Eating with Intention
I have recently been inspired by Michael Pollan’s MasterClass course, “Intentional Eating.” For most of my life, I have held the belief that food is medicine; a belief I hold today. Nothing is more important to our overall health than eating healthy food! In this lesson, Pollan talks about the practice of choosing our foods based on the values we hold. This has really got me thinking and inspired to be mindful of this opportunity we have three times a day. This week I write on just this; using our individual values to make individual food choices.
Why do you choose the foods you do? Our country is a conglomerate of many cultures and seemingly lacks a cohesive food culture. Compare our eating culture to that of: Italy, Vietnam, and Ethiopia; where food is shared, flavors distinct, and traditions strong. If one thing is for sure, we know that the western diet is full of refined sugars, refined oils, and meats, and sets us up for western diseases.
What does it look like in practice to align our food choices with these values?
Sustainability – prioritizing plants, minimizing meat intake, choosing locally, and eating mindfully. Pay attention to the foods you eat and where they come from because consumers drive demand.
Animal welfare– how are the animals you are eating being raised, what are they being fed, how are they slaughtered? If you’re like me, you probably have seen a video or two that makes your heart hurt from the images of inhumane conditions. Choosing meats that are raised ethically may be a way to make choices consistent with your values.
Community– while I, too, often find myself eating alone, food is so much better to me when eaten in community. Further, the family meal provides an opportunity to exhibit critical skills for the kids like sharing, arguing without fighting, and taking turns.
Pleasure– we eat for pleasure. How can we select food and curate eating contexts that nurture this feeling?
Social justice– who is picking and preparing the food on our table? How are they treated? Migrant workers are some of the least valued workers in our economy. How can the foods that we choose support the people cultivating them?
Some of my main values are ethics, health, and sustainability. It’s important to me to try to choose ethically-sourced animals when it comes to meat. Ideally, I would work with a farm directly to purchase meat in bulk that we can freeze and eat on throughout the winter. For health, I continue to subscribe to a weekly organic fruits and veggie box through Organics To You. To meet the value of sustainability in my food choices, I’ve been shopping more at the Realm Refinery, a waste-free grocery store in NE Portland. You can either purchase glass jars or bring your own clean jars to fill with bulk items. It’s super hard to be impeccable with our values, but we try and it's a work in progress.
While your values will be different then mine, the point is that we make choices with intention. I hope this inspires you to think about your values and how you apply them through your food choices.