Finally watched Food, Inc

I have been trying to eat well for a long time. I cook from scratch most of the time and I try to buy organic and sustainable produce and meat. I make yogurt, I used to make all of our bread, we don't eat at fast food restaurants, I limit our meat intake, and I try to eat as little processed food as possible.

I've read "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver, "Omnivore's Dilemma" and "Food Rules" by Michael Pollan. In my huge stack of to be read novels, is Michael Pollan's "In Defense of Food. I'm trying to do Weight Watchers, but I've been getting frustrated by the amounts of what Mr. Pollan calls edible foodlike substances in many of the recipes.

Because both Patrick and I love to cook and eat, I've been trying to get him to read either "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" or "Omnivore's Dilemma" so that he could understand what I was trying to accomplish and why. He has been so busy with work and studying for a certification exam that he hasn't had the time to spend reading. I knew that watching "Food, Inc" would be a good idea for both of us, but I also knew that it would be very disturbing.

So, I put it off.

For a long time.

We finally sat down this past weekend to watch it. And yes, it is difficult to watch. But I think it is important for everyone to see where our food is coming from. If you haven't watched it - watch it. But know that it will disturb you.

Now we are on a mission. I am not working right now. So, I'm upping my game so to speak. It is probably going to be a little more expensive, but that is a price I am willing to pay. I am going to cook even more than I did before. I am going to make crackers, granola bars, and other things most people don't even think about making by hand anymore. We are going to buy only organic or sustainable meats. And this is just the beginning!

For those who want to make a change, but aren't sure where to start. I recommend reading "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" first. I found it easier to read than "Omnivore's Dilemma". Both of the books will make you turn away sometimes, but "Omnivore's Dilemma" is much more graphic, and for the faint-hearted it can be disturbing. I had to put it down a few times, and it was very hard to pick it back up!

I recently found and absolutely adore Michael Pollan's "Food Rules". It is described as a definitive compendium of food wisdom. Almost all of us know most of these rules, we just forget them from time to time. The basic premise is: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. Which is so true. It has many rules that will make you laugh - such as #20 It's not food if it arrived through the window of your car. Even before I read this book, I was already thinking I was going to try to be and eat more like my cousin Robin and her family in Switzerland. So, rule #41 really hit me close to the heart - Eat more like the French. Or the Japanese. Or the Italians. Or the Greeks. The American diet is flawed in so many ways, and it doesn't matter which food culture you decide to try to follow, as long as it makes you happy and is possible for you. For me, and the Swiss diet, it will be eating smaller portions of very good food with little or no snacking.

Below is a short list of websites that I recommend you visit if you are interested in learning more.

Food, Inc - the movie
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - Barbara Kingsolver
Michael Pollan website
Local Harvest, is a fantastic website to find local produce all throughout the US, as well as to order organic or sustainable meat from reputable providers.