's who eat paste, glue and crayons for pleasure. What about people who have pica? Those who have this disorder eat dirt, paper, clay and soap.  


    I would never tell you what to eat, and this is not about eating healthily (phew, thank god, you can keep reading!).  However,... I care about you, and I have a very important question to ask: Are Pringles food?  A few years back there was debate about whether Pringles were indeed a "potato chip", as they are made up of less than 50% potato product.  The majority of the starch in Pringles is wheat, so Proctor & Gamble was forced to change the name to "potato crisp".  Pringles are actually made of dehydrated potato flakes, and a special machine was developed which molds them into their now famous saddle shape.

     So, does a Pringle fit the definition of food? (I am going so easy on you,I haven't even mentioned the Olestra debacle, that had folks on the "run" (yes, you remember!).  Could Pringles  sustain you on a desert island until help arrived? Probably, yes. Could you make better food choices when not fighting to survive? Please say yes, please say yes!


     I do not have it in for Pringles.  I think they are cute, and I remember the ads from the '70's.  However, I want to make good food choices, and buying a "food" that isn't even made up of the item it pretends to be is not me at my educated consumer best.  When I have a craving for potato chips I would reach for a bag of Cape Cod Chips that look like real potato slices fried in oil (yum!).  (I do not work for Cape Cod Chips, I swear!)

     How cool is this blog? I am not telling you to stop eating potato chips, I am asking you to eat real potato chips, or real whatever else it is that you want to eat.  Get the real deal.  We have the airline industry, the auto industry, the food industry?!!  Yes, that's right, the industrial revolution changed the way we made our food.  And there is a whole industry in place that will keep making up new "foods", fats and sweeteners as long as we continue to buy them.  

     I don't want you to pound your own corn and make your own tortilla chips.  We have busy lives and we need a little help. Just think before you buy, go for the least processed, most real food you can find.  To paraphrase Michael Pollan "If your grandmother wouldn't recognize it, it's not food." http://michaelpollan.com/books/in-defense-of-food/ 

     Now, get out there and make me proud! Eat real food!  

'Til next time,

Julie
   

    

    


    


    

2 comments:

  1. Oh Jule, I totally agree. I have been against "Fake Food" for a very long time. Ever since I tried to make my own pizza using fat free mozarella and the darn stuff would not melt!!! I left it in the oven so long that I burned the crust but the cheese just sat there! Gross! Please, it really does not take that long to prepare & cook some great tasting & dare I say, healthy meals. Your bod will thank you for it! Brianne

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  2. Nice article,,,choices we make today are creating a larger society. We have replaced our diets with food that contains preservatives, growth hormones, and non-natural sweeteners. Our meat products, filled with growth hormones to bring the harvest to market sooner, are making young females to physically mature at an earlier age and creating a larger body mass in most children. Coupled with the fact that our children are confining themselves to a life of video games, computer social networking, and less outdoor activity. We, as a society must look within ourselves and find the proper nutrition and physical activities to sustain a healthier lifestyle....in essence,,,I enjoyed your insight on this article...Keep it up!! Todd E.

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