Hi everyone, my name is Diana and I’m addicted to food.
Not in a “hiding twinkies under the bed” sort of way though, more like I’m obsessed with making the perfect meal. I worship whole grains and vegetables and esteem fruits as only a true foodie possibly could. Additionally, I also take the time to think about where my food comes from and how it was made, which I feel is a crucial part of the process that many food enthusiasts neglect.
For perspective as to my conversion, you should know that one year ago my idea of a good meal usually entailed whole wheat pasta and with a nice canned sauce with maybe some added peppers, or a stir fry made from frozen vegetables over instant rice.
Nowadays I eat differently.
Tonight I prepared a meal which I would not hesitate to serve to my dearest friends. It consisted of a salad of dark greens (arugula, spinach, and the like) with the best strawberries I may have ever tasted, which I bought from a farm stand this morning. My main entre was a dish of fresh kale (which was also purchased at the farm stand), lentils, and caramelized onions over organic pasta. Add in a couple of slices of freshly made crusty bread, and you ever have a meal fit to serve to your favorite person.
Perhaps most importantly though, you have a meal that you know where most of the food came from, and how it was made. All of my ingredients were either from the farm stand about ten minutes up the road from me, or fresh and organic, with labels stating their state (country) of origin. There were no preservatives or artificial flavors, no powders to add for flavor, and everything, with the exception of the pasta and lentils, was probably still attached to the living plant one week ago today. Needless to say, shelf life is not a quality I value.
My supermarket experience has changed as my eating habits have evolved. I find myself spending less and less time wandering in the dry goods aisles (with the exception of the rice/ beans, pasta, and spice aisles) and more time in the fresh food areas. And indeed, my most important food transformation has occurred most recently, where I’ve begun to really look at where my food is coming from. I mean, sure those tomatoes are organic, but they come from California which means they took a long drive on a diesel-powered tractor trailer to get to Ohio. It’s a bit of a quandary when you have to choose between organic and local.
Today for example, I almost bought a package of frozen wild caught salmon. (From everything I’ve read, farm raised salmon are lower in nutrients, have higher levels of mercury, and are kept in deplorable conditions. That combined with the fact that the U.S. is working hard towards sustainable salmon fishing, leans me towards the wild caught salmon.) I was imagining all the delicious filets when I turned it over and read that it was a product of China. Well there’s a deal breaker. Not only does this package incur a huge shipping cost on the environment, but it also supports non-environmentally friendly fishing practices, so I put it back. Life gets a little more difficult when you care about where your food comes from and how it’s made, but it also gets more delicious when you know that you’re supporting sustainable and ethical food practices.
People of the world, take notice to how your food is made!
Where and how was it grown? Where was it processed and what ingredients are included? If it is an animal, consider the conditions it was exposed to during its life and its diet. All of this information is paramount to the health of everyone who eats these products.
My perfect meal would ideally be entirely grown by me or someone within my town and completely appropriate for the season. For food items which I could not grow or acquire form others in my area, they would be organic and as unprocessed as possible. It would be made by people who share my passion for sustainable and environmentally friendly food practices. Most importantly, it would be fresh and taste delicious.
