ROTTEN FOOD
31 08 2009I’m about to write the kind of entry that I haven’t written in a long time. A big long ranting, preaching to the choir entry. So I suggest you grab a drink and sit back for the long haul.
I mentioned earlier that Chris and I saw Food Inc. over the weekend. Some things in the movie were not new to me, but there were other things that made me start questioning even some of the soy products I occasionally eat. In fact, the minute we got into that car, I burst into tears and wailed that there is nothing, NOTHING, I can eat now. I new this was coming. I started getting a tightness in my chest during the opening credits and there were times during the movie where I was actually clawing at my face.
I used to feel guilty about the amount and types of food I ate simply because it was unhealthy and I was fat. Now, my guilt issues with food has to do with the global impact of that food item on the environment. And people, it’s not good. Really, we should be ashamed of ourselves. Last week Dooce received a lot of criticism for using Twitter to get her washing machine fixed. It was said that she was being a bully and she was abusing her “power”. I’m sorry, but if I spend $1300 on a washing machine, I’m going to demand real and honest customer service too by any means possible. We’ve let the same thing happen with our food. We’ve gotten this mentality that we owe the big companies, that they are doing us the favor. Bullshit! It’s our money. We should demand better. We should demand better service, better products, better FOOD! There’s not enough people asking the question “why?” and that needs to change right the fuck now. There is no reason why a family of four should have to choose the dollar menu at McDonald’s over buying fresh vegetables like broccoli at the grocery store because it’s the cheaper solution, even though they know that the food is slowly killing them. We are better then this.
This month Chris and I start the grand experiment of eating locally grown or organic food only. Can we do it with our measly budget? Chris is more optimistic then I am, but he’s always been my food champion sending things back for me when the order is wrong, supporting my move to vegetarianism. We’ve figured out that we’ll have to go to at least three different places to get a decent selection and price for our groceries, but I think the hassle will be worth it. No more sitting at the couch, watching TV during meal times either. We’ve cleared the table and we’re working hard to keep it that way. Also, we’re going to try to plan a potluck dinner once a month for friends and family with the focus of the dinners being good wholesome foods.
It’s time to stop being lazy and apathetic. I may not be able to convince everyone why ammonia washed meat isn’t a good buy or why companies like Monsanto are ruining American farming. But I can make a change for me. I can take a stand on how I spend my money. Every time I buy organic in the grocery store, I’m voting. I’m voting for the foods I want to see as a norm in the stores. And little by little, I will make a difference.
I know, Cindy, I know, I know, I know. BLARGH. I will see that film, too, when we get a chance.
I had been angling our family toward a more vegan way of eating than vegetarian, but I have recently given that up. I think dairy can be harvested humanely, but it rarely is, so I thought, “Well, let’s be vegans.” But I’m off that now (for a whole bunch of dull reasons). Now, we’re just going to make a better effort at trying to purchase humane dairy products.
Your attempt to be locavores (or more locavore-ish) is going to be really, really cool. I want you to keep us posted on it, because I’m really interested. If you guys have some luck, maybe Tom and I will try it too.
A few things-
Even if you take the environment out of the equation, it is amazingly bad for your health to eat all that crap.
Now, me, I want to eat healthy. I want my kids to eat healthy. To me, that means local, organic, and preservative free (we still eat meat and dairy). It is also looking like my middle son is allergic to wheat (not gluten- wheat), which means we have the added problem of avoiding all wheat products. Avoiding wheat can get expensive! I just spent some time looking at how much it is going to cost to go wheat free and I am not happy!
It feels wrong that it is so expensive to eat local food. What I really want is to grow my own food. That is my goal for next year. I want to grow as many of my own fresh fruits and vegetables as I can. If that means turning my entire yard into a garden, fine. The neighbors will just have to deal with it. I don’t like mowing, anyway. A yard is not the most ecologically sound way to utilize the ground, anyway, especially if you’re mowing it every week.
But, good luck. I know it will be tough. Have you looked to see if there is a CSA close to you? That might cut down on some of your costs.
Also, Tiffany, as far as humanely harvested dairy products (and meat products), you should look into kosher products. Kosher regulations are extremely strict in how you can treat the animal. It can be very difficult to find them, though, if there’s not a large Jewish population where you live.
Kristina, I didn’t even touch on the health risk of eating that crap because I didn’t want this entry to turn into a novel. Our local CSA has a waiting list and I’ve been able to split some baskets with my boss, but it’s been really limited and sketchy this year (we haven’t had a basket in three weeks). I agree with growing your own. My parents did it for years. It’s just not something Chris and I are in a position to do in our current home, but that will change when we move.
Gluten free is nearly impossible here. You will become an amazing label reader though.
I am with you until the wheels come off!
And just like Al Gore and the light bulbs….it takes one person at a time to change the utter complete horrible madness that has become food in our country.
I encourage you to read In Defense of Food by Michael Pollen.
It helped me.
I was shopping EBAY for a plastic bubble suit and trying to figure out how to survive in the pesticide covered world and the book opened me up and lifted me up.
I am gosh darn proud and inspired by you and Chris….
babe, you make it look easy!
And bravo! bravo! on dinnertime!
Slow food for us all!
Part of the problem is that we don’t talk about food as food anymore. When companies talk, they talk about nutrition. And now we do it to. You can exist on a bland protein paste that is nutritious.
When we visited Seattle and Portland, we ate all the time, and I still lost weight. I didn’t overeat because the food was more than tasty; it was satisfying.
I belong to a CSA and get supplemental fruits and veg at the farmers market. The boy and I at least once a week get our dinner meat there as well, but it is soooo expensive….and now that I have the added allergies eating well is just going to cost more. Because of the yeast problem and the cow’s milk problem, I can only eat blue cheese made from goat’s milk. $22.99/lb.
I have to buy rice pastas and quinoa ringing in at $5-7 per bag.
So, my living better efforts are both conscious and forced, but dang it, I better come out of this the picture of health.
One of my big things about eating locally is it also forces you to eat seasonally….foods just taste better when you eat them in season. So, at least we got that going for us.
I just re-read that and I seem very incoherent.