Yesterday, we paid homage to the concept of New Year’s resolutions. And offered a philosophical approach to the tradition. Today, as 2025 dawns its first, we offer some material thoughts on food choices, food changes and the future of food…
A small fraction of an Asian produce market: Open your mind to food
secrets Asians and Blue Zone natives have known for millennia…
Food choices…
Throughout 2024 we accelerated our reminders that we can all make better food choices. In some cases, MUCH better. Both for our health and our world.
More than 70 percent of Western World residents are overweight or obese – and getting fatter. Pres-sure on all of us will become nothing but more onerous through this coming year to embrace the inevitable. That means starting our own personal shifts from meat-based to plant-based protein.
The learning curve can be shallow, long and problematic. Or we can go all in and make a major effort to emulate the diet and culinary lifestyle embraced for millennia by many other cultures and cuis-ines. That means playing down meat, poultry and seafood. And placing common, relatively cheap plant staples including grains, beans and peas, and soy products font and centre. In our minds, fridges and pantries.
In a parallel but just as important realm, we also have to make fresh fruits and veggies a bigger part of our diets. And there’s one surefire way to make that easier. When it was cheaper and more plenti-ful, we took fresh produce for granted. Relegated it to a second, lower tier in our grocery perception. And called it too expensive. But an objective analysis quickly shows you get more bang for your food bucks with a veggie diet.
Food changes…
You save big on protein going veggie. It’s always been a much better value than animal protein. And those savings can easily offset going bigger on fresh produce Not to mention, you’ll be opening a door to a whole new world of food styles, flavours and dining ‘opportunities’.
Jump-start your new outlook on food. If you haven’t already, visit an Asian supermarket and feast your eyes on all the new (to you) fruits and veggies. Leaf- (or Google-) through a few collections of Asian recipes. I guarantee you’ll be fascinated by the possibilities.
Open your mind to food secrets Asians and Blue Zone natives have known for millennia…
The future of food…
All this adds up to the ‘future’ state of our food. It need not be bland, monotonous or repetitive – like so many animal-based protein diets tend to be, by comparison. And it can be more sustainable by default, as the world becomes a new, warmer place.
My take
We’re heading out on what will undoubtedly be a challenging and at times frustrating journey. But if we take a positive, open approach to the overall issue of food and nutrition, it can be an exciting and invigourating voyage of discovery. Rather than what many of us fear will be an excruciating trudge through a bleak desert toward the unknown.
2025 will, in my humble opinion, be a pivotal year, when we’ll truly start to see the Age of Animal Protein as a time that’s had its day. Time to boldly go where relatively few carnivores have gone before…
~ Maggie J.