A GREAT Read – “Food Rules”

I love to listen to NPR (my kids, on the other hand, are less fond of this practice). 

Nonetheless, during a recent listen I learned of another fantastic book by Michael Pollan, “Food Rules“.  The food/eating/health advice that pummels all of us every day is enough to make most heads spin.  This book, however, breaks down the labyrinth into a manageable guide, one often so basic that I laugh to think I needed direction.  In case you don’t come across the book on your own, I’ll go ahead and share some of Pollan’s notions here.

Rule #1 – “Eat Food”.  Duh.  Not so easy though.  He makes a distinction between the plants, animals and fungi folks have been eating for centuries and the edible products dreamt up by food scientists, those WAY processed items with so many ingredients none of us would ever find in our own pantries (Ethoxylated diglycerides? Calcium propionate?).  He encourages us to note the difference between real food and “industrial novelties”. 

Basically, if a third grader can’t pronounce an ingredient, put the thing back on the shelf (although perhaps you have a very precocious third grader).