The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

"Michael Pollan is an excellent journalist who specializes in the food domain. Like Kass, Pollan is a very good writer. Pollan’s view, like Kass’s, is very respectful of the past. He argues the way we ate eve hundreds of years ago is healthier way than the way Americans eat now. Support Five Books Five Books interviews are expensive to produce. If you're enjoying this interview, please support us by donating a small amount . He argues that how we eat should be part of our effort to make the world a better place or at least a more sustainable place. Food is how we get energy, but we should be mindful of how much energy it takes to get our food to the plate. He proposes relying more on whole foods and less on processed foods, like Oreo Cookies. He argues that unprocessed foods are more nutritious, more wholistic and better for the environment. So, Pollan argues that we should eat in a way that is mindful of our own health and also the health of the whole planet. There has been a long history of food as medicine. For instance, in the nineteenth century we had John Harvey Kellogg, a medical doctor who said our bodies are our temples. He developed and marketed cereal and a range of vegetarian foods, which were supposed to make you healthier. “Food is an affirmation of who you are.” As for the Old Testament, food is a statement of your identity. I am a Jew; I eat this way. I am Italian; I eat this way. Food is an affirmation of who you are. Countries are political entities. But Pollan isn’t just focused on the health of the individual–he’s focused on the health of ecosystem. That’s fairly new and had a big impact."