Reviewing books on food (and some poorly lit photos)

Farmer's Market Greens

In the last few months, I’ve read a number of books on food and eating well: two for book reviews I’m writing, one as a reminder of how to loose my pregnancy weight, and one in preparation for feeding Sofia something other than mama’s milk.  Each book is distinct and offers fresh insights into our complex relationship with food.  I’ll sum each book’s central advice below.

Cravings: A Catholic Wrestles with Food, Self-Image and God:

-       - Cook your own food

-       - Buy seasonal, local ingredients when possible

-      -  Eat your vegetables

-       - Enjoy your meals

-      -  Don’t eat too much

Eat With Joy: Redeeming God’s Gift of Food

-    - Cook your own food

-       - Buy seasonal, local ingredients when possible

-      -  Eat your vegetables

-       - Enjoy your meals

-      -  Don’t eat too much

French Women Don’t Get Fat

-           - Cook your own food

-       - Buy seasonal, local ingredients when possible

-      -  Eat your vegetables

-       - Enjoy your meals

-      -  Don’t eat too much

-       - Walk

The Lost Art of Feeding Kids

-      -  Cook your family’s food

-       - Buy seasonal, local ingredients when possible

-       - Serve your children vegetables and expect them to eat it

-       - Enjoy your meals

-       - Don’t eat too much

Lunch!

Each book certainly adds a lot to Michael Pollan’s advice: Eat Food.  Not too much.  Mostly plants. 

 

Buttermilk Biscuits!

(N.B. If you are interested in reading all or any of these books, they do each offer something unique, despite the fact that their main perspective on eating is the same)

On a more serious note, I recently interviewed Melissa Musick Nussbaum of the Catholic Catalogue for paid work I'm doing.  On eating, she said “If there is one thing that I could encourage it is to eat in community.  To have a house and eat together.  Eating in a restaurant schools you in preference and kind of pickiness.  Eating together schools you in sharing, in learning to put aside personal preference: I don’t really care for beets, but my sister loves them, so I’ll try them; teaches you how you eat from a common bowl, common pitcher, you converse, you share you may get angry and ask for forgiveness.  Learn you have to be silent when someone is speaking.  Learn from common table it’s an important part of being human, which is what is finally what being a Catholic is, being a fully human as God meant us to be, as Jesus was.”