The importance of Food

Do you know what the leaves of a potato plant look like? Do you know what vegetables are ready early in the season and which ones aren’t available until fall? Do you know where your food actually comes from? 
Most people these days are completely disconnected from the farms where their food is grown. We shop in grocery stores where all the food we could possibly want is at our fingertips and is nearly dirt cheap. We make buying decisions on price differences of thirty cents, we buy pre-packaged microwave-ready dinners because we won’t have time to cook, and we fill our shopping carts with flavor and chemicals rather than fresh vegetables and whole grains.

Maybe you disagree, but I think something has gone terribly wrong here. Somewhere along the line of urbanization, big agriculture, and high fructose corn syrup making everything cheap and delicious… we forgot the importance of food.

Of all the things that we buy in life, food is the one thing that we actually need to survive. Sure, a house is pretty important, certainly a more basic need than a cell phone… but food and water are literally our most basic needs. They are our sustenance, the things that we consume multiple times a day in order to nourish our bodies and keep chugging on. When we eat, each time of each day, we should realize the importance of that act, the importance of the food we chose to nourish ourselves, and be grateful. There is food on your table, and you will not go hungry.

The phrase “you are what you eat” has never been truer than today in a world of synthetic foods and flavor. Do you think that the food you buy in boxes is as good for your body as fruits and vegetables? Everything we eat once came from nature, and a carrot is far closer to that than an oreo. Think about the pre-packaged meals in cans and freezer bags that have a shelf life of five years, they’ve been so packed with preservatives that you should be glad you don’t understand the ingredient list.

Now, I would like to stress the importance of local food. When you buy food from your farmer, you know that it’s fresh. Maybe you don’t have one in your town, but try to find nearby farmers’ markets. These are an amazing opportunity to talk to the farmer, ask about practices and pesticides, and learn a little bit about what foods are seasonally and locally available to you. You can also meet amazing people in your community, make connections, and maybe even facilitate a community potluck and try other people’s cooking! If there aren’t farmers’ markets nearby, try to shop at small/sustainable businesses, pay more attention to where the food comes from, and always read the ingredient lists.

You may say; all this sounds expensive! And in response I ask, is food important to you? Would you be willing to spend more money if it meant having a healthier body? Spending money on healthier food might mean spending less money on health care because you’ll already be healthy! It may seem like a lot at first, but think about it: how much do you actually spend on your food compared to your bills, technology, recreational shopping, driving, and simple conveniences in life? For the average American, less than 7% of all their spending is on food (http://civileats.com/2011/03/29/mapping-global-food-spending-infographic/), whereas the rest of the world is closer to 30% on average. Many people don’t have the money to eat healthy, but many more just think they don’t. You have the power to say that food is important to you, and that you will make the funds available to buy more fresh, non-processed food. If you do this, over time, your body will thank you.

I don’t mean to make this sound simple, because I know it’s hard. Here are some ideas. Go shopping with the meals of the week in mind. This will reduce excess spending, reduce waste from vegetables going bad, and will keep you motivated to make the meals which you bought ingredients for. A very simple way to eat – especially for small families or people living alone – is to make a big meal (like a pot of soup or a stir fry) at the beginning of the week, and eat that every day for dinner. I also personally suggest sandwiches, because that’s a delicious way to get raw vegetables in your day (and raw veggies are even better than cooked ones). Take the time to think about what’s important to you, what’s available to you, and what you could do as a simple change to start.

Buy grains and beans and spices. Buy cookbooks. Get excited about cooking, put on some music. When you eat, sit down at a table with your family, or face a window if you’re by yourself, and enjoy the activity of eating. Don’t watch tv, don’t absorb yourself in something extraneous. Your food will be gone before you know it, so at least give it your attention and appreciation while it’s still there.

By the way:

Also, to search for nearby farmers’ markets: http://www.farmersmarket.com/

Eat well, live well.
~Rori