Food Rules

One of the things I love about summer is the abundance of fresh fruits like juicy watermelons and peaches and homegrown tomatoes with a little olive oil, basil and mozzarella.  As much as I love summers bounty of fresh foods, I also love to eat the not so healthy foods that I equate with summer like a ballpark hot dog, ice cream and mojitos.   This summer is quickly coming to an end and I still haven't been to a local farmers market.  Oprah had author, Michael Pollan, on her show back in January.  They discussed his book Food Rules and the documentary Food Inc.  I'm a little scared to watch Food Inc. after they showed a clip of how chickens are being mass produced and super sized.  I am picky about the chicken I buy now.
Food Rules isn't about counting carbs, grams of protein or fat.  It's about eating more whole foods, grains, fruits and vegetables instead of processed food.  For years I have been trying, but not very successfully, to choose healthier snack options and buy less processed foods.  I buy fruits, vegetables and nuts to snack on, but the Oreos and chips eventually win as the day progresses.   Food Rules is a quick read and is broken into three parts.

• What should I eat?   Food
• What kind of food should I eat?  Mostly plants
• How should I eat?  Not too much

There are food rules for each category.  Some of the rules are things you've heard that have been handed down for generations.  However, one rule you want to avoid is the clean your plate rule.  Those of you who are over 30 are probably familiar with this one.  In my opinion another rule a lot of people struggle with is eating slowly.  As a baby it takes forever for us to eat then in grade school we are given 20 minutes to eat lunch.  Then when I had children of my own I started to eat even faster because you never know how much time you'll have to eat before they start crying.  Michael says in Rule 50, "The banquet is in the first bite.  No other bite will taste as good as the first."  A lot of restaurants are now offering small plates of appetizers and desserts.  A good friend of mine wants to have a tasters party where we serve dessert in small shot glasses.  Pier One actually markets the glasses for this purpose.  The only problem with that is if I have several options all of my small bites will lead up to a whole portion.  Michael's last rule is the one I like best, Rule 64 "Break the rules once in a while."  The key words for me are once in a while.  Please feel free to comment on any food rules you may have.