You Are How You Eat

In most countries or regions food is a large part of culture.  Culture can even be governed by food.  Even in our own country sixty years ago the majority of our time, money, and energy were spent on food.  Planting, cultivation, gathering, preparing, and cooking took up a lot of our days.
Now the US stands apart from the rest once again.  Value menus, five dollar foot longs, happy hour, drive thrus, combo meals, take out, buffets, microwaves, and enough preservatives to go around are at the foundation of our consuming.  Everything about our culture screams cheap, fast, and excessive.  So what shape should we expect our food to take?
It starts in the grocery store where we buy pre packaged processed items to save time and money.  It continues when we either buy fast food or heat our food in our microwaves to save time and money.  And it ends when we gobble it up before we can realize what just happened.
Italians grow and buy most of their food locally.  The French spend hours consuming their food over wine and conversation.  Indians treat their food as medicine.  The Spanish see their food as a social glue.  And Americans see their food as a hassle and waste of time, to be consumed quickly as much as possible.  We are one of the few countries to have a buffet in every town.
It doesn’t have to be this way.  We can change.  We can start by purchasing real food, not anything in a bag, box, or container, preferably local.  We continue by cooking and preparing the food the long way, which can be more enjoyable and better for you.  Finally, we can start eating together as a group, whether it be with family, extended family, or friends.
Lets improve our culture, let’s change for the better.