This is a simple one, really: we should eat most of our meals at home, and prepare them ourselves.
I'm all for some shortcuts, such as pre-peeled and cut veggies, but in general your meals will be healthiest when made yourself, from scratch.
Otherwise, you really don't know what's going in your mouth.
I heard Michael Pollan on the radio not long ago saying it's OK to eat as much "junk food" as you want--as long as you cook it yourself. He was talking about French fries, as I recall. That used to be a very occasional treat, if only because deep-frying potatoes makes a huge mess in the kitchen and most people don't want to hassle with that very often. Now you can drive through you-know-where and get a piping hot, salty hit of crispy potatoes any time of day or night, any day of the week. Insanely, French fries are by far the most widely consumed "vegetable" in the U.S.
So get out in that kitchen & rattle those pots and pans.
This is key. Unfortunately, I think the food system is set up for us to "heat up" food and think we're "cooking." Cooking is a process and gives meals meaning.
ReplyDeleteWhat is more, we spend more time watching cooking shows than cooking. If you watch a show or two, try it out in the kitchen! You will learn quickly what works.