Dilemma in the kitchen

I've been reading the book "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan. Scott recommended it to me, and I've read another book by Pollan so I thought I would give it a try.

The back cover reads:
Today, buffeted by one food fad after another, America is suffering from what can only be described as a national eating disorder. Will it be fast food tonight or something organic? Or perhaps something we grew ourselves? As Michael Pollan explains in this revolutionary book, how we answer it now, at the dawn of the twenty-first century, may determine our survival as a species. This book is changing the way Americans think about the politics, perils and pleasures of eating.

I was hoping that this book would help me find ways to make an impact in not only the way we eat, but the way we shop for our groceries.

So far, all it has done is pretty much freak me out. B said he knew that day would come the minute I started reading. I hit a low on Tuesday night after reading a section of the book that breaks down the ingredients in a McDonald's chicken nugget. B and I don't eat a lot of fast food (once, twice a month tops), but I freaked out nonetheless. I went into the kitchen and pulled everything out of the cupboards and started reading labels. I was hoping I wouldn't find a lot of high fructose corn syrup, possibly the worst thing on the planet for you to eat. But, I found HFCS in my supposedly "healthy" multi-grain breakfast cereal, Kellogg's Smart Start. Sure, it has immune system boosting antioxidants, beta carotene, lots of fiber and is low in fat and sodium, but it still has high fructose corn syrup! And my low calorie microwave popcorn? It contains TBHQ, or tertiary butylhydroquinone, which is included to help preserve freshness, but is a form of BUTANE! Lighter fluid!

By now I was in complete despair. B and I try to make wise, healthy decisions about what we eat: we watch our sugar intake (I'm that woman at the store that is standing there comparing labels, specifically with yogurt. Believe it or not, yogurt has TONS of sugar in it), we eat lots of fresh veggies and fruits, we stay away from sweets and really fatty stuff for the most part (although B has a serious weakness for chocolate chip cookies and I looove plain potato chips), but apparently that isn't enough. I mean, seriously, what are we supposed to eat?

I'm convinced to find a solution. We live in an apartment, so having a garden is almost out of the question. We could container garden, but our deck doesn't get adequate sunlight. We're not exactly wealthy so shopping for locally grown, organic food isn't necessarily an option, because it tends to be uber-expensive. (Although as I'm reading now, the organic industry really isn't all it's cracked up to be either.) And, to make matters worse, we're active people. We just don't have time to spend carefully planning meals and shopping for key ingredients. Like most Americans, we like meals that are quick and easy to prepare, but we also want our meals to be healthy, and have a low environmental impact. Like I said, it's a dilemma.

I think the answer lies in making small changes and gradually working new ideas in. Kind-of like the "living green and eco-friendly" fad that is sweeping the nation right now. Replacing old lightblubs for CFLs. Using reusable grocery bags. Recycling everything. Maybe we just need to make some small changes in order to help the bigger picture. Like purchasing a farm share this spring for our summer produce so we know where our veggies are coming from. Or shopping at the farmer's market on the weekends to help reduce our "food miles." Or buying popcorn and actually popping it on the stove in a pot like my dad does. Or complusively reading product labels at the grocery store......ok, maybe not that one.