The Omnivore’s Dilemma: What exactly are we supposed to eat anyways?
I recently finished 
The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Foods by Michael Pollan. I admit that I listened to the full, unabridged version on audio book instead of sitting down and reading it. I’m in the car alot so that is when “reading” is convenient for me. I love the 21st century. This book made it on several “Best of 2006″ lists and has had several good reviews from many, many sources. I’m relatively sure most of you foodie readers have heard of this book by now and are as curious as I was. Will you take the step over to the dark-side?
What should we have for dinner? The question has confronted us since man discovered fire, but according to Michael Pollan, the bestselling author of The Botany of Desire, how we answer it today, at the dawn of the twenty-first century, may well determine our very survival as a species. Should we eat a fast-food hamburger? Something organic? Or perhaps something we hunt, gather, or grow ourselves? The omnivore’s dilemma has returned with a vengeance, as the cornucopia of the modern American supermarket and fast-food outlet confronts us with a bewildering and treacherous food landscape. What’s at stake in our eating choices is not only our own and our children’s health, but the health of the environment that sustains life on earth.
This is one of those books that I think every American should read. I learned a lot from this book, but that’s not to say that I enjoyed it. I actually had a really hard time listening to many parts. One minute I was ready to swear off meat entirely, then I decided I’d still eat meat but try to buy “organic”. Then I learned the organic industry isn’t at all what I thought it was. At one point I decided not to eat corn because of how it has been bastardized. But then I discovered corn is used in EVERYTHING and that option is just not possible. Not only did I come away from this book disappointed in the American food industry, but I also came away very confused. What exactly can I eat that does not abuse animal “rights” or environmental issues? It feels to me like a dead end. Besides looking for a nearby farm, I can’t help but be part of the problem. And no one enjoys a book where they discover that their daily actions are part of a problem. I also became ashamed of my job because I work for a chemical fertilizer company and I had no idea what our products are doing! Of course when I talk to my company about it, I get another side of the story, so then I got confused again.
As a result of the information provided in this book, I have changed my view on the food that I eat. The good thing is that I feel more educated about it all. Every aspect of the food chain is discussed in great detail. In general, I don’t have a change in my attitude of buying organic vs. non-organic. I look for quality either way. But it definitely has changed my thinking on processed foods. Why get McDonald’s when I can get a roasted chicken from the supermarket? Is either better for the animals used and environment? No. Is either a “local” product? Probably not. But I now have a better worldwide economic view on what goes into the food I choose to eat. All I know is that I want to eat as PURE as I can. I don’t want to put all sorts of nasty chemicals in my body. If I can buy local, I will. If I can buy organic, I will. But I will not beat myself up if I cannot do these things, because our national food industry and the companies involved make that difficult for us. And that is a shame.
Has anyone else read this book yet? I am interested to know how it affected other people. Because if you read this book, SOMETHING in the way you think about food will change.
Michael Pollan recently published an article titled Unhappy Meals in the New York Times Magazine. In it, he discusses processed foods and it leaves me feeling the same way as I did when I finished The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Confused on how to stop the problem. And I’m munching on a bag of Fritos leftover from a business lunch as I write this. . . The ingredients say that they contain whole corn, corn oil and salt (no preservatives). But is that really what I’m eating?
