Mediterranean Peasants & Other Oddities

I heard a news story on NPR recently about how the healthy 'Mediterranean Diet' wasn't a diet of choice, but a diet necessitated by poverty. The Greek people who lived the longest were the poorest; the cheapest things to eat were vegetables, fruit, simple bread, olive oil, etc.

These days it's flip-flopped. The cheapest foods are the crappiest ones and the vegetables, fruit, etc are the most expensive. DH and I have had several conversations about how a lot of Americans, probably more of the poor than the rich, buy convenience foods, fruit 'drinks', and other highly processed food. NPR said: "These days, you have to be wealthy to eat like a Mediterranean peasant."

Now, I have my own vices, but I know that some stuff is best eaten in moderation and not all the time. Once, at the grocery story, I saw a heavy woman driving a scooter-cart full of frozen pizza, doughnuts, Twinkies, frozen pretzels, etc. etc. I have also heard of a fair number of people who think Sunny Delight is really orange juice or let their infants drink soda. Like, actually put SODA into BABY BOTTLES.

What I'm saying is a) I think we're making really bad choices and b) it's hard to eat well when it costs so much more. For whatever reason, it's a lot cheaper and budget-friendly to eat processed foods than to buy produce, organic meats, real juice, etc. I have experienced this myself lately. Buying organic produce, not-Cow-milk, gluten-free grains, grass-fed beef, organic chicken, and blabbedy-blah is costing us at least 25% more in grocery money. I am always on the lookout for coupons or deals for specialty foods.

Granted, I think part of the problem today is that we're uninformed. Hawaiian Punch is not juice, but who is there to tell the population who thinks it is juice otherwise? Then again, are they interested in hearing how it's not juice? Not really, because you can get twice the amount for half the price of 100% juice.

I saw a story on Oprah once about organic, free-range farming versus the factory farms where animals are basically kept in unnatural, substandard conditions most of the time. This chicken farmer from California was saying that if the American people bought more organic, free-range eggs, then he could lower the price and that eventually those eggs would make up the majority of the market.

Right now price trumps over quality. With a failing economy and lots of people struggling to find work, it's not really surprising. In the long run I think our poor, cheaper nutrition will end up costing us even more in health care.

Eat more veggies! The end. :)

Some linky links:

A Healthy Diet Isn't Cheap:
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/diet/articles/2011/08/05/health-buzz-a-healthy-diet-isnt-cheap

Mediterranean Diet: http://blisstree.com/eat/mediterranean-diet-isnt-working-in-mediterranean/