Food Matters by Mark Bittman

After living in L.A. for about a year, I noticed that our diet had gotten pretty sorry. I was buying a lot of frozen food because it was fast and easy to get on the table, and my cooking was turning into a mishmash of processed food products. Frozen fish sticks with rice-a-roni and steam-in-the-bag frozen vegetables. Spaghetti with jarred sauce and frozen meatballs. That sort of thing. It was time to make a change.

I got Food Matters from the library a few months ago after reading about it on Mark Bittman's website. It's the first food-philosophy book that I've read, even though I keep an eye on what comes out from Michael Pollan and the like. Before this, I couldn't bring myself to read about the hows and whys of what we eat. I don't want to be a vegetarian, and I am afraid of those books that graphically describe the horrors of livestock agriculture. I don't want to be shocked into making changes. I want to be convinced. [My feelings toward the politics of food is complicated and hard to describe. I guess you could call it "selfish moderation" combined with a dose of "informed skepticism," very similar to my feelings about being "green." They are closely related.]

I'll rant about being green some other time, but when it comes to food, I have some pretty firm beliefs in what constitutes healthy eating. I'm also not naive enough to believe that producing food for the millions of people in the US isn't hard on the planet and on the plants and animals we eat. I know this, but I don't want to be guilted into acting rashly. I want to make rational decisions based on what is right for me, what I believe are my rights and responsibilities, and what fits within my finite budget.

Here's the Food Matters philosophy distilled into one sentence: eat less meat, more vegetables and whole grains, and no junk food.

It's so simple. It doesn't involve huge sacrifices, it's less expensive, and it's delicious. It's also healthy, slimming, and reduces my impact on the earth.

Since I decided to follow Bittman's food philosophy, I have completely stopped buying frozen entrees and boxed meals. I meet my two best friends every Sunday morning at the farmer's market (which is cheaper and much fresher than the grocery store-- and if it's local and/or organic, hey-- even better), and I incorporate twice as many vegetables into our daily meals. I cut our meat intake by about half, and substitute whole grains for processed grains a few times a week. It does mean that I cook every meal from scratch now, which is a chore for me, but the improvement in taste alone is worth the trouble.

The surprising thing is, my life hasn't really changed much. I don't really feel different (Mark Bittman says he feels more energetic and all that, but I don't). I also don't really notice the extra time I spend cooking every night, either. Food shopping does take an entire Sunday morning now, but I consider it social time with my friends, so it's no chore. I might have lost a little weight, but I can't really tell, and I don't much care.

I simply like knowing that I'm doing the right thing for my own health, spending less on food, and making a smaller impact on the environment than before. It's a win-win all around.

Food Matters by Mark Bittman