NPR reports that the Center for Science in the Public Interest has threatened to sue McDonald’s unless it stops including toys in its Happy Meals. They argue that it encourages brand loyalty in kids towards a product that is not healthy for them. When I saw the headline my first reaction was positive. No toys would mean no more pestering to go and buy junk food. On second thoughts, however, I am not so sure. It is good that this issue is being brought into the public conversation: we are all aware of where McDonald’s food stands from the nutritional standpoint and the toys are not always the best quality either. Having said that, it is still the parent’s decision to allow the child to have a Happy Meal. We need to say, “no” and also explain why not. I don’t think this can or should be legislated. If you don’t like the Happy Meal concept, do not allow your child to have one. The problem is not an occasional treat but regular stops at McDonald’s and that is something that parents need to think about. McDonald’s business is to encourage brand loyalty, our responsibility as parents is to encourage independent thinking.
If it’s Summer, it must be Strawberries..
…or not! The news from California is that the use of pesticides containing carcinogens and neurotoxins has been approved for use on strawberries. The fumigant previously used is being phased out to reduce the impact on global warming which is commendable but perhaps a better alternative could have been chosen. Most of the strawberries in the grocery stores are from California so we now have the alternatives of buying only organic or not eating strawberries altogether…sad.
Posted in Food Safety
School Lunch: a Review
The school lunch issue has been discussed before at Thought Food. Recently the challenge of improving the school lunch program has been highlighted under the First Lady’s initiative against childhood obesity . Now comes a new documentary which underscores just how fraught this issue has become. “Lunch Line” reviewed by Tracie McMillan in The Atlantic, promises an illuminating look into the seven decades of the school lunch program. It underscores the need for a qualitative change in food policy. It is not that the answers are not known or that the desired results are impossible to achieve. Yes, one of the problems is money but more important is to understand where school lunch policy gets made: at the USDA. Makes sense, you would think, to link the farmers to the schools. But that agency is more tuned into the concerns of the mammoth corn and soy production complex and the fresh and healthy choices that parents are hoping to see, do not come into play. What we need is an overhaul of the agricultural policy as it exists, a huge task requiring foresight and will, not always found in large quantities in the halls of power.
For all those hoping for better options for lunch, just stay tuned….and watch “Lunch Line”.
Posted in Food Policy, Nutrition
Sandra Lee is here!
The New York Times reports that Sandra Lee is hitting the campaign trail in support of her companion, Andrew Cuomo,and she is also promoting heart awareness and canned tuna. As veterans of the Food Channel will agree, resistance is futile. You cannot turn your eyes away from her dumping can after can of processed foods into a slow cooker for that comfort food recipe. Mr. Cuomo has as good as won this thing.
Sandra may have mixed feelings about her current role as the article reveals but you can bet she is full of ideas for tablescapes for those fancy dinners up at the governor’s mansion. I wonder what her followers will call themselves? The Can Openers? Just a thought!
Posted in Uncategorized
Michael Pollan on the History of the Food Movement
To the casual reader there would seem to be a bewildering array of writing and information on food related topics. Thought Food has tried to highlight a few of them. For an extremely readable and enlightening history food movement, we recommend Michael Pollan’s recent article in the New York Review of Books. It is actually a review of five books which are fascinating in their own right. Pollan incorporates his comments on the books into a review of the food movement itself, a sort of History of Food 101 for the rest of us. Enjoy!
Posted in Food Policy
Sustainable Seafood
A report just out from Greenpeace ranks Target and Wegman’s as following the best sustainable seafood practices. That is good to know for us consumers but do not forget that we, too, have a role to play in ensuring that all seafood sellers follow good practices. Ask about your store’s policy, read labels and make your voice heard because the stores do care about their image. A case in point is the change in Trader Joe’s policies, follow the links in the article to learn more.
Posted in Food Safety, Food Security
Meatless Monday!
Great explanation of the difference between animal and vegetable protein sources here, and what your body really needs.
Posted in Nutrition, Uncategorized
GM crops 101
The Slates’s Green Lantern outlines some concerns that environmentalists have regarding GM crops. To the positives mentioned here, one needs to add the huge productivity increases from growing GM crops which are going to be vital in view of the coming food crisis discussed in the last post. Also, most of these debates do not highlight the possibility of getting better health outcomes from GM crops enhanced with vitamins or nutrients such as Golden Rice enhanced with vitamin A .
Posted in Food Policy, Food Safety, Food Security, Uncategorized
The Crisis in the Food Production System
Jeremy Harding writes in The London Review of Books about the possible crisis in food production and delivery systems as we know them today. He outlines “seven stories” that shape the narrative of the unraveling of the food system. While the discussion pertains mostly to the UK, the questions it raises about what we eat and how it is grown and shared among the six billion people on the planet is one that we are aware of. We can also see the reaction of worried consumers in the growing trend towards “eating local” and vegetable gardens.This article is a great read because it provides all the pieces of the picture in a cohesive way.
But it is going to take a whole host of concerned consumers, producers and governments for us to escape the harshest consequences of the current excesses. What can we do? Support the local farmer’s market, try to grow something yourself (they tell me lettuce is practically indestructible!) and take a moment to reflect on how the asparagus or strawberries or steak or tuna came to arrive on your plate before you bite into it.
Posted in Food Security
How to Fix the School Lunch
Spring is in the air and our thoughts turn lightly to…school lunches?? Well, spring or snowstorm, with kids around food is always paramount so I have been reading about the school lunch program this week. A lot has been said about the need to fix the lunch system and get healthy food to our kids but then comes the news that Jamie Oliver’s attempt to do just that in his reality show, set in a school in West Virginia has not been a resounding success. One of the reasons might be that kids like to eat what they like to eat: and no amount of lecturing or demonstrating what is healthy will have an impact. So if we want the kids to eat their veggies we have to do it with them. Eat healthy meals together and kids will make healthy choices when they are on their own as well. Fixing the lunch program is a complex and mammoth task. The D. C. school system has taken an innovative approach to it by hiring a former restaurateur.
The first step would be to actually cook the food at the schools which might pose some problems as school kitchens are not equipped for cooking. Yes, you read that right! There are freezers and steamers galore but no stoves or ovens. Then there is the question of sourcing the produce: local? organic? And , of course, the old,old question of the funds to make the changes. So what can parents do in the meantime? An easy answer: go over the lunch menu with your child and encourage him/her to make good choices. And also consider this: fixing a sandwich and chopping up some fruit or vegetables for a side is not an impossible task. Yes, it might make your mornings even more crazy but hey, it’s for a good cause!
Posted in Nutrition
Thought + Food 