This is a fantastic post that gets to heart of what needs to change. It's easy to tell people to eat less UPF and to cook more, but there are a lot of barriers in place to doing that. I like the suggestions you offer for changes at a structural level but I'm doubtful that a federal food and cooking literacy curriculum will happen, at least under this current administration — not when their singular goal seems to be to increase inequality and make SNAP harder to access.
One thing that has helped me build a food culture in my family, and teach my kids (aged 6 and 8- how to cook, how to meal plan, how to shop for food, and how to eat well, is something I don't often see mentioned: food and cooking has become a hobby for me. It didn't used to be. I used to just eat food because I needed to, but I didn't have an interest in it. Somewhere long the way, cooking and baking became things I was genuinely interested in, the way someone else might be interested in gardening or vintage cars. I read about food, I watch YouTube videos about food, I write about food. I learnt about the food system, food industry, the provenance of food, the power of large food corporations. But I also learnt about cooking and baking as practices — techniques, flavours, traditions, recipes. This has been a very important part of building food IQ infrastructure within our little family.
This is one of the most well written articles with real, actionable steps presented to counter issues I deal with daily as a diabetes educator. The one thing not discussed at length in this article, and I would love to have Mike's insight about, is that not only do I fight food and housing insecurity, lack of transportation, food deserts, co-morbidities, literacy and language and cultural barriers, all factors in the bigger system rigged against us, but I am very much up against the addictive qualities of hyper-palatable foods.
These are foods that not only my patients admit to indulging in (as we all do) but that they often describe as feeling they deserve, or look forward to. I am guilty of adopting the same mindset when I reach for that cookie at the local market when I stop in for last minute groceries for the night's dinner. It would be one thing if my patients offset the indulgent foods with whole, unprocessed food, but for many reasons they struggle to do so, and for reasons you articulated well here.
I am wondering if you have done any research or taken action to raise awareness of addiction to processed/hyper-palatable foods. I am really glad I found your Substack and am excited to dig into your podcast, etc. Thanks for the good work.
This is a fantastic post that gets to heart of what needs to change. It's easy to tell people to eat less UPF and to cook more, but there are a lot of barriers in place to doing that. I like the suggestions you offer for changes at a structural level but I'm doubtful that a federal food and cooking literacy curriculum will happen, at least under this current administration — not when their singular goal seems to be to increase inequality and make SNAP harder to access.
One thing that has helped me build a food culture in my family, and teach my kids (aged 6 and 8- how to cook, how to meal plan, how to shop for food, and how to eat well, is something I don't often see mentioned: food and cooking has become a hobby for me. It didn't used to be. I used to just eat food because I needed to, but I didn't have an interest in it. Somewhere long the way, cooking and baking became things I was genuinely interested in, the way someone else might be interested in gardening or vintage cars. I read about food, I watch YouTube videos about food, I write about food. I learnt about the food system, food industry, the provenance of food, the power of large food corporations. But I also learnt about cooking and baking as practices — techniques, flavours, traditions, recipes. This has been a very important part of building food IQ infrastructure within our little family.
This is one of the most well written articles with real, actionable steps presented to counter issues I deal with daily as a diabetes educator. The one thing not discussed at length in this article, and I would love to have Mike's insight about, is that not only do I fight food and housing insecurity, lack of transportation, food deserts, co-morbidities, literacy and language and cultural barriers, all factors in the bigger system rigged against us, but I am very much up against the addictive qualities of hyper-palatable foods.
These are foods that not only my patients admit to indulging in (as we all do) but that they often describe as feeling they deserve, or look forward to. I am guilty of adopting the same mindset when I reach for that cookie at the local market when I stop in for last minute groceries for the night's dinner. It would be one thing if my patients offset the indulgent foods with whole, unprocessed food, but for many reasons they struggle to do so, and for reasons you articulated well here.
I am wondering if you have done any research or taken action to raise awareness of addiction to processed/hyper-palatable foods. I am really glad I found your Substack and am excited to dig into your podcast, etc. Thanks for the good work.
Also, for some good reading on the "I deserve this" mindset that accompanies small indulgences, check out this really great post: https://wellgoodblog.substack.com/p/small-treats-culture?r=18jfjx&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=post%20viewer
It's even worst in south pacific Island nations which have the most % of obese people compared to respective population.