How Can We Tell Which Foods Are Real?

Abstract

Perhaps no one has changed the way we think about food in the twenty-first century as much as Michael Pollan. I confess that his writing, in part, inspired me to write this book. As seen in the quote above, he has introduced the concept of “nutritionism” which from his perspective has focused attention on eating to supply nutrients rather than on eating simple foods. His mantra has become “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” He decries an obsession with healthy eating based on the “chemical principles of nutrition” which change so rapidly that it is difficult to keep up. He also criticizes the food industry for manipulating such information to their benefit and our detriment. He asks us to forgo “foodlike substances” for real foods.