Dietary Advice

“The Politics of Government and Dietary Advice” goes in to depth on the ways governments set nutrition standards and how these standards have changed over time. Jennifer Falbe and Marion Nestle explain that the purpose of these guidelines is to help consumers make healthier food choices, but the recommendations of the government are influenced by more than just scientific research. When the WHO advised consumers to limit their sugar consumption, lobbyists from sugar organizations bombarded the WHO with criticisms, disclaiming their research and pointing out that this advice would have serious agricultural and economic drawback. After threatening to withdraw funds, the sugar organizations eventually got their way, and the WHO removed the report on sugar. Over the years, the recommended diet has become more vague and wordy, as the USDA tried to avoid telling consumers that certain foods were “bad” or that they should consume less of some things and more of others. They have struggled to keep all of the competing food industries content. The committee that decides on daily nutrient allowances is financially influenced, by the Dairy Industry and other agri-businesses. Unsurprisingly, the recommended servings of dairy increased from two to three in 2003. In 2005, the USDA released a new food pyramid guide that confuses consumers even more. The new pyramid does not include any pictures of food, or any indication of what the colored stripes mean because the goal was to not make certain foods seem bad. In Canada, the food recommendations have been similarly influenced by agricultural industries. The number of servings suggested of all food groups has increased by nearly double in some cases since 1947. One has to wonder whether the government is trying to get us to consume healthier foods, or just more of it. I don’t like the idea that food industries have so much power to determine what is “healthy” for us to eat. This article pointed out that the new food pyramid was confusing for consumers, and I couldn’t agree more. I had no idea that I had to go online to find what I should be eating. By removing the food images from the pyramid, they have essentially made it meaningless. The colored stripes all appear to be about the same size, and I did not know why the stripes tapered at the top before I read this. I would like to know more about the actual health effects of Dairy, and how much influence they have. I remember when the ADADC released their “3-a-Day” campaign in 2003, and heard all about the benefits of dairy. I promoted “3-a-day” myself in every newspaper article, farm meeting, and elementary school I attended, but I was paid by the ADADC which is funded by dairy farmers. I know there is sufficient research that refutes the health benefits of dairy, and I wonder what the true effects of dairy on the diet are.

The Many Faces of Broccoli

I remember steering away from broccoli as a child, but I really have come to appreciate this vegetable. Last night I made broccoli ginger stir fry for dinner, and although I enjoyed it very much, my little sister still stubbornly refused to touch it. If vegetables are prepared correctly, they can be so much more than the tough, bland, tasteless morsels that many children imagine them to be. I guess I have learned to love most vegetables, but I still have not managed to convince my little sister. I was wondering why children are so averse to vegetables. How do all of you feel about broccoli? Do you prefer it raw, cooked, with cheese, with dressing, or in other dishes?
I found this article that you might find interesting about why children dislike vegetables. Check it out at:
http://nutrition.about.com/od/nutritionforchildren/a/bitterstudy.htm

Here is my dinner recipe from last night in case any of you want to try it:
Ingredients (I never really measure, I'm just guessing)-
4 cups of broccoli florets
1/2 a red pepper, sliced into strips
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced
olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt to taste
Directions-
put the broccoli in a microwave safe container with a little bit of water and microwave for 2 minutes. Cook broccoli in olive oil in a wok on medium heat. Add the rest of the vegetables, and once they are cooked (but not mushy) add the sauces. I usually just taste it to tell what I want to add more of. Serve with rice, if desired, and enjoy!

American Cuisine

Sidney Mintz accidently let slip that there was no “American Cuisine” during a lecture he gave. The idea that it did not exist clearly upset members of the class because to them, having a distinguished cuisine is as significant as having American art, music, or literature. This response led Mintz to respond to his comment. He explains in his chapter “Eating American” that this is because of our country’s unique history that blends the culture of several European nations. Our country is vast geographically and has a large population, so in small European countries unified cuisines developed, while American meals can vary greatly because of regional diversity. The author believes that even though there is homogeneity in the American diet, this does not count as a cuisine because they are not creating it. Americans have tried to market regional dishes throughout the country, but diluted the originals in the process. These distorted versions of the original can be found almost anywhere, and in his mind cannot be considered cuisine because it is merely a cheap imitation. Americans also have relied on food transportation to overcome the issue of seasonal foods, and although this has broadened the exposure to different types of food for most American’s it gets rid of the need to develop out own cuisine. Americans eat out more than they cook and when they do cook, it is mostly prepared or packaged. Mintz predicts that in the future, even more food will be mass produced, which will only send us further away from having a unified cuisine.
How important is having an American cuisine to our cultural identity? Would anyone else be offended if they heard his comment during the lecture? Which regional cuisines have been ruined by being diluted and mass produced so much? Mintz mentioned several foods that many people consider “American cuisine” but what thing should it include, or how should this be changed so that we have a respectable cuisine?

The Other White Meat

The idea of cloned meat has definitely not appealed to all consumers, but The Other White Meat sheds some light on the issue. According to Ben Paynter, milk from a cloned dairy cow is just as delicious as the original. Even though food from cloned animals is exactly the same and just as safe, the FDA is putting forth its best efforts to prevent cloned milk or meat from getting into grocery stores. Don Coover, who manages SEK Genetics, believes that this only because of strong public opposition to cloned food. Coover knows that cloned animals make their way into the food chain anyway. Cloning presents an advantage over regular breeding because there is no chance of getting undesired traits, but cloned animals can sometimes have fatal conditions like sudden death syndrome and large offspring syndrome. Cloning animals also presents an economic advantage to farmers, and ultimately consumers cannot tell the difference. I can understand why consumers are wary of food that comes from cloned animals. I do not have a problem with cloned animals being in our food, but I think consumers should still know if their food does come from cloned animals. When I worked as a representative of the dairy industry, I was told to tell consumers that the FDA mandated that milk from cloned cows was dumped and not put into the milk supply, but if it ended up in stores, then consumers should not be deceived.