Shall you treat yourself to quick, easy, and inexpensive fast food again? Doing so has caused an epidemic like humans have seen before. It’s time to for Weston real estate owners to change their regular routine of eating conveniently to eating more wisely. In his attempt to answer the million-dollar question, author Michael Pollan appeals to our emotions by honestly describing his own in the exceptional book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Pollan investigates the social, ethical and environmental impact of what exactly we eat. After all, we Americans spend about a tenth of our incomes feeding ourselves. I guess it could be worse.
Using brilliant discussions and critiques, Pollan refers to our modern food industry as agribusiness. He provides amusing lessons on agricultural history, plant biology, food chemistry and the animal-rights debate. Folks with homes for sale in Weston will find it quite interesting when the writer explained how the animal you eat may not be as important as what that animal has eaten. One of the most intriguing chapters is the writer’s investigative look at one of Americans’ favorite meals, fast food. He questions some people’s everyday decision making with eating, such as dining at McDonald’s. The writer introduces the chapter by using his personal life. Pollan’s 11-year-old son is excited to chow down at McDonald’s, even if his wife prefers a “real meal.” He points out the fact that restaurants market separate campaigns to each age group in a family. I was also shocked to discover that just about every item at McDonald’s comes from corn, from the soda to the French fries.
Dozens of the corn-derived meals are up and ready to go within minutes. With the one exception of salads, every food is engineered to be eaten with one hand. After all, 19 percent of American meals are devoured in the car. An attraction we all share to fast food is its packaging. The individual portions are all wrapped up like personal presents not meant to be shared. Salads and veggie burgers are used to sell fast food to parents. They are also the most expensive items on the menu. Even the odor of generic fast food reminds me of my childhood, making the meal comforting to many of us.
Pollan offers details to the nutrition facts of a Chicken McNugget. The automobile-friendly meal now constitutes its own genre of food for American children. Invented for McDonald’s in 1983, the nugget is made up of 38 ingredients. The fried pieces contain more fat and total calories than a cheeseburger. Pollan points out that many suffer from a national eating disorder based on super-sized, corn-fed diets. The vegetable makes up 45 different items at McDonald’s.
The lasting message to take out of The Omnivore’s Dilemma is what exactly to feed your body, as well as the rest of your family. Determine if fast food’s corn-heavy convenience is worth the high price that people pay for fast food’s cheap calories, resulting in obesity, type II diabetes, and heart disease. Will that McDonald’s meal make a Weston luxury homeowner happy?
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Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty serves 19 counties throughout Florida with over 40 locations and approximately 1,800 Sales Professionals. The full-service brokerage company, founded in 1999, is a subsidiary of Lennar Corporation, a Fortune 500 company and is a franchise member of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ network, one of the few organizations entrusted to use the world-renowned Berkshire Hathaway name. The company offers residential and commercial services as well as seasonal rentals, property management, REO & Foreclosures, corporate relocations, referral services, title, home service plans, and personal concierge services. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty ranks in the Top 10 in the network among 42,000 Sales Professionals, 1,200 offices throughout 47 states. The company is the overall No. 1 fundraiser for The Sunshine Kids Foundation, having generated more than $3.37 million since 2001. Visit www.BHHSFloridaRealty.com.
