In Defense of Food

Wow, we eat a lot of things that are bad for us. This book is not about looking for nutrients or trying to get more vitamin C. It’s about eating food. In fact that is the premise of the book “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants” explains the authors entire philosophy on food.

I had been thinking about my eating habits before I read this book. I want to get into the best shape of my life, and had begun wondering if the stuff I was putting into my body made a bigger difference than I had previously thought. “In Defense of Food” divided the world into food and food substitutes. The author argued, convincingly, that there is a marked difference in taste, quality, and health benefits between mass produced agro-business food products, and organic local produce and meats. Further, he explains how fake foods, like margarine, got on the shelves of supermarkets, and how a reductionist scientific approach has led to food that is not as healthy as what our ancestors ate.

When I read the book I began to think of some eating experiences that stood out for me. My grandmother would buy whole milk that was so fresh cream would form at the top. I remembered hating 2% milk that I drank at home because it tasted like water and being absolutely in love with the bottled local milk at my grandmothers. I thought about the first time I ate free range chicken at my girlfriend’s mothers house and how I didn’t even realize it was chicken because the bones were so thick and the meat so flavorful. I remembered the taste of fresh chicken in Kenya which only had a little salt and tomatoes stewed with it.

As a percentage of our income, Americans pay less than most other people for our food. The reason is not that we produce inexpensive food. We pay less because we eat a cheap substitute for good food. It is less healthy and it doesn’t taste as good. I rate “In Defense of Food” a buy. The book has made me determined to spend a little bit more for my food, because after all this stuff goes in my body and why settle for crappy food when a healthier alternative is available that TASTES better.