Mark
Bittman recently wrote about how people talk about food in good-and-evil terms.
Salt is always bad. So is sugar. Fat is always bad too. Gluten is the devil.
Quinoa and spelt, on the other hand, are wonder foods. Soy used to be
wonderful, but now it’s suspect. Same with sweet potatoes.
Here are some facts: Salt is a necessary nutrient. Sugar is
just a carbohydrate, like many others. Fat is concentrated energy in food form,
which is why we find it so appealing. Gluten is just wheat protein; some people
may have a sensitivity to it, but most people really don’t. Quinoa and spelt
are nice additions to the diet, but don’t cure cancer. Soy is generally fine,
as are sweet potatoes.
Now go online and read the reactions from Bittman’s readers!
Some of them were furious. He was telling them something contrary to their own
beliefs.
Beliefs!
Now here’s a somewhat different case. Watch this video and
think about it, and then continue reading:
This is “Sam Sandwich,” an
animated character created by the Disney Channel. Sam teaches kids to eat
healthily. There are lots of episodes, and I invite you to watch some; they’re
cute, and some of them teach valuable lessons, like don’t eat candy for lunch,
etc.
But what lesson did you learn from the above video?
If you’re an adult of average intelligence, you will have
noticed Sam’s comment that “a pinch of salt makes food taste better, but too
much is bad for you.” If you’re a child, you will hear: SALT IS BAD FOR YOU.
I heard about Sam Sandwich from a colleague, who found that
her little boy wouldn’t eat anything salty anymore, because “Sam Sandwich says
it isn’t good for you.” Evidently he’s a picky eater to begin with, and this
has made matters even worse.
Bittman has shown us that adults are credulous enough. Sam
Sandwich shows us that children are even more so.
Enough, already. Stop frightening children. And let’s have a
little reasonable conversation.
If possible.
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