Healthy Bytes

Eat Food, Not Food Products

Sound advice from Michael Pollan, author of “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”.

After all, food products are made by food companies who’s main objective is the bottom line – profit. They are beholden to their shareholders who expect the maximum return on their investment. Not your health. Period.

Food, on the other hand, is made by Mother Nature and her main objective is to support life.

So let’s eat some good food in all it’s natural glory.

But wait –what distinguishes real food from food products? Well, there are degrees but let’s say food is closest to it’s original form and food products are processed to some degree with or without additives. Some examples…

Food is oat groats or oatmeal versus the extreme food product – “Cherrios”

Food is eggs versus “Egg Beaters”

Food is a fresh apple or dried apples versus apple juice or the extreme product – X brand’s “Apple Fruit Snack Pie”

Food is a handful of raw nuts and dried fruit versus a calorie, er – “energy” bar

Food is a platter of fresh vegetables or home cooked vegetable soup versus the extreme product – “Vegetable Ritz” crackers

Food is roasted free-range chicken versus a frozen commercially made chicken pot pie or fast food fried chicken.

So here we go – eating Food means…

Starting the day off with some oatmeal, free-range eggs or fruit and nuts.

Need a snack – veggies, fruit, nuts or a piece of cheese

Lunch? A hearty home made soup or maybe a sandwich of whole grain bread, or piece of chicken with salad.

A nourishing dinner? Roast free-range chicken (or homemade chicken pot pie) and a pile of fresh veggies quickly sautéed or steamed.

This entry was posted on Sun, 12.Nov.2006 at 9:29 am and is filed under Nutrition, Lifestyle. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.