The Omnivore's Dilemma: The Secrets Behind What You Eat

by Richie Chevat

• ASIN: B002Q6XUBC
• Publish Date: Unknown
• Publish Status: Unknown
• Format: eBook (Kindle)
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[Joséphine]

Initial thoughts: At first I didn't realise this was the young reader's edition. Oops. I know, I know, it's emblazoned on the cover. Once I got to the introduction, I finally realised, though. I went looking for the original book in audio format on Overdrive. None of my libraries had it, so I continued. In any case, this edition doesn't seem to be dumbed down at, but rather, it's just written with a greater awareness of the audience — eg. teens can't vote but can still have an influence on the economy via their food choices.

Some things have changed in the food industry since 2006, the year The Omnivore's Dilemma was first published. A lot of things, however, still are the same. My family's regularly reached for organic food my entire life. I knew that this is good for the reduced chemical intake, but I hadn't thought much of the environmental impact due to transportation, nor did I know that (industrial) organic agriculture can still place tremendous stress on land and soil. While in many instances, it's absolutely healthier still to choose organic, there's much more to be done.

This book also made me think even more about my food choices than before. I don't eat fast food often, and rarely ever drink soda. I've avoided HFCS as much as possible for years and am constantly working on reducing industrially processed foods, particularly those that are nothing like their original ingredients.

What has left me more conflicted are the options of omnivore, pescatarian, vegetarian and vegan diets. While I'm not exactly fond of the label flexitarian because it essentially still means omnivore food choices, that's where I'm currently at. That's mostly because I'm trying to make sense of what's best for me as well as for the environment but haven't come to a conclusion yet. The Omnivore's Dilemma deepened those inner conflicts but shed a lot of light on the food industry, which in the end, is bound to contribute to my dietary decisions on a longterm basis.