Food Rules Family Project

A few weeks ago while running errands I heard portions of an interview with Michael Pollan on NPR’s On Point. He was discussing his book Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual. In this interview, I heard the term “pink slime” for the very first time. If you are hearing “pink slime” for the first time, go ahead and google “pink slime ground beef”. (Warning, if you gag easily you may want to have something handy). One of the links from my Google search declared “this isn’t food, this is industrial waste”. I have to say I agree. Except it is sold as food to many an unsuspecting consumer and worse yet, to millions of school children as part of a well balanced meal. The lobbyists have succeeded in making sure the consumer is kept ignorant. They have successfully managed to keep items off of the ingredients label by having them classified as “processing agents”. I am disgusted by this and all of the other ways that corporations have interfered with my ability to feed my family simple and nutritious food – real food.

I am a “glass-half-full” kind of a gal. If there is a good side to having ever heard the phrase “pink slime”, it is that my children get it. They don’t literally get “pink slime”, but they get that “pink slime” is not food and they think it is disgusting. All the credit goes to Michael Pollan though. It was his graphic description of “pink slime” that nearly caused my children to toss their cookies. They actually thanked me for being so careful about what I let them eat. Once they had recovered from a sudden urge to throw up, they announced on their own that they will never eat at a fast food restaurant again. (Not that my poor deprived children are ever given that opportunity often – but once in a while I indulge them to just to prove to them, and to myself, that I can relax).

Lashes9 asked me if in the future if I ever saw him about to eat “crap” that wasn’t good for him, would I please tell him. Noodle12 has, on his own, picked up my copy of Omnivore’s Dilemma and has begun reading it.

Spurred on my offsprings’ enthusiasm and interest and disgust, I decided to buy Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual and make it a family project. We will read two new rules each day – one at lunch and one at dinner. These rules will be a springboard for further inquiry into the ways we can nourish ourselves in a more healthful manner, where our food comes from, and how the corporate food production system has complicated what is a both a fundamental and pleasurable activity. As a bonus, since we homeschool, we can count this project both as science and current events.

For the record, I consider myself careful and informed about the foods I feed my family. I also admit that I have relaxed my standards a bit as our family increased from 2 kids to 6 kids in 2 years time. Food is expensive and I can no longer afford to buy everything from our local organic store. We are fortunate in that we are able to buy our milk, eggs, cheese, and meat locally. We attempt a garden every year. We shop at our local farmers’ market. I am able to buy grains and beans in bulk. Even with all of that, I still find myself shopping in a big box store buying breakfast cereal or crackers or granola bars.

I am so curious to see how we measure up to the “food rules”. I’m sure we are in for a few surprises and sacrifices, but ultimately all of us should end up healthier, better informed consumers going forward. Stay tuned to future posts about our discoveries and the life-style changes we make as a result.