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[A Fish Aficionado]

Pollan is actually the opposite of your fears.

He uses those heuristics--eat food, not too much, and mostly plants. Where he uses the grandma rule for defining food because there is so much conflicting nutritional information.

It's a very simple rule and avoids fads and fear mongering about foods.

Most people aren't reading studies. His message is for them.

I've read a couple of his books. Way too much bias for me.

He does quite a lot of fear mongering, especially on the production side of things.

I do think he contributes to the noise about nutrition rather than simplification.

Get rid of a lot of his editorialization and there is a good message there.

 

[jmdajr]

All food makes you fat (if you eat too much).

Maybe in theory. But most people don't get fat from eating steaks and bottles of olive oil, or pounds of broccoli. It's practically impossible.

They get fad from eating too many refined carbs and sugars. That's a fact.

 

[Squalor]

Maybe in theory. But most people don't get fat from eating steaks and bottles of olive oil, or pounds of broccoli.

They get fad from eating too many refined carbs and sugars. That's a fact.

No, just high cholesterol, clogged arteries, and hypertension.

For the most part, people just need to be conscious of everything they're eating and not sit on their asses so much.

But no one does those things anymore.

 

[jmdajr]

No, just high cholesterol, clogged arteries, and hypertension.

For the most part, people just need to be conscious of everything they're eating and not sit on their asses so much.

But no one does those things anymore.

Completely and utterly false.

The science is outdated and that's why people keep failing at improving their health.

And while exercise is good for muscles and keeping things like blood sugar in check, it practically useless fighting obesity.

edit: Sure. A lot of red meat and no vegetables will probbaly give you colon cancer. But the science between natural fats (not stuff like trans fat which is mostly in.... refined carbs) and cholesterol levels are proven to be almost completely wrong.

 

[Yamauchi]

Cooking is alive here too. Eating out all meals is still pretty expensive.

Pollan is talking about trends.

That is opposite to the trend among my family and friends here in the US. We're all cooking more, trying all kinds of different ingredients and recipes. My family eats out once to twice a week and I'm pretty happy with that. Just a quirk, I guess?

Actually I noticed when I lived in Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore) that despite those countries having great cuisine, cooking was much more of a dying art than it seems to be in the US. I knew a lot of people who ate out at least once a day.

 

[G.ZZZ]

Is it always so baffling to me that americans don't "understand" what to do about their obesity epidemic, while they completely lost any attachment to cooking, to food and to the earth food come from. Food stands full of food are everywhere, at every hour, just to be consumed, never appreciated. And because of that it has to be extremely tasty to be even noticed, tasty to the point of being nauseous to someone not used to it.

But i expect to be taken as a senile old man in the way of the majestic progress feeding us all like pigs. As long as i live, fuck american food megacorporations, and fuck the TTIP for trying to bring them here and destroy our local food industry.

 

[x-Lundz-x]

Been wanting to check this out for the past few weeks. I'll be checking it out soon for sure.

 

[John Kowalski]

...since I work FOH and BOH in a restaurant.

What are those?

 

[Divvy]

What are those?

Front of house, back of house?

 

[crazygambit]

Are people really cooking less these days? I kinda figured with how popular food tv has gotten people would be cooking more.

I read somewhere that it had the opposite effect. Like I'm never gonna be able to make that, might as well go to a restaurant.

 

[Divvy]

Aside from the preachy stuff, I loved the history of the development of these cooking processes. To have a time machine and go back and see the discovery that rotting cacao beans taste good first hand would be amazing.

 

[snacknuts]

Is it always so baffling to me that americans don't "understand" what to do about their obesity epidemic, while they completely lost any attachment to cooking, to food and to the earth food come from. Food stands full of food are everywhere, at every hour, just to be consumed, never appreciated. And because of that it has to be extremely tasty to be even noticed, tasty to the point of being nauseous to someone not used to it.

But i expect to be taken as a senile old man in the way of the majestic progress feeding us all like pigs. As long as i live, fuck american food megacorporations, and fuck the TTIP for trying to bring them here and destroy our local food industry.

I'm also a grumpy old man, but I agree with you 100%.

 

[enzo_gt]

Thanks for the heads up. I'm learning to cook right now so this is up my alley and I'm definitely going to check this out.

 

[Aureon]

Are people really cooking less these days? I kinda figured with how popular food tv has gotten people would be cooking more.

When two working parents is the standard...

 

[The Lamonster]

uh this sounds awesome, thanks OP!

 

[ElNino]

I read somewhere that it had the opposite effect. Like I'm never gonna be able to make that, might as well go to a restaurant.

I don't watch cooking shows much anymore, but I generally have the opposite reaction to eating out. When I can make the meal more to my tastes (and cheaper) at home, why go out?

Generally, we only eat out (or order in) on days when it's convenient to do so; ie, when we don't get home with kids until after 6 PM on a Friday, we'll probably order some food.

 

[Sirpopopop]

I liked both Cooked & Chef's Table.

Inspired me to go eat some food at Blue Hill. Good choice.

 

[butalala]

Is it always so baffling to me that americans don't "understand" what to do about their obesity epidemic, while they completely lost any attachment to cooking, to food and to the earth food come from. Food stands full of food are everywhere, at every hour, just to be consumed, never appreciated. And because of that it has to be extremely tasty to be even noticed, tasty to the point of being nauseous to someone not used to it.

But i expect to be taken as a senile old man in the way of the majestic progress feeding us all like pigs. As long as i live, fuck american food megacorporations, and fuck the TTIP for trying to bring them here and destroy our local food industry.

This is what Pollan is trying to get people to understand. I took a January-term class in college where I read Omnivore's Dilemma. It was eye-opening. I can tell you that there are some Americans that get it.

 

[Divvy]

I liked both Cooked & Chef's Table.

Inspired me to go eat some food at Blue Hill. Good choice.

Check out Mind of a Chef in Netflix too. It's a great series.

 

[crazygambit]

All food makes you fat (if you eat too much).

I'm pretty sure celery doesn't.

 

[demosthenes]

Sounds awesome. I cook about 90% of my food. Will watch this week.

 

[entremet]

I've read a couple of his books. Way too much bias for me.

He does quite a lot of fear mongering, especially on the production side of things.

I do think he contributes to the noise about nutrition rather than simplification.

Get rid of a lot of his editorialization and there is a good message there.

Omnivore's Dilemmas is excellent. I didn't read his other books since it was common sense stuff.

 

[LegendofJoe]

When two working parents is the standard...

Or even worse single working parents. My wife has been out of state for work since November and I've had to cook, clean, and care for our 2 year old son by myself. I stress like hell over what he eats and I cook 3 to 4 nights a week, but sometimes I'm just too damn tired to be in the kitchen.

I can't wait for my wife to get back, I will literally be on cloud nine.

 

[suberzat]

I'll check out over the weekend.

 

[Surface of Me]

Cooking takes fucking time, a resource that is becoming more and more valuable in today's fast paced lifestyles. There are times where I will eat food I dont really wanna eat, but make it anyways cause I can make a sandwich in two minutes vs 20 minutes of time making something else for lunch.

 

[John Kowalski]

Front of house, back of house?

Hmm thanks.