This summer the New York Times published an article, “The 11 Best Foods You Aren’t Eating.” I remember having a conversation with at least 10 people about this article. They would usually start around meal time or at the grocery store. One of us would say, “Oh, hey there are pumpkin seeds in this dish. I should get that because pumpkins seeds are one of the 11 foods you’re supposed to eat more of” or “You know, I really don’t really like swiss chard, but I guess I’ll get some because it’s good for me.” We would all know immediately what the other person was refering to, and discuss the various foods on the list and when we last ate them. One time a group of us was at a salad restaurant and I was able to get a single salad with beets, pumpkin seeds, and blueberries in it-we all celebrated my success.
Just reacently I noticed that this article was back up on the NYTimes website’s “Most Popular” list. Why are we so fascinated by these 11 foods? Is it because we want to be healthy and eating the right things? Is it because we aren’t and we need to be constantly reminded of why (really, who wants to eat sardines? and how many people really know what dishes to use tumeric for?)? Or is it because we are starting to eat them now that we know how great they are (it was just pumpkin season)? I am just eternally fascinated by food and what we eat, so that’s my excuse. But I’m still not eating sardines.
I totally thought of you when the article popped up again.
I think maybe, as with diets, we want magic. And perhaps we look at those 11 foods and hope that somehow, if we only ate them, we would be healthier and happier (and look better, of course)… and all of our problems would be solved. Which probably is partially true, but as with diets we don’t actually eat what we are supposed to… because really some stuff just doesn’t taste good.
Thoughts?