File under: Your tax dollars at work. The Republicans continue to fight the good fight, keeping us all safe from unnecessary government regulations including those that might prevent disease and you know, help people.
Yesterday, the House introduced a spending bill that basically obviates the Obama administration's push for healthier school lunches. In the bill:
* Pizza remains a "vegetable." Under current rules, a serving of pizza that contains at least two tablespoons of tomato sauce meets the vegetable requirements needed to continue to receive government subsidies. The administration wanted to change that rule so that only a half-cup of tomato paste or more could be a vegetable.
* No need to increase the whole grains served in cafeterias. They need to be "defined" first.
* No to setting a limit on the use of starchy vegetables, so enjoy those fries kids!
The standards in the original proposal were based on recommendations made by the Institute of Medicine about the rate of childhood obesity and rising health care costs. The changes were, shockingly, requested by the frozen pizza makers, potato growers and salt industry lobbyists (they exist! things I didn't know before). I wonder who will win this one. Eye roll.
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
F is for Food
So once I started realizing that "fat" was mostly in my head, I knew I had to start thinking about the food I eat. I LOVE to eat. It might be my favorite thing in the world. I eat when I'm happy. I eat when I'm sad. I eat when I'm bored. I eat when I'm awake. I eat when I want a reward. I eat to punish myself. I eat. A lot.
And I really don't know how to eat. For the vast majority of my post-adolescent life, I was on some kind of diet and all of my food habits were learned from other people who were almost always on diets. We ate lots of carbs, but everything snack wise was low fat or diet or reduced calorie. And let us not forget Diet Coke, the communion wine of my family of origin.
A few years ago, I went to a nutrionist to essentially learn what I was supposed to eat. She basically told me that I was overweight and recommended a diet. #MedicalCommunityFAIL.
Then I started reading. I got very into Michael Pollan for a while, but then realized that I am not really a slow food, kill my own animal and cure it kind of person. I am more of a Open That Box and Eat From It Standing Up person. "Real" food tastes weird to me. Like, why would I want to whip my own cream when I can have Cool Whip? Alice Waters just died a little.
I know this is wrong, or well, not good. I'm not doing my body any favors, and one thing I've learned as a pseudo athlete is that shitty food makes you perform shitty. Then a friend recommended Marion Nestle's What To Eat, and I fell in love. The book walks you through each supermarket section and provides sensible advice about what is nutritious and healthy. It's this book that got me interested in food politics and how food industry lobbyists are rewriting nutrition standards in their best interests. It's the book, and Nestle's blog, Food Politics, that inspired me to write about this stuff.
And I really don't know how to eat. For the vast majority of my post-adolescent life, I was on some kind of diet and all of my food habits were learned from other people who were almost always on diets. We ate lots of carbs, but everything snack wise was low fat or diet or reduced calorie. And let us not forget Diet Coke, the communion wine of my family of origin.
A few years ago, I went to a nutrionist to essentially learn what I was supposed to eat. She basically told me that I was overweight and recommended a diet. #MedicalCommunityFAIL.
Then I started reading. I got very into Michael Pollan for a while, but then realized that I am not really a slow food, kill my own animal and cure it kind of person. I am more of a Open That Box and Eat From It Standing Up person. "Real" food tastes weird to me. Like, why would I want to whip my own cream when I can have Cool Whip? Alice Waters just died a little.
I know this is wrong, or well, not good. I'm not doing my body any favors, and one thing I've learned as a pseudo athlete is that shitty food makes you perform shitty. Then a friend recommended Marion Nestle's What To Eat, and I fell in love. The book walks you through each supermarket section and provides sensible advice about what is nutritious and healthy. It's this book that got me interested in food politics and how food industry lobbyists are rewriting nutrition standards in their best interests. It's the book, and Nestle's blog, Food Politics, that inspired me to write about this stuff.
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