Food, Inc.

After last night, I am fairly convinced that I won't be eating a single piece of food that hasn't been grown in my own backyard. And yes, that is an extremely drastic statement that unfortunately holds no truth. I wish it was possible to live off our land, what little patch of grass we have outside our apartment door. But I don't think our neighbors would take to a chicken coop below their bedroom window, and our potted tomato plants failed miserably which means I probably don't have a green thumb. So, to the grocery stores I go. My only hope is that I can continue to distinguish between the good, the bad and the nasty.

Why so serious about food all of a sudden? Jason and I finally watched "Food, Inc." last night. And...oh my. Have you seen this documentary? I realize we are behind as this movie has been in the video stores for quite some time now. To be honest, I'm actually a bit sad that it's taken me so long to watch it because the content is totally in line with my interests. "Food, Inc." is a documentary, but it is not a snoozefest. Quite the contrary, actually. The words "crazy" and "interesting" come to mind. And on occasion, even the word "gross" popped up. Now more than ever we need to learn the ways of healthy eating because our food supply is, well...a mess.

Images of down-home country farms may grace the walls of your grocery store and mine, but the essence of "down-home" is pretty much gone unless you hit the Saturday market. To quote the film: "In a way, we're not producing chickens. We're producing food. It's all highly mechanized because the birds coming off those farms have to be the same size." The official trailer:



Promise me you'll watch this movie if you haven't already. It really is quite interesting. And it will make you think about your food choices. On one hand, we have to be somewhat grateful that our country is able to feed its people, but on the other hand—we need to fight the fact that our supply is controlled by so few, and that our supply is often a danger to our health. If the big organizations are so good at making food in such large quantities, why can't they be good at keeping that food healthy and safe. Oh, wait...I know the answer. The almighty dollar.

Question: Have you watched "Food, Inc." yet? If so, did it change the way you eat?