Food Rules: Answering the Question “What Should I eat?”

Goodlifer: Food Rules: Answering the Question "What Should I eat?"

Whenever I get up on my soapbox and start talking to my friends and family about the pitiful state of our food system, the one thing they always ask me is “so what should I eat then?” This is not an easy one to answer since something bad can be said about virtually anything we stick out forks into.

I often retreat and with a shrug of my shoulders mumble something about them having to use their best judgment and that eating too much of something is never good — not very convincing or helpful.

Goodlifer: Rule #19: If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don't.

On these occasions, I would have fared much better had I carried a few copies of Michael Pollan‘s new book Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual in my bag (it’s small enough, only about 1/3″ thick and roughly the size of a large postcard, to do so). Unlike Pollan’s previous books this is not a deep-dive into the reason’s behind us being fatter and unhealthier than ever, it’s more like cliffsnotes on healthy eating. He distills what he has learned from writing his books into 64 easy-to-remember rules. Pollan writes in the Huffington Post: “The idea for this book came from a doctor–a couple of them, as a matter of fact. They had read my last book, “In Defense of Food”, which ended with a handful of tips for eating well: simple ways to navigate the treacherous landscape of modern food and the often-confusing science of nutrition.”

Goodlifer: Rule #10: Avoid foods pretending to be something they are not.

Pollan consulted folklorists and anthropologists, doctors, nurses and dieticians, mothers and grandmothers, and although most of the rules are written by Pollan himself, others are ancient wisdom carried down over centuries, a few are based on cultural knowledge, and some were solicited from New York Times readers. They are meant to help us make sense of and navigate our current food landscape (which we all know can be pretty confusing).

Goodlifer: Rule #39: Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself.

Although the book may seem overly simplified at times, what counts here is the memorability. When you are standing in the supermarket, confused as to whether the long list of ingredients on the package in your hand contains something that is not good for you, it would be helpful to remember #7: Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce or #6: Avoid food products that contain more than five ingredients.

Goodlifer: Rule #7: Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce.

There’s so much we all need to know about our food system in order to live healthy and happy lives. “Food Rules” is an easy read, and it handles (some of) these issues in a humorous and light-hearted way (I tend to get so worked up about this kind of stuff that my tirades usually end on something joyful like “we’re eating ourselves to death!”). The book is a great gift for all those people in your life who you want to educate about how to live better by eating well. Anyone can take away a bit of wisdom and perhaps apply a few of these simple rules to they way they shop and eat. The best part is that you can get off that soapbox with a clear conscience; your loved ones will get the information they need, and they’ll still want to hang out with you.

If you have any food rules you think Pollan should know about, email him at pollanfoodrules@gmail.com — he’s still collecting them.

About author
A designer by trade, Johanna has always had a passion for storytelling. Born and raised in Sweden, she's lived and worked in Miami, Brooklyn and, currently, Ojai, CA. She started Goodlifer in 2008 to offer a positive outlook for the future and share great stories, discoveries, thoughts, tips and reflections around her idea of the Good Life. Johanna loves kale, wishes she had a greener thumb, and thinks everything is just a tad bit better with champagne (or green juice).
Submit your comment

Please enter your name

Your name is required

Please enter a valid email address

An email address is required

Please enter your message

About

What constitutes the good life? It’s a question we’ve asked ourselves since the dawn of time and something we all strive for. To us, the good life is not a destination but a journey. We want to see more positivity in the world. Thinking happy thoughts makes for happy people, and happy people are more productive, innovative and at peace with the world. We believe in the transformative power of good news.

Goodlifer © 2023 All Rights Reserved

Designed by WPSHOWER

Powered by WordPress