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Healthy Eating Means NOT Buying Foods That Are Advertised
May 19, 2009 at 10:00 AM by Cafe Sheri - Comments (8)
Photo by MegaMamaTX
Is your appetite driven by delicious advertising?
I'm guilty. A Jack in the Box commercial can lead me straight into an all-night milkshake obsession. I've been known to clammer for a block of cream cheese after passing a Philadelphia Cream Cheese billboard. And heck, if Tina Fey mentions donuts one more time on 30 Rock, I'm going to go into sugar shock!
So what happens when eating well really comes down to *not* eating all those yummy things that get advertised at us?
Michael Pollan, professor of science and environmental journalism at University of California, Berkeley, and author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma and his latest, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto always has a lot of interesting things to say about the quandaries of eating well. He's also well known for coining the phrase, "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." And not sure if he was the first to present it, but he taught me to shop the outer periphery of the grocery store because that's where all the fresh food is displayed.
In Mr. Pollan's recent interview with Amy Goodman on Alternet, "Don't Buy Any Food You've Ever Seen Advertised," the two talk about the keenly honed, if not manipulative, way that advertising works in favor of the food industry.
When people were worried about fat, the food industry found a way to engineer foods to lower the fat content—but not necessarily to make those, usually highly processed, foods any better for us. And now that people are worried about foods containing high fructose corn syrup, the industry is finding a way to market real sugar with a positive and even healthful swing.
Michael Pollan once again breaks healthy eating down though, "...if you want to avoid all this, simply don’t buy any food you’ve ever seen advertised. Ninety-four percent of ad budgets for food go to processed food. I mean, the broccoli growers don’t have money for ad budgets. So the real food is not being advertised. And that’s really all you need to know."
Hmmm, more good, healthful eating advice to live by. But is it really that simple for average families?
Tell me. Could your family live off fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and other real, unprocessed foods that are not advertised?
Read the entire interview with Michael Pollan, in which he also discusses swine flu, taxing soft drinks, Cheerios' claim to reduce cholesterol, and more.
FILED UNDER: eating healthy
Comments:
We can and pretty much do eat the simple, unprocessed, homemade (even homegrown) foods.
Funny. My brother ate 2 meals of fast food every day for a month - he was pulling all nighters at work a few times a week. After that month, he had to get a physical for work and the doc told him that he'd never seen anyone in better health than my brother.
But an answer to the question - yes. If I had the dedication, I would love to "convert" my family into all fruits, veggies, grains, and unprocessed foods. I plan to plant a veggie garden next year - we just moved here and haven't had the time with a toddler and a newborn. All I've planted this year is strawberries.
I agree 100% with what he is saying. And his books are fantastic.
One exception: The Incredibe, Edible Egg.
clamor. I'm just saying.
sorry.Health foods are just nasty.Which is to bad too for those of us who want to lose weight but dont want to eat something that all tastes the same
We eat very simply. The only food I go out to buy is Jamba Juice and that is hardly bad for you. I don't care for fast food, it all tastes like salt to me. I do like the side salads though, most of the time they are only a dollar.
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interesting post...the movie "Supersize me" is a true documentary of a man who ate only McDonalds for 30 days....he gained a lot of weight and almost killed his liver. I think part of the obesity issues in this country are due to so many processed foods. It is amazing how much healthier "cooking from scratch" is...even just soaking and cooking your own black beans, vs. buying canned can save you from a ton of sodium.
energygirl May. 19, 2009 at 10:39 AM