I want to start this post off by saying that I do NOT follow all of the guidelines that Michael Pollan gives in his little guidebook to eating well. I wish I did, but I don’t. I have excuses and I know that they are excuses.
Pollan has put out some pretty popular food books recently, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and more recently Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual. I plan on reading the first two of his that I mentioned and maybe then I will be sucked in to that mindset of thinking but until then I really enjoy baking some frozen chicken nugget’s every now and then. Don’t you?
(image from Overdrive)
Pollan’s little guidebook is broken down into 3 sections that he bases all of his eating guidelines on: Eat Food, Mostly plants, Not too much.
When he says “mostly plants” he does not mean eat lettuce for 2 meals out of the day and then a bowl of broccoli for your third meal. Rule #23 (“Treat meat as a flavoring or special occasion food”)will clarify this general guideline so just read this little paragraph from the book before leaving my blog and never coming back again: “Meat, which humans have been eating and relishing for a very long time, is nourishing food, which is why I suggest “mostly” plants, not “only”. It turns out that near vegetarians, or “flexitarians”-people who eat meat a couple of times a week-are just as healthy as vegetarians. But the average American eats meat as past of two or even three meals a day-more than half a pound per person per day-and there is evidence that the more meat there is in your diet-red meat in particular-the greater your risk of heart disease and cancer.” We have known for years that meat isn’t necessarily the best option to consume our plates with. I remember taking a Nutrition class at USC and learning about the general guideline that a serving of meat should not be any bigger than a deck of cards. That was tough to hear then and now meat is only supposed to be a treat.
I wanted to share a few of my favorite rules: Rule # 21 It’s not food if it’s called by the same name in every language. Think Big Mac, Cheetos or Pringles. Rule #15 Get out of the supermarket whenever you can. Rule #7 Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce. Rule #53 Buy smaller plates and glasses. Rule #63 Cook. Rule #19 If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t. Rule #20 It’s not food if it arrived through the window of your car.
I found myself laughing at half of the rules in the book because it is rather ridiculous how Americans (myself included) choose to eat. We CHOOSE to drive through McDonald’s and get a meal that consists of a burger that is loaded with bad fat and not even the best meat, a sugar filled soda, and a side of potatoes that have been cut into strips and fried in oil and tossed in salt. We CHOOSE to put something in our buggy at Target that has a paragraph of ingredients that we have never even heard of or couldn’t pronounce (it’s because they are chemicals!!!) I say “we” because I am so so so so so so guilty of these things.
Pollan opened up my eyes a little to the….stupidity….of the way we eat. His purpose was not to give his readers a meal plan or recipes or something like that but to be honest, I kinda wish he did. I am incredibly curious to find out the way that his family eats. It is hard to plan meals and snacks so I would have loved a little snapshot into what exactly does he eat on a day to day basis.
As a Christian, I want to look at this whole topic and read Pollan’s book through the lens of the gospel. How do 3 general guidelines relate to me as someone who has been saved by grace? Bryan recently sent me an article, “You’re Probably Fat” from the Resurgence website. It is specifically written to pastors but I am pretty sure that the Resurgence wouldn’t mind if you read it. Proceed with caution and then pray about how the way you eat can be a reflection of your life in Christ. Here is the article.
