Food is something that, in more recent years, has evolved into no less than an art form. Beginning with the first “modern restaurant” established in 1765, food service and restaurants have also evolved in many ways. But amidst the “experience” of fine dining and the ways food is changing, people have their doubts. It seems like some even look for “the next big thing” to criticize in the food industry and get people weary. So although we will never bring it back to the good old days, how could one find a way to enjoy all the goods of food without worrying about what people have to say about the bad?
By peoples’ claims I am referencing the self-proclaimed scientist whose unpaid “research” has led to some “breakthrough discovery” on a fault in the ingredients, preparation or, in some cases, fabrication of food. These types of claims travel quickly in today’s world, where background knowledge of GMOs, preservatives and other evils is very relevant. And with those in mind, how do we react to the latest claims without becoming paranoid of everything you take a bite of? One way to deal with it is simply not to care, and give no thought to how frequently you eat it, where it came from, or what’s in it. This strategy is much like that of my brother’s and a few other people I have known through the years. Useful, especially to keep the worry away from food, but it doesn’t totally neutralize the problem of food production today. What the right answer is for the way food is produced today, unfortunately I am still not sure. However on a personal level, perhaps I have found some advice.
From my experience, it is important to initially ignore the media’s claims and think about the food, additive, or ingredient discussed. Not go against it, just ignore it for the time. Thinking back to the past and what they were eating is a good indicator of what is or isn’t healthy today, and that generally won’t guide you down the wrong road. However, food has changed greatly since then, and more and more ways of cheating food are becoming “normal,” which is really an unfortunate thing. Caused by the stressors of population increase and the demand for immediate feedback, food as we know it is becoming more and more factory made. How we can solve this problem would be to go organic or not support the big businesses of food, yet a paradox exists making it even harder than previously thought. The paradox is that a big name company can get food from halfway across the country to your plate for cheaper than the farmer next door can. Now I am not one to decipher economic practices but at some point soon the subsidies and lobbying needs to be reworked so the people trying to make a change for the better can have some success in this world. Until that day, eating healthy and avoiding the processed meals is certainly a safe bet.
