A Word About Food Politics

Before I get too far ahead of myself, I want to say something about food politics. It used to be everyone just ate. Nowadays, there are many choices and things we must supposedly consider before one sits down at the table, especially if you listen to all of the little voices in your head. You know, the voice that says you'll get cancer if you eat X and Y. Then there's that other voice that admonishes you for eating animals that had a horrid and difficult life. Whenever I watch a movie like "Forks Over Knives," those voices get louder. It's all good information, but really, who wants to be scared or pour over a checklist every time they sit down to eat? Not me.

So, I want you to know this isn't that kind of blog. If you want to be smug about your breakfast, lunch, and dinner, go somewhere else.


Do I care about eating fresh, organic food? Yes. But am I militant? No. Here, there are no rules except this one: Do the best you can within your budget. I am a gardener mainly because it makes me happy. I want to raise chickens mainly because it will make me (and the chickens, too, I hear) happy to simply step outside and get some eggs rather than have to drive to the grocery store. I like being self-sufficient, and I could go into a long treatise about how someday we won't have enough fossil fuel to transport all of this fancy food around, so we better get busy and start growing our own, but I won't. Mainly, I find full-grown gardens peaceful, and Nirvana is eating a meal with people I like.

I do have some guidelines that I, myself, try to live by. A friend once told me, "If you are at all wishy-washy about the organic thing, it's best to eat organic when it's something that grows in the ground." Hence, I always try to buy, and now I will grow, organic potatoes. Carrots and onions, too, probably.

Eating what has been produced locally and is in season is always something to strive for, but if you feel like eating an orange or pineapple here in the Pacific Northwest in the middle of winter, I support you. Sure, a plant-based diet has been proven to be healthiest, but if you want to have prime rib, a hamburger, or short ribs, invite me over for dinner. High-fructose corn syrup? Soda pop? Best avoided for sure, but if you want to have a Pepsi, I'm not going to call the food police. I'll probably just have water though, and at home that means unfiltered and straight from the tap because our water tastes good here, and I really hate plastic bottles.

Do I care about your food allergies? Up to a certain point, yes, and I am happy to accommodate you if I can, but please don't go on about them ad nauseam in order to to drive home the point to all of us that you are oh-so-very-special.

Your food issues are yours. My food issues are mine. I'm not here to sell you anything...except maybe some eggs later on.

Further reading:
This Seattle Weekly article, "Organicize Me" by Michael Stusser, was included in Best Food Writing 2007. It details what it would be like to eat only organic food for an entire month.