Michael Pollan talks about how eating became so complicated

by Nicole Weston, Posted Jan 29th 2007 @ 6:06PM

"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

Those are the words that Michael Pollan uses to open his piece, Unhappy Meals, from yesterday's New York Times magazine. The short statement is the very simplest way to condense the way that we are supposed to eat to ensure our continuing good health and reduce our risk for various health problems that are associated with food intake. After all, it seems like it seems like just about everything you put into your mouth can do something bad to your body, these days.

But this basic advice is deceptively simple. It is not always easy to find "real food" and it is hard to motivate yourself to keep away from favorites (meat, cheese, chocolate) for long periods of time. This is the issue that Pollan tries to tackle in his the 12-page long (online page length) article, where he looks at how, why and why eating became so complicated and if it is still possible to eat both nutritiously and well.

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Filed Under: Magazines
Tags: eat, eating, eats, food, foods, magazine, michael pollan, MichaelPollan, new york times, new york times magazine, nyt

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

1-30-2007 @2:30PM Allison said... Excellent item, Nicole. Thanks. Encourage everyone to read this piece -- if only the last page if your reading time is limited.

And if you get diverted off to the column "Has It All Been a Big Lie," consider it time well spent.
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1-30-2007 @9:12PM GhaleonQ said... *wholly disagrees* I thank God for processed, healthy foods. It's never been easier to eat better than it is today.
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1-30-2007 @4:12AM Berkana said... I must say, this article is easily one of the best articles I have ever read on the topic of nutrition, politics, health, diet, and epistemology. (Epistemology = how we know things, and the limits of our methods of knowing.)

Everyone should read this article, print it out, and have their friends read it; it is a bit long, but worth every minute of reading.
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1-30-2007 @7:56AM mcmilker said... Thanks Nicole! After reading this article, I have to distill the one I wrote over the weekend even further. Maybe "Eat Food, not too much, mostly plants...shop only at The Farmer's Market"

The Not Quite Crunchy Parent
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