- Reading/annotating the advice in Michael Pollan's “Happy Meals” (page 28 of the packet).
- Writing a two-paragraph response:
- In the first paragraph, discuss 1-3 ideas in Pollan's advice that make sense for you or your family. Explain why. Use concrete examples.
- In the second paragraph, discuss 1-3 ideas in Pollan's advice that would be hard or impossible for you or your family to do right now. Explain why. Use concrete examples.
On Oct. 6, 2011, Mr. Pollan responded to food questions submitted by New York Times readers. The most popular one was about buying organic food on a budget, so I thought I would share it with you:
Our family is on a budget and can’t afford to eat all organic. Where should we direct our money to get the most benefit? Organic produce? Meats? Dairy?
Some organic products offer the consumer more value than others, so if you’re on a budget, it’s important to buy organic strategically. Here are a few quick rules of thumb:
If you have young kids, it’s worth paying the organic premium on whatever they eat or drink the most of. So if they drink lots of apple juice — which they shouldn’t, by the way — or milk, then spring for it there.
On produce, some items, when grown conventionally, have more pesticide residue than others, so when buying these, it pays to buy organic. According to the Environmental Working Group, the “dirty dozen” most pesticide-laden fruits and vegetables are: apples, celery, strawberries, peaches, spinach, imported nectarines, imported grapes, sweet bell peppers, potatoes, blueberries, lettuce and kale/collars. The “clean 15″ are onions, sweet corn, pineapples, avocado, asparagus, sweet peas, mangoes, eggplant, cantaloupe, kiwi, cabbage, watermelon, sweet potatoes, grapefruit and mushrooms. So if you’ve only got a little money to devote to organic, buy the organic apples and skip the organic onions. But do keep in mind that it’s important to eat fruits and vegetables regardless of how they’re grown.
In meat, organic is very expensive, and doesn’t necessary ensure that the animals didn’t live on feedlot. I look for grass fed for beef instead, milk and butter, too.
--For more answers from Mr. Pollan, see HERE.
B. Introducing the Final Project (Print Piece #15): Food Memory. See the prompt HERE. See and example entitled "Panacea" HERE.
