Why We Can't Afford Not to Go Slow Food
Choose Local, Organic, Seasonal Foods for Your Health and Wallet
The Slow Food movement is a rebellion against the rampant industrialization of our food industry that has resulted in an abundance of cheap, diverse and convenient foods that lack nutritional value. TV dinners, junk food, fast food.... these were all born from a modern trend away from the experience of actually growing and cooking our own food.
In many ways, this makes sense. Who in our Western world has the time, the skills, or even the yard space to grow food or raise cattle and poultry? Most of us don't even have time to make our own dinner on a regular basis.
With the proliferation of giant conglomerate grocery stores and our fast food nation, we no longer have to worry about having access to what we want, when we want, at a reasonably inexpensive cost. We expect access to bananas, coconuts, avocados, mangoes... none of these things grow almost anywhere in the continental U.S. Yet, they can be found year-round at almost every grocery store in the country.
What We Spend on Food
Although we may complain about the cost of food-especially at specialty markets and so-called health food stores like Whole Foods-the reality is, in the 21st century we are using a much smaller percentage of our income toward food than ever in history.
According to the USDA's Economic Research Service, the average American spends less than 10% of their disposable income on food. (That's 10% of their disposable income, not of their entire income.)
In 1933, by contrast, the average American was spending 33% of his disposable income on food. And the farther you look back, the higher that number rises. (Citation: the Farm Family Alliance)
Still, we complain that food is expensive. But the reality is, fast food advertising and the U.S. agricultural industry have simply conditioned us to believe that we shouldn't be spending much on food.
Food: the thing that keeps you alive and, ideally, healthy.
The Savings of Slow Food
Yes, it is potentially more expensive, and certainly more time consuming, to shop at local farmer's markets and to opt for organic, sustainably raised foods. But, like everything in life, we get what we pay for.
Purchasing foods that have been grown/raised with care and love by small farmers and ranchers is a less short-sighted, more economically viable choice on so many levels.
- First, it's simply healthier for your body. Organic, non-GMO, seasonal foods are a more natural nutritional choice. Organic fruits and vegetables, in particular, may not be as shiny and pretty and perfect, and they don't have the same prolonged shelf life as their scientifically-altered cousins, but they generally taste better and have a far higher concentration of vitamins and nutrients, without the pesticide residue or the toxins. Non-CAFO meats are lower in fat and don't contain hormones or antibiotics. What you are spending on food now could become an exponential savings in health care later on.
- It's a more ethical choice. Particularly when it comes to choosing ranch-raised meat over that from animals raised in CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations. Read the EPA's disturbing definition here.)
- It's an environmentally responsible choice. Choosing local means less cost on shipping and less fossil fuels. Choosing organic means less fertilizers and pesticides mucking up our water supply.
- It's a socially responsible choice. The widespread use of antibiotics in CAFO-raised meats means that frighteningly resistant strains of bacteria are proliferating.
- It supports your local economy. And that, in turn, will get you back.
When you think about it this way, can you afford not to go Slow?
Slow Food Information and Resources:
Slow Food Movement Defined, by Elaine M. Koontz
There are several pioneers on the forefront of the Slow Food movement, including:
- Alice Waters, who opened the seminal restaurant Chez Panisse in Berkeley CA over 30 years ago in a move that was way before its time
- Michael Pollan, award-winning author of The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, among other food-centric non-fiction books
- Barbara Kingsolver, who told the tale of her own year-long experiment with eating slow in the lovely memoir Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
- And, of course, Slow Food International, in their own words "A non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people's dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world."
A Local Farmer's Market
|
What do you think about this article?
More in Health & Wellness
Latest Articles