What "Food" Means to Me

Over the years, my definition of what is "food" and what is not has changed significantly. I grew up as a very picky eater, subsisting on a diet of Ellios pizza, chicken fingers and Oreos. I think it goes without saying that these foods are no longer a part of my daily intake.

Arguably one of my favorite classes in college was "Anthropology of Food." I took it, initially, as a general education requirement, but found myself incredibly engaged during the lectures and enjoying the readings. The class vastly changed the way I thought about food. Instead of thinking about what was "healthy" or "unhealthy," I began to think about why we eat certain things. For example, why did we create "recipes" and "meals?", and, "What were my ancestors eating?" Recipes were, more than likely, designed to help us fulfill our daily micro and macro nutrient needs. (Side note: micronutrients are the vitamins and minerals like iron and Vitamin C, and the macronutrients are protein, carbohydrates and fats.) Think about a meal like meat and potatoes--we have all three of those macronutrients included onto one happy plate. Recipes evolved based on readily available ingredients and needs for certain micro or macronutrients.

Photo courtesy of Natalie Dee

Since the onset of agriculture, the way we produced and consumed food has changed. We no longer had to travel great distances for food, or hunt for it ourselves. Instead, we could grow food right in our own backyards. Humans became more stagnant and more sedentary. Fast forward a few thousand years to the industrial revolution when the need and want to produce increased significantly. Because the population was booming, we had more mouths to feed, so we needed to come up with cheaper and more efficient ways to do so. Corn was one of the cheapest, most readily available ingredients, so naturally it found its way into everything. Take a second to look at any product in your pantry. Chances are, it has corn oil, corn syrup (high fructose or otherwise), corn flour, or dextrose (which often comes from corn or other grains). Not to mention, farmers often feed corn to their animals, so there's probably even corn in the meat you're eating. 

Corn is just one of many additives that food manufacturers now pump into the products we eat. Artificial flavorings, colorings, sweeteners, MSG, nitrites, thickeners, and so on, make up the bulk of the Standard American Diet. But I digress. I could go on about this, but I'll leave you to research those things on your own.

The food that the typical American eats is not only extremely processed, but it is also devoid of all nutritional content. So what do we do? We take vitamins and supplements for everything instead of getting those vitamins from the foods we eat.

Just because I can consume it, does not mean it is food. I have come to consider "food" to be nutritionally dense food that comes from the earth. I like to eat plants, animals and nuts, minimal grains and legumes, and no dairy. Why? Because all of those foods provide my body with the fuel it needs for my workouts and daily life. I do not count calories or measure my macros because there's no need. I try to eat products from the perimeters of the grocery store, food that has a shelf life. If I can see all of the ingredients in what I'm eating, that's even better. I can read and pronounce everything on the label--that, to me, is "food."

Do I snack from time to time? Of course. Sometimes it's nice to indulge, and everything is fine in moderation! To be honest, though, I feel better physically when I eat better. My body thrives off of whole foods. When I eat junk, I usually don't feel well or perform well the next day. If you fuel your body properly, you will be amazed by the outcome. To me, this is far beyond "weight loss." Rather, this is about feeling great and thriving. We weren't eating Hostess cakes 100 years ago, so why are we eating them now?

As tacky as it may sound, I really do believe that we are what we eat. I don't know about you, but I would much rather be a steak than a jelly donut. Now before I get carried away and go on (even more of) a rant, I will cut myself off and save the rest for my next article...

Sources:

1. Dir. Robert Kenner, Elise Pearlstein, and Kim Roberts. N.d.
2. Allen, John S. The Omnivorous Mind: Our Evolving Relationship with Food. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 2012. Print.
3. Anderson, E. N. Everyone Eats: Understanding Food and Culture. New York: New York UP, 2005. Print.