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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
I highly recommend the version illustrated by Maira Kalman.
fast-paced
A follow-up to In Defense of Food, this slim volume contains a list of simple (sometimes ancient) advice of how to eat in the modern world, as a challenge to the corporate food advertising and industrial processing and packaging and bad eating habits that are all around us. Throughout these simple adages, Pollan reminds us of his guiding principles: to eat food, not too much, mostly plants. Here are some of my favorite passages:
“Nutrition science is, to put it charitably, a very young science… but - as nutritionists themselves will tell you - they're not there yet. Not even close. Nutrition science, which after all only got started less than two hundred years ago, is today approximately where surgery was in the year 1650 - very promising, and very interesting to watch, but are you ready to let them operate on you? I think I'll wait awhile.”
“As the author Walter Willett writes, “The potential for disease prevention by modest dietary and lifestyle changes that are readily compatible with life in the 21st century is enormous.”
“The healthiest food in the supermarket - the fresh produce- doesn't boast about its healthfulness, because the growers don't have the budget or the packaging.”
“Vegetarians are notably healthier than carnivores, and they live longer.”
“Many traditional cutures swear by the health benefits of fermented foods- foods that have been transformed by live microorganisms, such as yogurt, sauerkraut, soy sauce, kimchi, and sourdough bread. These foods can be a good source of vitamin B12, an essential nutrient you can't get from plants. (B12, is produced by animals and bacteria.)”
“5 - Avoid foods that have some form of sugar (or sweetener) listed among the top three ingredients.”
“13 - Eat only foods that will eventually rot.”
“51 - Spend as much time enjoying the meal as it took to prepare it.”
“53 - Serve a proper portion and don't go back for seconds.”
“56 - Limit your snacks to unprocessed plant foods.”
“58 - Do all your eating at a table.”
“59 - Try not to eat alone.”
“60 - Treat treats as treats.”
“61 - Leave something on your plate.”
“65 - Plant a vegetable garden if you have the space, a window box if you don't.”
“Nutrition science is, to put it charitably, a very young science… but - as nutritionists themselves will tell you - they're not there yet. Not even close. Nutrition science, which after all only got started less than two hundred years ago, is today approximately where surgery was in the year 1650 - very promising, and very interesting to watch, but are you ready to let them operate on you? I think I'll wait awhile.”
“As the author Walter Willett writes, “The potential for disease prevention by modest dietary and lifestyle changes that are readily compatible with life in the 21st century is enormous.”
“The healthiest food in the supermarket - the fresh produce- doesn't boast about its healthfulness, because the growers don't have the budget or the packaging.”
“Vegetarians are notably healthier than carnivores, and they live longer.”
“Many traditional cutures swear by the health benefits of fermented foods- foods that have been transformed by live microorganisms, such as yogurt, sauerkraut, soy sauce, kimchi, and sourdough bread. These foods can be a good source of vitamin B12, an essential nutrient you can't get from plants. (B12, is produced by animals and bacteria.)”
“5 - Avoid foods that have some form of sugar (or sweetener) listed among the top three ingredients.”
“13 - Eat only foods that will eventually rot.”
“51 - Spend as much time enjoying the meal as it took to prepare it.”
“53 - Serve a proper portion and don't go back for seconds.”
“56 - Limit your snacks to unprocessed plant foods.”
“58 - Do all your eating at a table.”
“59 - Try not to eat alone.”
“60 - Treat treats as treats.”
“61 - Leave something on your plate.”
“65 - Plant a vegetable garden if you have the space, a window box if you don't.”
Better for those unfamiliar with concepts like clean eating aka eating real food, but good points and info nonetheless!
informative
reflective
slow-paced
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
Sometimes it’s the tiny books that have the most impact! First, it was The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. She helped me see the beauty and grace of a minimalist lifestyle. Then came this little paperback that also changed my life! After spending hundreds, if not thousands, of $$$ on Weight Watcher’s and Jenny Craig through the years and after spending way too much on diet and nutrition publications, Michael Pollan, Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma and regular contributor to The New York Times Magazine, convinced me that eating half and mindfully, moving more and learning to listen to my own body are the only “program” I really need. In fact, in my opinion, it’s the only “diet book” anyone should ever need!
Some very good basic advice here, but what americans really need is a more accessable approach - tell them how to eat more vegetable, how to afford more expensive meat (I get it, but less but higher quality, but the average person won't pick up on that). While it's an excellent approach for someone who really knows little about nutrition, it may not be much help to someone who's already trying.
Told me what I already knew (eat less, don't eat junk), but as a collection it's simple and approachable enough that you can pick this book up now and then to remind you of good eating habits.
Easy read full of practical advice to eat real food.