SOAPBOX SUNDAY

In Defense of Food

or

What I Should Have Said

Recently I was having a conversation about an acquaintance regarding things we should and should not eat.  This person was surprised to learn we still eat wheat products.  He himself is an advocate of healthy eating, trying to avoid hydrogenated oils, reading research regarding soy products, etc.  He said that while they still eat gluten products, he feels like they shouldn't and desires to move to gluten free eating in the future.  While I share his sentiment for establishing good eating habits, I was speechless when he asked if we still eat wheat.  The answer, of course, is yes, we do, and I said as much.  But I had a hard time articulating myself under the pressure.

Later that evening, as I was thinking about that conversation, I found my answer.  I was frustrated that it took me so long to think of such a simple answer, and that I didn't have the chance to communicate our philosophy on eating.  

Fortunately for me, I have an outlet to communicate myself.  This person does not read my blog, but if he did, this is what I would say to him (if I had thought of it at the time).

We don't avoid foods.  We just try to eat real food.  Wheat is not bad.  Ingredients you can't pronounce are bad.  Transporting food across the world is bad.  Knowing what is in your food (making it yourself) is good.  Even if it has wheat, gluten, or *gasp* sugar.

We make a point to use ingredients in their most natural forms.  This includes, but is not limited to, fresh, seasonal vegetables, unbleached flour, unrefined sugar, alternative forms of sweetener such as pure maple syrup and honey, fresh organic cheeses, etc.  

In practice, this means we end up making a lot of our food from scratch.  We still like to eat snack type foods, but our goal is to have control over what's in those foods.  So, my google list includes recipes for crackers, granola, granola bars, etc.

So, yes, we eat wheat.  Yes, we eat sugar.  And we savor every bite.