Review: Omnivore's dilemma by Michael Pollan

On a recommendation from Jack, m and I just finished reading the Omnivore's dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. Michael Pollan has an easy and entertaining style of prose that makes it a pleasure to get through some rather difficult material. This book traces the origins of the ingredients in four meals, from field to consumption. All too often, books on food can be judgmental, with an all-or-none attitude. Pollan's goal, however, seems simply to want to convince his readers to think about what we eat. Reconnect with the food chain.

M and I have made an attempt to be more thoughtful about our diet, shifting to a vegan approach this year. However, I am beginning to think that our quest for fresh veggies and honey-free bread may be misguided. In every grocery store around the country (and we have visited 15 states to date), most domestically-grown produce came from California. This should be disconcerting in places that are thousands of miles from California. As vegans, we have also become label-readers...checking to make sure products don't contain hidden animal ingredients, like whey or gelatin. One thing we have noticed is that virtually every processed food in the grocery store contains HFCS - or high fructose corn syrup. Yes, it's vegan...but does that make it healthy? Ecologically responsible? Pollan examines this issue, and raises some interesting points along the way.

This is not a PETA book, although it does bring up animal cruelty. Pollan does not preach about a diet that will save Americans from our chronic battle with obesity, although it does point out some contributors to the problem.

I think the most compelling message in the book comes from the chapter entitled, "The Market: Greetings from the Non-Barcode People." Joel Salatin, of Polyface Farms, puts it well when he asks, "Don't you find it odd that people will put more work into choosing their mechanic or house contractor than they will into choosing the person who grows their food?"

Do you know who picked your lettuce? Slaughtered your beef? Gathered your eggs? Perhaps this is the disconnect in our diets. Any backyard gardener knows that all food is not created equal...soil and weather conditions can effect the taste, and likely the nutrition, of the tomatoes we grow for fun. Why should we think it's any different for the commercial farmer?

After reading the Omnivore's dilemma, I am left with lots of questions, but I strongly recommend this book to anyone in the U.S. who purchases the food they eat.