What’s To Eat? What Was Your Food Journey, I Wonder?

Nothing like harvesting wild mushrooms, and enjoying them with friends and family. When you get home. Beware – know what you’re doing, or die!

“You are what you eat.” Lindlahr, 1942 

What’s To Eat? Now! There’s a great question!

What’s for dinner, for heaven’s sake? Photo by FitOldDog, under pressure from Willbe, to provide FOOD!

There are many reasons that we eat what we do. The main one is habit or conditioning. Usually the food that our family provided, as we were growing up.

As a researcher and triathlete, I think a lot about the energy component. Should I get my power from carbohydrates or fats? But there is much more to nutrition than energy.

I recently realized that I should eat less meat. For many reasons.

Food plays an important social role. Based on acquired activities or societal memes. Bonding us, through meals that we’ve hunted or eaten together. Hunting doesn’t play such a big role in my life. I do have fond memories of tracking down wild mushrooms, as a young man. In the woods surrounding Geneva, Switzerland.

Today, I fancied a chicken sandwich. I made one from textured vegetable protein (TVP). It hit the nostalgia spot. Couldn’t tell the difference, and no dead chicken. Sandwich and photo by FitOldDog.

My favorite was ‘sanguin‘ (Lactarius sanguifluus). A bright red mushroom (you peed red, later!). Delicious, sautéed in butter with lots of garlic. Accompanied by a fresh baguette. Indescribable and prone to promote wonderful conversations, with family and friends.

Other fond memories of food, include those provided by farmers during my veterinary years. Rabbit pie! Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Hearty stews with home-made bread. Lamb chops with mint jelly. Pork pies, with pickled onions on the side. The list is endless. It involved lots of meat.

Nostalgia certainly plays a role in the produce we select in the grocery store.

Food we had growing up, is the most powerful force.

• It’s familiar.
• We know how to cook it.
• It’s predictable.

My diet has evolved over the years (as shown in the adjacent figure).

Don’t eat my Mom! Please!

Other key factors include convenience and availability. Often driven by price. The food industry employs these variables in marketing. To seduce consumers. Especially so-called fast-food. Much of which is processed, and derived from factory farms.

What should you eat?

1. Eat consciously.
2. Know why you are eating, what you are eating.
3. Justify your choices to yourself.
4. Consider ethics, health and the environment.

Not always easy. Sometimes leading to difficult choices.

Food awareness is one key to our future on planet Earth.

Study carefully, and make the best choices for you and yours. I say! Image created by FitOldDog.