Today was the first time since I arrived at college that I used the communal kitchen on Statesider’s third floor; it was a delight. At about quarter after six I made my way to the new grocery store by the Lucky building. Here I marched up and down the unfamiliar aisles and picked out pasta, red sauce, tomatoes, onions, chicken, lettuce, and a grapefruit, more than I could ever finish. I brought my food up to the register and the cashier asked me for $12.87, no wonder I did not eat out more often.
When I got back to Statesider I put a pot to boil and began to dice up the tomatoes and onions. Once my water started to bubble I put my pasta in to cook and took out another pot in which I poured the red sauce then added my diced tomatoes and onions. After I had gotten the pasta and sauce going I got began to cook my chicken, using olive oil I had been able to finagle from the dining hall to grease my pan. After about ten minutes of stirring the pasta and flipping the chicken both seemed cooked. I strained my pasta and then put a portion of it on a plate. I proceeded to drizzle red sauce on top of the pasta and then cut up the chicken, which I then heaped on.
I sat down and ate, not only did I eat though, for once I thoroughly enjoyed. There was no commotion of the buffet line, no asking what the thing that looked like chicken but may have been fish was, only satisfaction. I had taken the time to make the meal and thoroughly relaxed to enjoy it. But then I remembered, the dishes, another reason why the cafeteria was so tempting.
I truly believe that Pollan hits the nail on the head in saying that American culture has led us to “eat without enjoyment” or how Harvey Levenstein puts it, “eat and run”. In my mind there are two types of people who indulge in these non-fat processed foods. There is the type like myself who frequents the gym and tries to eat health afterwards. In my mind I do well at trying to eat the whole foods that Pollan suggests, however, I can only do this the extent it is available in the cafeteria. And again eating lacks enjoyment, I work out and then try to avoid over indulging in unhealthy foods. The other type are those people who use the enhanced nutritional values of processed foods as a substitute for exercise. The claims of low-fat are not being screamed by the healthy vegetables but ironically these people feel if the eat “whole grain Lucky Charms” they are avoiding the extra calories they may have otherwise gotten.
What has plagued this new generation is the breaking down of foods into its component nutrients. Rather than counting grams of protein and calories from fat, people should rely on a balance to sustain themselves. Excessive restrictions in one area of diet are no better idea than excessive indulgence, because eventually they can no longer be maintained. When a normal diet is resumed the metabolism will have slowed down and the result is weight put on. Rather eat a variety. The problem is that even our government is leading us into this fad of nutritionism. There is no way to mix and match numbers perfectly to get the RDA’s prescribed intakes every day, but by doing what Pollan says, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants” a balanced diet will be achieved.
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