Mornin!
It’s storming like crazy outside! Last night I woke up in the middle of the night to a sound I haven’t heard in a very long time—THUNDER! And lots of it! It’s odd, but it seems to rarely thunder here. When I lived in Orlando we pretty much had a thunderstorm every single day so I got used to it, but last night woke up out of a deep sleep.
Speaking of a deep sleep, my night last night consisted of an almond butter and jelly sandwich—
A soy pudding cup—-
(use your imagination here)
Two big glasses of wine—
And Food, Inc.
I saw Food, Inc in the movie theaters when it first came out but the boy never saw it, so last night we rented it. He loved it! I’m so lucky to live in a place where I can get awesome and affordable local food. If you haven’t seen this movie, I definitely recommend it….it’s pretty mindblowing. I also recommend reading Fast Food Nation….that book and this movie really have shaped the way I eat now and how I shop.
Breakfast was protein oats and organic earl gray tea (now available in my shop!):
Have you seen Food, Inc? What did you think about it?
Freya @ Brit Chick Runs
May 27, 2010 at 9:56 amGah I really, really want to see that film – I’m not even sure it got released in cinemas over here, but I’ve heard so much amazing stuff about it. Fast Food Nation is good though, I’ve read that!
Kerry
May 27, 2010 at 10:04 amYou might also like, In the Defense of Food. It’s a good read and has some very interesting statistics.
I enjoyed Food Inc. and Fast Food Nation.
It breaks my heart to see families choosing crappy food over whole, healthy foods because they think it’s more affordable that way. ie:dollar cheeseburgers. UGH.
I also liked watching Jamie Olivers, Food Revolution on ABC over the last couple of months.
Lizzie
May 27, 2010 at 10:05 amWe watched it a couple of weeks ago. My husband’s reaction (and he was aware of some of the issues surrounding US food production) was pretty much the same reaction he had after watching ‘How It’s Made’ on the Discovery Channel and seeing how bacon was made. He even came out last week and said we need to be eating more than 2 plant-based meals per week, which we do now. Everytime we see a fast food commercial now, we look at each other and make ‘ick’ faces. 🙂
I don’t eat a lot of red meat, but any chicken or red meat I buy now comes from Whole Foods and I always shop farmers markets during the summer. It’s a good film, but sadly (as with most documentaries) it won’t be seen by enough people to the extend that it should be.
Suzanne de Cornelia
May 27, 2010 at 10:06 amSaw/read both. Another documentary can watch online is about Monsanto–horrible what they are doing to food/farmers/poisoning the world with ‘Roundup’ etc http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6262083407501596844#
I’ve eaten organic forever and would love to have an all organic/all natural materials/solar/off the grid house. Used to have a fantastic veg garden & look forward to again, just too much time investment for now.
Heather (Heather's Dish)
May 27, 2010 at 10:12 amyou know, i haven’t seen it yet, but really REALLY want to! my hubby doesn’t want to though, so it’s definitely something i’ll have to do alone sometime 🙂
eatmovelove
May 27, 2010 at 10:12 amWe had lightening last night too…the power went out…so I ate a carton of ice cream and your sandwich after a pizza…I could hardly sleep after that one.
Kati @ Living Well
May 27, 2010 at 10:13 amI saw it in the theatre and then rented it at home so my husband could watch it too. Very eye-opening! I must admit, we’re still buying our regular meat from the grocery store and non-organic eggs, etc. I did do a meatless-in-march challenge and loved it :> Totally agree with not wasting what little food money you may have on crap food! But a little fast food every now and then never hurt anyone. I’m a moderate I guess 🙂
Sarah for Real
May 27, 2010 at 10:19 amI watched parts of it, and fast-forwarded through some of the icky parts.
I wouldn’t call it totally un-biased. And it’s definitely preachy and soap-boxy. But it does have some good points. I guess it wouldn’t be entertaining if it didn’t take a one-sided view. It definitely has shock value!
I prefer reading books to watching documentaries like this. I feel they are easier to trace to the sources and suss-out biased views.
That being said, obviously I’m all for avoiding “mystery” foods and eating food where you know the source. There are definitely some gross practices in our food system.
Bethany @ More Fruit Please
May 27, 2010 at 10:23 amI can’t wait to see the movie! I heard so many people say that it was a real eye-opener for them. I’m from the Orlando area too and miss all the thunderstorms. I see maybe one a year now if I’m lucky.
Lisa
May 27, 2010 at 10:26 amI really enjoyed Food Inc…it was definitely disturbing at some points but hey, it is reality!!
I really enjoy documentaries– but you definitely need to keep in mind WHERE the information is coming from and that there is going to be a bias.. sometimes more identifiable than other times.
Beth @ Beth's Journey to Thin
May 27, 2010 at 10:26 amI loved the movie because I thought it was really informational but not too preachy like a lot of that literature/documentaries can be. It definitely made a big impact on what I eat and had an influence in me sticking with giving up meat.
Jessica @ How Sweet
May 27, 2010 at 10:27 amI love that you saw Food, Inc and still eat meat! I have not seen it but everyone that seems to see it stops eating meat…
Raya @ Raya Runs
May 27, 2010 at 10:27 amI saw it a month or two ago and loved it! I seriously think every single person should have to see it. Maybe they should start showing it in schools or something! And then Jamie Oliver can re-vamp their school lunches. 🙂
Ann @ Appalachian Appetites
May 27, 2010 at 10:28 amLoved it! It is so easy to be ignorant until you see the movie! Really life changing…or least has the capacity to change a really important part of your life.
Annie (Delicious Wellness)
May 27, 2010 at 10:29 amI loved Food, Inc! It is one of those movies I think everyone in America needs to see. I thought it was really well-made and covered all the important points! I was super happy when it was nominated for an Academy award, too.
Cynthia (It All Changes)
May 27, 2010 at 10:32 amI saw that movie and read that book. They both completely changed how I see food and made me understand some of my digestive and diet issues more. I’m much healthier for it. I also now understand why I ate differently when I lived abroad.
Estela @ Weekly Bite
May 27, 2010 at 10:33 amI have yet to see Food Inc. Hopefully soon 🙂
Ingrid
May 27, 2010 at 10:35 amhmm, i think i need to see this and read fast food nation. i am all for making most of my food and avoiding processed food as much as possible. is the movie just about the meat industry? or processed foods in general? i just read an article about BPA in a lot of the packaging that our canned foods come in, like soup and vegetables and the link to cancers and other illnesses. but i think that everything in moderation is probably fine. i have to admit that my 2 year old has eaten his share of mcdonald’s nuggets and he is healthy as a horse.
andrea
May 27, 2010 at 6:36 pmyou are the reason this movie was made. educate yourself, especially if you have a 2 yr old.
Ingrid
May 27, 2010 at 7:03 pmandrea are you a mom? just saying… so no moderation, andrea? all out all organic homemade meals no matter if my son will eat them or not? just let him drink milk and keep trying to feed him what i WISH he would eat? believe me, i have been making from-scratch baby food since he was four months old, but sometimes chicken nuggets are all he will eat… plus pb and crackers and buddy fruits and dannon yogurt drinks… let me know when you have a child like mine… but i will be reading fast food nation and watching “food” and will see how i feel afterwards.
Jessica @ The Process of Healing
May 27, 2010 at 10:36 amI think I’m one of the few bloggers who haven’t seen it.. but I’d really like to!
Amanda @ Cakes and Ale
May 27, 2010 at 10:39 amYes, and I loved it. I took my husband, and although he was already on board with the organic / local movement for environmental reasons, I think he was also astounded by the social impact of factory farming and the corn industry, etc. Many people are indirectly suffering because of some pretty shady practices!
Tracey @ I'm Not Superhuman
May 27, 2010 at 10:42 amI saw Food Inc. and it made me realize how important it is to eat organic, free-range, etc, etc. meat. It even made an impact on my husband, which is a feat in itself.
Marie
May 27, 2010 at 10:43 amI loved Food, Inc. but I haven’t read Fast Food Nation– I plan to. I thought it was very eye-opening to the messed up system we have in America; pretty disappointing stuff. It did help my switch to not eating meat, but I read a lot more/watched a lot more (waayyy more disturbing) books/movies that had more of an impact on me to make the switch. For those who haven’t seen it, it really doesn’t feel preachy, it just shows what is wrong with our government and industrialized food systems, advocating to people to avoid buying processed foods and factory farmed meats, and to buy local instead.
Seth @ Boy Meets Food
May 27, 2010 at 10:45 amIf you like those types of movies, you may want to check out freedocumentaries.org. It is a site where you can watch lots of… well, free documentaries. I watched Supersize Me and one about Walmart.
mindy
May 27, 2010 at 10:47 amI did see Food, Inc. and loved it. It’s one of the main reasons I went back to being vegetarian! It’s very eye-opening, but without being to biased politically. It is quite unsettling at many parts though. I started reading Fast Food Nation back when it first came out, but never got all the way through it. I am planning on giving it another shot.
emily
May 27, 2010 at 10:48 amAlso, you can download and watch this short cartoon “The True Cost of Food” – a little silly, but a good message. I work on a small sustainable farm with a mission to advance community cased agriculture. Check out our website, http://www.stonebarnscenter.org
I’d love to have you (and readers!) visit if you are ever in New York. We’re just 30 minutes outside the City!
steph-exercise physiologist and artist!
May 27, 2010 at 10:48 amYes it thunders here in Orlando A LOT!! I have seen more lightening strike objects here than anywhere else in FL!
Funny about the thunder there. Last year when I went to San Fran they had the first thunderstorm in TWENTY YEARS the weekend I was there!! I was laughing so hard about it b/c it just figures the one time I make it out there, there is a record breaking thunderstorm! haha!
Kati
May 27, 2010 at 10:52 amI haven’t seen that movie yet, but I did read Fast Food Nation quite awhile ago. I haven’t eaten fast food since I was a teenager and that book definitely inspired me to never go back to the way I ate growing up. I think everyone should be required to read that book and maybe obesity wouldn’t be as big of an epidemic as it is! Gonna go check out the movie soon.
jamie
May 27, 2010 at 10:53 amI still need to see Food Inc.! So did you not go to the AIDS thing at your church? I was curious to hear about that!
Hillary [Nutrition Nut on the Run]
May 27, 2010 at 10:55 amI saw Food, Inc. a few months ago. It has definitely changed my outlook and how I shop. I rarely ate chicken before, and now I have NO desire to. I think it’s a must see for all. Perhaps they should show it in school?
Claire
May 27, 2010 at 10:56 amI saw it via netflix with my boyf and we both loved it! I wish I could get my dad to watch is so he would be more aware and less critical of my choices!
Jennu
May 27, 2010 at 11:03 amI saw it and it really changed my opinion about the food industry, but it was a bit rough to watch!
Scargosun
May 27, 2010 at 11:03 amI have not sat down and watched it yet. I have the DVD but I am not good at sitting in one place to watch a movie. Odd, I know. I do know what is in it and I really want to make my husband watch b/c even though he eats what I make, getting him to eat right outside of the is impossible. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle shaped my food way of thinking and I have a hardback copy of the book as a reference guide. It is also one of those rare books I can pick up, open to any page and read and enjoy no matter how many times I read it.
Sarah
May 27, 2010 at 11:09 ami loved food inc.! i really want my boyfriend to watch it but he refuses…i think he is scared of what he will learn. i am already a vegetarian so even though the movie doesn’t focus only on meat i didn’t really change much about my daily eats because of it. it is so eye opening to see though!
Olivia @ Blissful Runner
May 27, 2010 at 11:09 amI haven’t seen either of these … not really big on documentaries, but I bet they would be a nice kick in the pants for my husband (a pizza and beer kind of guy). I’ll have to check them out!
allison @ livingoneday
May 27, 2010 at 11:09 ami love thunder and lightning. my boyf is from tampa and ive spent a lot of time there, so i know alllll about the florida tstorms! i find them so relaxing 🙂
Deanna
May 27, 2010 at 11:14 amI saw Fast Food Nation and read the book (the book does a MUCH better job addressing its message) but have yet to see Food, Inc. Want to, though. I also saw about a minute of the PREVIEW for the documentary Earthlings – shocking. So, so sad. Have you seen anything about that?
Michelle @ NewLeafEats
May 27, 2010 at 11:26 amI LOVE Food Inc! It changed the way I shop because now I’m awfully selective of my meat, and I try to select organic/local produce when reasonable. I look forward to the farmers markets opening up in this area next week! We have a CSA farm about 30 miles from here, but I don’t have $200 to cough up for a summer’s worth of produce! It would be so awesome though. I do work at a university in an agricultural community, so many of the faculty/staff members bring the excess of their own personal crops to share with the other employees for FREE. It’s great! I was swimming in bell peppers and zucchini last year!
I try to think about whether I am helping or hurting the movement toward ethical farming/ranching whenever I shop. And even yesterday at McDonalds (weekly church small group social event) I was thinking of getting a Chicken Caesar salad, but I knew that the chicken has tons of sodium, and I was just imagining what in world they could have pumped into CHICKEN to make it have half my day’s worth of sodium in it. It kind of grossed me out.
Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg
May 27, 2010 at 11:33 amI liked Food Inc. a lot. I prefer to read about that stuff– I LOVED Fast Food Nation– just because you can go into so much more DETAIL. But, as far as fitting a lot of information into an hour and a half long movie, I thought Food Inc. did a really good job.
Have you seen King Corn? It’s pretty interesting too!
Jil @ Peace, Love & Munchies
May 27, 2010 at 11:40 amI love thunderstorms (when they’re not life-threatening or anything..)! I have yet to see Food, Inc. – I don’t know if I could.. I know all about it though.
Lindsey
May 27, 2010 at 11:42 amI haven’t and really want to! I have read In Defense of Food, though, and that book is really reshaping the way I eat now and part of the reason I just started a blog :). We all want people to know they can still eat good food and be healthy!!
Rachel
May 27, 2010 at 11:51 amI rented Food Inc. awhile ago and enjoyed it. My only complaint was that it actually seemed a little long, and since I’ve been interested in healthy living for awhile, most of the information was not new to me.
But for people who don’t know anything about the food industry and its shortcomings, this is a great starting point and it did fill in a lot of gaps for me as far as my knowledge base goes.
Kacy
May 27, 2010 at 12:01 pmWe’re getting hammered with storms here lately. I’m ready for the flowers 🙂
Food, Inc. definitely shaped my food attitude. I think everyone should see it. And it should be required viewing in our school systemms. Just my two cents!
Lindsay @ Summit Sandwiches
May 27, 2010 at 12:03 pmI saw Food Inc. on my free netflix streaming a few months ago and thought it was fantastic. That in conjunction with Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma have changed the way I think about food. It has made me adamant about buying organic and local meat/produce. It’s amazing how messed up the American agricultural system is as a whole…the things we’ve done to our soil, the destruction of delicate ecosystems and micro ecosystems all in the name of industrialization. Sometimes, mass production isn’t the end-all be-all.
Okay, I’ll get off my podium now. Seriously though, anyone who hasn’t seen this movie should do it now.
Jenn (Jenn's Menu and Lifestyle Blog)
May 27, 2010 at 12:03 pmI haven’t seen Food Inc., but I can just imagine the horrors. I try to be an ethical eater and shopper already, it would probably just make me really sad. 🙁
That AB&J looks sooo good!
Jenn
valen
May 27, 2010 at 12:03 pmI don’t plan on watching it. I’ve been a vegetarian since birth so I know all about it and have seen my fair share of videos. I read fast food nation in high school. My mom couldn’t get through the first 5 minutes of the food inc. Maybe someday I will give it a shot. Its nice to see that the film is making an impact.
Cristal
May 27, 2010 at 12:04 pmNot at all about your question, but I was wondering when we are starting the book club discussions. I’ve started reading My Antonia, and was anxious to hear what others have to think about it! Thanks ; )
jenna
May 27, 2010 at 12:13 pmGood question. I was thinking about that earlier today and I’ll discuss it in my lunch post! Keep reading and you’ll get a gold star! 😉
jenna
May 27, 2010 at 12:11 pmi haven’t seen this movie but i’ve been dying to. i’ve heard such great things about it.
Jennifer
May 27, 2010 at 12:14 pmHi Jenna, is that movie gory? I can’t watch animals being killed…it literally brings me to tears. I’m such a girl..lol. I was just wondering if someone could let me know before I watch it! Thanks!
Sharon
May 27, 2010 at 12:31 pmHaven’t seen Food Inc yet but I definitely want to…and isn’t that an amazing Chardonnay? Love it so much….but so $$$!
Cristal
May 27, 2010 at 12:33 pmHey, Just wondering when the book club discussions will start about the book, My Antonia?
Cristal
May 27, 2010 at 6:38 pmsorry! didn’t mean to post twice!!!! I didn’t think the first post went through.
Carrie (Love Healthy Living)
May 27, 2010 at 12:38 pmDitto on everything you said about the movie and the book. There are so many reasons why shopping locally and supporting small farmers is important. Besides all of those reasons, the food tastes better. Period.
Helen
May 27, 2010 at 12:48 pmI’ve never seen Food Inc but I have seen a lot of bloggers mention it and how it changed their eating habits. This has made me think that I should watch it.
Jen
May 27, 2010 at 12:53 pmI LOVE Food, Inc. I agree with you – that, Fast Food Nation, Animal Vegetable Miracle and Michael Pollen’s books pretty much shaped the way I eat. I ate similarly before I read them and watched the movie, but they all solidified why i do so!
jessica
May 27, 2010 at 1:04 pmI haven’t eaten meat since I saw Food, Inc. Has the movie changed your perspective on your meat consumption at all?
Erin
May 27, 2010 at 1:15 pmI want everyone to see Food, Inc. I love that it’s not a pro-vegetarian movie but a pro-conscious eating movie.
Casey @ Chasing Casey
May 27, 2010 at 1:39 pmI absolutely LOVE Food Inc. It transformed my life!
Sara @ myfancytuna.blogspot.com
May 27, 2010 at 1:42 pmNothing like AB&J at night!
Tara @ FoodforFuel
May 27, 2010 at 1:59 pmI really liked Food, Inc. and recommended it to all of my friends after I saw it. Honestly, I was surprised that it didn’t make me want to be a vegetarian. It did further persuade me to only buy meat that was organic, grass-fed, free-range, all that jazz, despite the high price. The part that had the biggest impact on me was when they say to consider every item you buy a vote for the types of food you want to have in the grocery store. I think about that every time I buy groceries, especially if it’s a splurge buy of something that’s not really that great for me, then it makes me want to go buy more organic foods and produce.
jenny
May 27, 2010 at 3:33 pmAh i loved food, inc! I admit I was a vegetarian before it, but I learned a lot. I really want to get some new reading for my commute, any ideas about books relating to health or diet?
Debbie B
May 27, 2010 at 3:57 pmI loved food Inc. I watched it with my 12 year old daughter. I was amazed that she actually sat through the entire movie with me. Since then she had been much better about trying to make healthier choices.
I agree with the comment that it should be shown in our schools. Maybe if our kids knew what they were actually eating they might think twice before making bad choices.
diana@mymarblerye
May 27, 2010 at 5:55 pmloved it…now when I see someone buying nutrigrain bars and diapers i think “they come from the same beginning”..GROSSO.
Julia
May 27, 2010 at 6:11 pmI haven’t seen Food, Inc. yet…I’ve kind of been waiting to watch it with my fiance who I think will be shocked by it…at least I hope so.
I did watch Earthlings, a documentary about human’s dependence on animals. It is available on Google Videos. I think it is probably more disturbing that Food, Inc. I would recommend at least trying to watch it…it is very eye-opening, not just with regards to food, but animal treatment in general.
Salah@myhealthiestlifestyle
May 27, 2010 at 7:33 pmI love food Inc!! I got a chance to see Eric Schlosser speak in person and it was such an eye opener!
Salah@myhealthiestlifestyle
May 27, 2010 at 7:33 pmI love food Inc!! I got a chance to see Eric Schlosser speak in person and it was such an eye opener!
Jen
May 28, 2010 at 6:07 amI loved Food Inc, but was actually more disgusted by reading the book that goes with it and Omnivore’s Dilema. Something about reading about the meat industry affected me more than seeing it on a screen. Maybe because we’re conditioned to think of movies as fiction. Still, both were very well done.
Amber K @ sparkpeople
May 28, 2010 at 8:10 amI’ve seen both of those movies with my husband. Truly disturbed both of us. I already don’t eat meat because I think it tastes awful, so I just felt lucky after watching it!
Sarah @ See Sarah Eat
May 28, 2010 at 12:04 pmI saw Food, Inc. not long after I transitioned to a vegan lifestyle and it definitely reaffirmed my decision. It also inspired me to buy more from Farmer’s Markets and local businesses, as well as organic when I can.