Around three times a day, I decide to eat something. That's a lot of decisions! And that means I have several chances to make a difference with my food choices each day.
There are lots of reasons to choose among food options. Isa Chandra Moskowitz has a new book coming out. I read the preview, and in it she has a list of people who might like the book. The list includes new cooks, farmer's market fans, and people who want to improve their health or be kind to animals among others. One category she didn't include, which is an important concern for me, is people who want their food choices to reduce climate change.
Just that list shows how complex eating can be! That's why Michael Pollan wrote an entire book called The Omnivore's Dilemma. What to eat when you could eat a wide variety of foods does pose a confusing set of questions.
One way we deal with complex choices is to follow a default. Changing a daily action from something we debate over into a habit saves a lot of energy. So we may eat as our mothers fed us, or fall into a routine of restaurants and convenience food, or have a weekly menu that determines we have curry on Mondays and tacos on Tuesdays and so on.
But, if we are taking a look at our eating and making a new plan for it, how do we choose?
In essence, what are our food values?
That's a beautiful question, and one I could spend an entire book answering. Quickly, I know that I value food that I enjoy, that improves my health, that grows sustainably and contributes to my mission of helping the human game continue.
Meanwhile, I have ordered I Can Cook Vegan, as I order most of Isa's books, because she is an entertaining writer and creative cook whose recipes help me eat better. I'm looking forward to its release!
