Eat This, Not That

I picked up this book because it seemed consistent with my goal to make more real food and less processed stuff. I haven’t been disappointed. Apparently not the first of the series, Eat This, Not That! is designed to offer a few priorities for healthy eating, a review of some alarming statistics, and a catalogue of practical and informative suggestions for doing just what the title promises: surviving the supermarket.

I found the overview of the ways food has changed over the last 30 years very informative. And though I wasn’t surprised to learn various details of the food industry’s advertising strategy, it still made me mad. I learned some things about interpreting labels — even those that proclaim healthy or natural products — that should help me to navigate the shelves more wisely.

I liked some of the things I learned. Who knew that chocolate milk repairs tissues and rehydrates after a workout better than regular milk, water, or energy drinks? Probably the existence of almond butter is widely known as a healthier alternative to peanut butter, but I didn’t know about it. I liked learning that “xanthan gum” has no adverse effects. But on the other hand…

What xanthan gum is — made in a reaction with the same bacteria that appears as black rot on some vegetables — was not so pleasant to learn. (It appears in a glossary of food additives in the back. Satisfy your curiosity once and for all about what maltodextrin and modified food starch are…) Nor was I thrilled to discover that the FDA allows a certain quota of maggots, fly eggs, rodent hairs and droppings in certain kinds of foods.

Once past the introductory material and nutritional big picture, colorful spreads like this one comprise about 2/3 of the book. I was pleased to find that many of our staples are already in the “good” category, to find some ideas for healthy replacements for not-so-good things, and to discover new foods to expand our pantry.

I recommend it to anyone searching, like me, for a quick and useful resource. I want to “eat healthy” — more importantly, “feed healthy” when it comes to my family — as much as the next person, but not to the point of becoming obsessed, or feeling like I have to totally overhaul our baseline menu and venture into exotic and expensive foods. This book was just what I was looking for.

By the way, I bought it in the checkout aisle at Wegmans, so it wasn’t too surprising to learn that people in long lines buy more candy. I feel pretty good about coming out of it with a book instead.