The Real Junk on Food

Photo credit: Chichacha at Flikr

A Facebook friend shared a New York Times article, "Is Junk Food Really Cheaper?"
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/opinion/sunday/is-junk-food-really-cheaper.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

This generated an interesting discussion. I was struck by the statement in the article, "The core problem is that cooking is defined as work, and fast food is both a pleasure and a crutch."

Um, Newsflash:  Cooking is work, not just defined as work. You can take my word for it. I cook for my family multiple times per day, day after day after day after day. I also have expertise due to my old employment; I was an actor - oh, excuse me - waitress. I worked in an establishment where I was actually paid to serve food cooked by people who were paid to cook. Imagine that! Now I cook and serve for free and will not get any professional credit for my efforts (sometimes I do get appreciation, as well as hugs and kisses.)

Let's get right to the heart of this problem. Cooking takes time. Planning meals takes time. Sigh, cleaning up takes time. Heck, cooking meals that you haven't planned takes even more energy and time. Sure, this should be a shared deal. Partners should pitch in a little more. Oh, I know - there is someone out there reading this whose husband actually cooks most of the meals in their family or maybe even does 50% of the load. Please give me a moment while I pick myself off the floor and then go grab a hankie. I am happy for you, really I am. Let me take this moment to remind you of how very lucky you are and then get back to reality here. In most households women do the cooking.

Photo courtesy of Flickr

If my husband were to do most of the cooking, it would be meat and potatoes (probably fries) with nary a vegetable in sight. Maybe a salad once in while. But none of those dark, leafy greens. No whole grains. A definitely nothing tantalizing to the palate. This is just not my guy's strength or interest. Just like I have absolutely no desire to learn how to change the brakes on our car - of course, that doesn't have to be done as often as cooking - but you know what I mean.  He's also working his butt off to support our family while I stay home with the kids.

Photo credit to Jesper at Flickr

Which gets me back to the point that I wanted to make which is that staying home, cooking  and caring for your family is work. Real bonafide work - because if you aren't doing it, you are paying someone to do it. Or you are paying the price - like the price to one's health by not eating healthy, fresh foods. Throughout history women have traditionally been the experts in the kitchen - knowing how to cook and make fresh foods. But, I am sorry to say that the work of women has been devalued by our society on so many levels. Is it really surprising that stressed, over-worked women don't feel like putting in the effort? If the effort needed to healthfully feed our children, our partners, our families counts for nothing by society (and I am stating this because at this present time I do not think that this is something that can be put on one's resume) can we really be surprised by the serious health and behavior problems caused by eating junk foods? I think not.

Certainly, each of us bears personal responsibility for food choices. But I strongly believe that there is a societal responsibility as well to create the support and the environment that encourages the healthy eating of real food. Let's start by honoring, truly valuing the work of and creating real social support for those who do most of the cooking: Mothers.