Where Does Your Food Come From?

I hope everyone tuned in to see Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Tuesday night.  If not, then try to watch it online by going to abc.go.com.  The first episode really brought home the lesson that it is important to know where your food comes from and how it is made.  We trust the USDA to insure that we have a healthy food supply but a government agency can only do so much.  Last year, Jamie showed us how some chicken nuggets are made which was pretty bad.  If you watch Tuesday's episode, you may never eat hamburger again.  Apparently, the USDA allows the beef industry to use parts of the cow normally reserved for dog food to be cleaned with AMMONIA, ground up and mixed in with ground meat.  Your favorite restaurant or your child's school may be serving this meat!

This makes the case for buying locally and knowing where your food came from and how it was produced.    For instance, did you know that the FDA allows 20% of canned fruit to be moldy?  Or that your food can contain rodent droppings or maggots, all allowable by the FDA?  No, these things won't kill you but it would be nice to know exactly what you are eating.  And what about all those additives that no one but a scientist knows what they are?

Yes, my family eats canned, packaged and frozen foods.  I don't raise my own chickens and I have a black thumb when it comes to growing vegetables.  I do try to buy whole fruits and vegetables and whole pieces meat to cook myself rather than relying on processed foods.  I think my family is healthier because of it too.  I just don't think I can stress enough that someone in the family needs to cook most of the time for better health!

Speaking of health, don't forget to come out this weekend to the HMG Health and Fitness Expo at the convocation center.  There are plenty of free screenings and information plus cooking demonstrations all day Saturday.  There are free physicals for student athletes on Sunday.  I will be cooking at 4 p.m. on Saturday so come by and sample my recipes.  Hope to see you there!