The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

The educator in me cannot hide any longer. I'm compelled to share information about food, health and what I think is good for you and our world. So every now and then I'll post some of my favourite books that have helped shine the light on a healthy eating path both for myself, others and the world we share.  The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, was recommended to me a few years ago. Before reading this book I thought I had a pretty good idea of where my food came from. I grew up in a tiny town in country Australia, surrounded mostly by grain and livestock farms. We grew many of our own fruits and vegetables and what we didn't produce our neighbours often did. My father, or someone else in our community, killed our own meat (beef, chicken, lamb, pork). We sometimes got milk and cream from the cows, emu eggs from the wild, yabbies from local dams and catfish from nearby rivers. These ingredients were then all expertly cut, cleaned, packed and stored in vacuum sealed bags, as jams chutneys and preserves in jars, Tuppaware and an assortment of other containers, then shared with neighbours, stored in pantries or packed in enormous freezers for later use. Thinking about the bountiful homestyle country cooking, made with the freshest ingredients, brought to life by the hands of mothers, daughters, wives and sisters, brings back smells, tastes and sights that invoke a nostalgia for childhood and for a feeling that everything is right with the world. Having that background, and as an adult, numerous courses, certificates and continuous education on nutrition combined with a passion for food, I pretty much thought I was well equipped with a deep knowledge of where my food came from. Wrong! Reading The Omnivore's Dilemma opened my eyes to the not-so-innocent world of food industrialization, left me enlightened knowing I had choices, but more importantly eager to know more. The Omnivore's Dilemma traces four meals from field to table. A project that seems so simple to start with will leave you questioning not only how your current meal came to be, but every meal after for a long long time. Michael Pollan is brilliant and this book in particular a must read.