How You Vote Every Week and May Not Realize It

At the end of the film “Food, Inc.”, we are reminded that every time we as consumers buy food at the grocery store, we are essentially voting with our wallet and choosing the way we want the food industry in our county to go. A perfect example of this reality happened to me this past weekend when I went to wholesale store Costco. I was drawn there by the allure of more affordable new tires for my car. While they worked their magic, I had some time on my hands and wandered around the store.

The last time I shopped at Costco was probably in the 90's with my mom, stocking up on Bagel Bites and Chicken Taquitos . Let me tell you, a lot has changed since those days, and I believe that it has everything to do with customer demand.

Every aisle held surprises as I noticed a startling amount of healthy foods: bags of frozen fish fillets, huge jars of almond butter for $5, bags of steel-cut oats, and organic chicken and beef. The samples we tried (always the best part of a Costco trip) included free-range chicken meatballs, fruit smoothies made in a Vitamix blender, and Organic Tuscan Italian dressing (made with sea salt) on vegetables.

This was a far cry from the Whitecastle frozen mini hamburgers I remember being offered on childhood visits to Costco. While the store may still stock the freezers with Bagel Bites, they are also adding a lot of health-conscious selections. At least where this business is concerned, the voice of the people is being heard and catered to. So never underestimate the power of your vote for organic/local produce and free-range/grass-fed/sustainable meats!

And in case you’re wondering if the Costco hot dogs taste better now than in the past, the answer is sadly: not really. But I had to check just in case, because hey, $1.50 with drink included is hard to turn down. I never learn.

Redemption at the Church Potluck

This Sunday, our church had an informal potluck in honor of Father’s Day after the services had concluded. Having recently read "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollen, the spread of food offerings depressed me somewhat in the sense that it seemed representative of all that is wrong with the way we eat in America today. Quantity trumps quality. Processed food reigns and we consider American cheese and white bread an acceptable sandwich. I watch as the re-heated frozen meatballs becomes the first dish to be emptied by the hungry crowd. Meanwhile, children make a grab for the sugary Twizzlers and cocoa puff-marshmallow squares for dessert. Even the veggie trays cradles sad, faded, pre-cut specimens that probably saw their best day sometime a week ago.

Then, in the middle of the table, a shining beacon of hope: Slices of our bishop’s wife’s famous homemade bread and chunky strawberry jam (possibly homemade). Now, that’s more like it! As Michael Pollen and Jamie Oliver have asserted, the hope of America’s health relies on a return to homemade, real food like our great-grandparents would have eaten 100 years ago.

Yes, I know that men and women today are busy and their priorities may not place old-fashioned acts such as making bread at the top of their to-do list. But biting into that slice of fresh bread spread with berry preserves reminded me of everything that is good about life. It showed that someone was willing to honor the fathers in our life by investing a piece of themselves and their time in the act of nourishing the body and soul.

So if you get a chance, make something from scratch this week for someone you love. Here’s a recipe for strawberry jam to help you get started thinking of the possibilities.

Fresh Strawberry Jam

Adapted from a recipe by Ina Garten

2 cups sugar
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
1 1/2 pints fresh strawberries, hulled and halved

Directions

Combine the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over very low heat for 10 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved. Add the strawberries and continue to cook over very low heat until the strawberries release some of their juices and the mixture boils slowly. Continue to cook until a small amount of the juice gels on a very cold plate. (I keep one in the freezer.) Total cooking time may be around 40-60 minutes, but will vary.

Pour carefully into 2 pint canning jars and either seal or keep refrigerated. Use immediately, or follow proper canning guidelines to preserve them.

My Thoughts on "Food, Inc."

Last night, I watched the much-hyped movie "Food, Inc." It felt like a condensation of two best-selling books ("Fast Food Nation" and "The Omnivore’s Dilemma") put on film. It was an excellent reminder (and perhaps educational tool for the non-readers out there) concerning the industrial system that controls food production and the perils of eating in America. It also reminded me to consider where my food comes from, particularly when grocery shopping or choosing where to eat out.

I really liked the end of the movie, in which the film points out that each time we make a purchase at the grocery store, we are essentially voting: organic or non, free-range or CAFO-produced meat, natural or genetically modified.

Even in an economy in which a product’s price weighs heavily in consumer decisions, there is room for improvement. While not everyone’s budget can support a weekly trip to Whole Foods, we can all choose to eat less meat, and to choose "free-range" over the bad boys of the Industry, such as Tyson. We can buy organic produce such as apples, where it really makes a difference, even if we can’t afford to go organic all the time. We can patronize farmer's markets when possible. Overall, it was an inspiring movie.

Quirky Food Rules

The official web site of Bon Appetit magazine, Epicurious.com, recently interviewed food expert Michael Pollen (of The Omnivore’s Dilema fame) about his recently published book, Food Rules. Pollen, a proponent of grass-fed cattle and free-range chicken and adversary of all foods "fake", discusses how his prescription for eating "real food" in moderation and sidestepping the Western diet increases health, prevents disease, and lengthens life.

Pollen says the rules in his new book developed naturally from the mantra he came up with in his book In Defense of Food: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

Here are some of Pollen’s Quirky Food Rules:

Rule 20:
It's not food if it arrived through the window of your car.

Rule 21:It's not food if it's called by the same name in every language (think Big Mac, Cheetos, or Pringles).

Rule 26:Drink the spinach water.

Rule 32:Don't overlook the oily little fishes.

Rule 36:Don't eat breakfast cereals that change the color of the milk.

Rule 57:
Don't get your fuel from the same place your car does

I found these questions to be thought-conducive and prompted me to re-evaluate and think more carefully about where I obtain my food and the nutritional levels of it. Favorite rules, anyone?