Yesterday I enjoyed a lovely meal in a lovely setting. It was fresh from the farm and prepared well. All local, including the wines. And the company was lovely as well, as was the setting. In many ways, it was the ideal meal - consciously chosen, locally produced and enjoyed with friends and good conversations.
Try as I might to eat that way every day, at least one of the ingredients is often missing. Some days I eat a quick meal standing at my kitchen sink so I can get back to work. Other times, I succumb to purchasing something that is out of season or from out of the area. Rarely do I purchase processed or fast food, but even there I sometimes fall down and do. Yet I can choose to do those things so I am choosing how I eat. And this consciousness is something that would not have been present 20 years ago for me.
On the other hand, there are so many people who cannot make the choices I do. Perhaps it is because they have a limited source of fresh, seasonal foods or don't have the financial ability to choose them. Perhaps it is because they are unaware of the impact of their choices on their health, the health of small farmers and the land on which their food is grown. Or perhaps they are so pressed for time that any thought of cooking is elbowed aside by convenience. For whatever reason, by choice or by default, these people reach for the fast, the processed and, as evidence continues to mount, the unhealthy.
As I've written and said so many times, eating isn't optional. However everyone should have the opportunity to choose the food they eat. Truly choose - not between Burger King and McDonald's, but between fast food and fresh food. Idealistic? You bet. A big change? Yep. Something that will continue to require education and support. Most likely. But something that has started and is gaining speed? I do believe so...
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