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Before you chomp that cheeseburger,
consider this
By Kelly
Greenwood
October 6, 2008 | It's a good thing we Americans are
at the top of the food chain. As the ever-reigning omnivores
(with a few vegetarian exceptions), we don't have to
think for a second about what we eat. We eat whatever,
whenever, and however we want.
We're a nation of privilege, lest anyone forget. Why
bother thinking about what we're eating when it's being
handed to us on the modern silver platter, also known
as a grease-soaked Wendy's bag? It's trans-fat free!
That's enough justification to ignore the fact that
some ingredients in our hamburger have been obtained
by largely undercutting farmers in struggling countries
for their crops or by polluting the earth (and our bodies)
with pesticides. We don't have think of the mysterious
ingredients in hot dogs, nor do we have to consider
the effects the packaging from our impossibly convenient
microwave meals has on the environment. It's a work-a-day
world, and we barely have time to count calories to
monitor our precious waistlines, let alone actually
think about what we're eating.
It's true -- we don't have to think about anything
we don't want to think about. But have is a lot different
than need. Since we hold so much power as a nation,
isn't it the least we could do to consider the repercussions
our actions have on the world? Don't we owe it to the
world and ourselves to consider the impact our consumerism
has on our surroundings?
Though we certainly can't spend our time obsessively
studying everything we consume, we can, for starters,
slow down. And this time is as good as any to sit down,
shut up, think, and eat. "When in Rome, do as the
French do." Okay, that's not the expression. But
when you're eating, do it as the French do. The French
spend upwards of two hours enjoying, savoring, thinking
about their dinner. It is an event, and it never goes
unappreciated. Food is celebrated as an integral part
of their culture. This, plus a heck of a lot of walking,
makes France a whole lot healthier than America.
Meanwhile, we're commuting in our SUVs to work, stuffing
our faces as fast as we can before we have to turn left,
because that means putting both hands on the steering
wheel. One false move, and the Spicy Chicken plops in
your lap.
Well, while it's there, why don't we take a second
to look at and think about what we're eating here. First,
the bun. Probably kind of dry, it's comprised entirely
of simple carbohydrates. But where did it come from?
Did it come from a local bakery that uses locally farmed
organic wheat? Or does it hail from a colossal bread
factory somewhere in Missouri that uses triple-bleached
flour and a boatload of preservatives? The latter is
most likely the case, and your bun probably has countless
identical brothers that were born in the same factory.
And what about those insides? There's some kind of
mysterious goop that's been spread all over the inside
of the bun. You kind of feel bad for the bun being violated
like this. Hopefully, that goo is mayonnaise. With these
restaurant-specific "special sauces" you don't really
know what you're getting. What about that chicken patty?
Is it really chicken, or is it a chicken-style meat
product? Did the chicken lead a happy, free-range life,
or did it spend its entire existence cooped up in a
cage, continuously injected with hormones like millions
of its contemporaries?
The mission here is not to chide anyone. You can eat
at Wendy's if you want -- no one is going to stop you.
Just take a moment and really consider what you're eating.
How does it impact the environment, the economy, society,
and your health?
The answers to these questions aren't simple, but
we must make an effort to answer them. Let us be responsible
for our actions and consider how they impact the world
around us. Let us not be blind consumers; Americans
are already superstars at that. We must be responsible
consumers and make choices that can better impact the
fragile world that we so oft take for granted.
NW
MS |
