Today is National Fast Food Day in the United States, apparently. And I want you to boycott it in favor of real food. Why do I care? First, I have a personal interest in the health of our nation's people. Second, fast food is practically the antithesis of food sovereignty, sustainable food sources, self-reliance and caring for the Earth.
Watch this video for a visual representation on how processed foods have changed American's health:
Here are some alarming figures:
- There are more than 300,000 fast food restaurants in the United States.
- In 1970, U.S. consumers spent $6 billion on fast food. That's less than the $4.8 billion sold by farmers in the United States to local markets today. In 2000, U.S. consumers spent $110 billion.
These are not reasons to celebrate fast food, if you ask me. These are reasons to become more educated about processed foods and, if you haven't already, make an effort to increase the amount of real, whole foods in your diet.
Here are a couple of resources for you:
Bruce Bradley is a former marketing executive from food giants like General Mills, Pillsbury and Nabisco. Visit his
blog, and read this
interview Grist did with him about his past and current relationship with processed and real foods.
Once you're convinced that you shouldn't be buying, eating or feeding processed foods, head over to the
Real Food Challenge and help shift $1 billion to real food by 2020. Also check out
Slow Food USA and these articles by
Grist and
Constant Chatter to learn more about Real Food.
