A Little Food Theory
I have a theory about food. I've given it plenty of thought, and I've come to the conclusion that the foods we enjoy most are those that have, at some time in our lives, been forbidden or, simply, unavailable.
My parents were born during the Great Depression, and grew up during World War II. Food was relatively scarce in the Dust Bowl, where the unreliable rains hardly ever watered the parched ground, and the topsoil blew away into the darkening sky. People in middle America ate whatever meager crops they could grow, and hunted for squirrels and rabbits and deer, and any other animals that might provide a little meat for their families. Jobs were hard to come by, and times were bleak in our country.
Then, just as the drought was ending, World War II erupted in Europe and Asia, and young American men, who couldn't find jobs at home, enlisted in the armed forces and joined the war effort abroad. Before too long, there weren't enough men to fill the crucial jobs, so young women stepped up to work in the factories.
And, along with the war, came rationing. So many things were needed for the war--boots and uniforms and rubber tires and gasoline and iron to make tanks and planes--so those commodities were rationed in the US; Americans at home did without, so soldiers and sailors could have everything they needed to fight in the war. Food was rationed, too, because imported foods were no longer obtainable, and because the armed forces needed to eat, and because the farmers, who were just beginning to recover from years of drought and depression, couldn't keep up with the demand for meat, cheese, coffee, fats, sugar, and canned and processed foods. People everywhere in our country were encouraged to raise "Victory Gardens" to provide fruits and vegetables for themselves and their families. Even when the war came to an end, it took a while for farmers to produce enough food, and for factories to gear up to process that food, to meet the needs of our newly prosperous country.
So, an entire generation learned to do without foods that we now consider to be essential.
And then, as those formerly rare foods became available, nearly everyone bought them and ate them in ever-increasing quantities. People craved white bread and meat and dessert. Sugar was added to many foods that didn't really need it. Meat became the centerpiece of every meal.
Kids, like me, came home from school to consume a snack of milk and cookies, or a slice of heavily-buttered Wonderbread, covered with a thick layer of white sugar. We drank sugary Kool-Aid and soda pop, and devoured doughnuts and chocolate candy bars and ice cream sundaes drenched in chocolate syrup, because our parents were determined to provide us with everything they had once been forced to do without.
In the midst of our country's prosperity, it seems as if several generations have sacrificed their good health for gluttony and widespread obesity.
Yet, a certain number of Americans are trying to "eat healthy," at least sometimes. Whole grains, like oatmeal and quinoa, have become popular once again. A certain segment of the population refuses to eat meat altogether, while others eat only fish and lean meat. Fresh fruits and vegetables have surged in availability and popularity.
When I was a child, we could buy apples, oranges, bananas, potatoes, and carrots all year long, but most other fruits and vegetables were available only when they were "in season." Now, supermarkets carry dozens of varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables, year-round.
Perhaps that's the reason for the surge in healthy eating these days: the foods we enjoy most are those that have, at some earlier time in our lives, been unavailable.
My parents were born during the Great Depression, and grew up during World War II. Food was relatively scarce in the Dust Bowl, where the unreliable rains hardly ever watered the parched ground, and the topsoil blew away into the darkening sky. People in middle America ate whatever meager crops they could grow, and hunted for squirrels and rabbits and deer, and any other animals that might provide a little meat for their families. Jobs were hard to come by, and times were bleak in our country.
Then, just as the drought was ending, World War II erupted in Europe and Asia, and young American men, who couldn't find jobs at home, enlisted in the armed forces and joined the war effort abroad. Before too long, there weren't enough men to fill the crucial jobs, so young women stepped up to work in the factories.
And, along with the war, came rationing. So many things were needed for the war--boots and uniforms and rubber tires and gasoline and iron to make tanks and planes--so those commodities were rationed in the US; Americans at home did without, so soldiers and sailors could have everything they needed to fight in the war. Food was rationed, too, because imported foods were no longer obtainable, and because the armed forces needed to eat, and because the farmers, who were just beginning to recover from years of drought and depression, couldn't keep up with the demand for meat, cheese, coffee, fats, sugar, and canned and processed foods. People everywhere in our country were encouraged to raise "Victory Gardens" to provide fruits and vegetables for themselves and their families. Even when the war came to an end, it took a while for farmers to produce enough food, and for factories to gear up to process that food, to meet the needs of our newly prosperous country.
So, an entire generation learned to do without foods that we now consider to be essential.
And then, as those formerly rare foods became available, nearly everyone bought them and ate them in ever-increasing quantities. People craved white bread and meat and dessert. Sugar was added to many foods that didn't really need it. Meat became the centerpiece of every meal.
Kids, like me, came home from school to consume a snack of milk and cookies, or a slice of heavily-buttered Wonderbread, covered with a thick layer of white sugar. We drank sugary Kool-Aid and soda pop, and devoured doughnuts and chocolate candy bars and ice cream sundaes drenched in chocolate syrup, because our parents were determined to provide us with everything they had once been forced to do without.
And now, every grocery store dedicates one whole aisle to baking supplies, and another for cookies and crackers, and yet another for a wide variety of chips. Hundreds of bottles of soda pop line an entire aisle in every store. WalMart's meat cases extend from one end of the store to the other. Processed foods are abundant. Coffee has become big business.
In the midst of our country's prosperity, it seems as if several generations have sacrificed their good health for gluttony and widespread obesity.
Yet, a certain number of Americans are trying to "eat healthy," at least sometimes. Whole grains, like oatmeal and quinoa, have become popular once again. A certain segment of the population refuses to eat meat altogether, while others eat only fish and lean meat. Fresh fruits and vegetables have surged in availability and popularity.
Perhaps that's the reason for the surge in healthy eating these days: the foods we enjoy most are those that have, at some earlier time in our lives, been unavailable.
For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
Psalm 107:9
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