This past week has caused me to reminisce on my childhood a
lot; when I felt like I actually had time to bake homemade bread regularly, go
to the fair to pet the goats, and plant seeds.
Whereas I used to cook and bake several times a week, I can hardly
remember the last time I made a whole meal myself. Here I eat whatever’s put out on the serving
line without ever questioning what’s in it or where it came from. My friends and I often joke we don’t even
want to look at the nutrition labels, but, in reality, that’s not much of a
joke. Thinking about the amount of
processed foods I must is, quite frankly, disgusting. Why is it that I somehow ate so much
healthier and took more time to cook from scratch as a child than I do now,
when I should be much more knowledgeable and capable?
Considering this question caused me to recall a TED talk
video I found on Pinterest a few months ago.
http://www.ted.com/talks/birke_baehr_what_s_wrong_with_our_food_system.html
What first caused me to notice it was that a child was
giving the talk. Eleven-year-old Birke
Baehr, whose dream it is to become an organic farmer, charismatically and
informatively speaks about what he refers to as “the dark side of the
industrialized food system,” as well as some alternatives to this dark side. Watching the video, I was shocked. This 11-year-old kid knew significantly more
about the food I was eating than I did as a 22-year-old soon-to-be college
graduate. There is something seriously
wrong with that. In spite of being a
little embarrassed at being outsmarted by an 11-year-old, I really listened to
his take-home message to “think local, choose organic, know your farmer, and
know your food.” It’s just a few
phrases, but is easier said than done, so I wasn’t (and still am not)
completely sure how to do that. In a
society where quantity, price, and convenience seem to take priority over
everything, it’s difficult to make such a drastic change. Thinking back over past experiences, most of
my best achievements have been reached as a result of setting and working
toward very small goals, so that is what I have decided to do in this case,
rather than suddenly completely changing my diet. My first goal will be to get back to my
habits of cooking regularly that I left behind in childhood. I encourage others to set small goals as well. In the words of the inspiring Birke Baehr,
let’s make a difference “one kid at a time,” or in my case, one college student at a time.
Small changes can really make a difference! I read an article recently that talked about food deserts and what small grocery stores are trying to do to help encourage people to eat healthier. Some grocery stores put the fruits and vegetables towards the front of the store and others give away free recipes that include the healthiest ingredients. Small goals are definitely easy to work towards for everyone.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/05/01/151707985/what-will-make-the-food-desert-bloom
Last week really made me think back on my childhood as well. Food, especially cooking, was such an important part of my family interactions growing up. Both of my grandmothers show their love for their family through growing, cooking, baking, and canning homemade goods. The older I get, the more I appreciate this act of love and strive to do it myself! I too, hope to grow my cooking skills after college, but also would like to learn more about gardening as well from my family while I still have the chance.
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