Eat Real Food

Eat Good Food

Eat Well Wisely

By now you have likely heard the week’s biggest food news.  The New York Times’ Opinion Columnist, Mark Bittman, has taken the U.S. Agriculture Department to task this week for their latest publication, Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010, a five-year update of recommendations.

In convoluted and unwieldy language our government employees have gathered a document to make recommendations such as:  Focus on Consuming Nutrient Dense Foods and Beverages, and Keep trans fatty acid consumption as low as possible by limiting foods that contain synthetic sources of trans fats, such as partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and by limiting other solid fats. They added, If alcohol is consumed, it should be consumed in moderation … and only by adults of legal drinking age. (Can you think of any government recommendation that would be otherwise?)

Mark Bittman took this word-dense document to task and began the rallying cry for clear guidelines and simple words:  Eat Real Food has been blogged, texted, tweeted and Facebooked around the global Internet. Here’s the skinny. The paper is filled with both common sense and complicated factoids. It’s very easy to make fun of this 112 page document.

Deep into the pages of the report, there is an endorsement of sorts for the Mediterranean Diet, subhead labeled as Research on Mediterranean Eating Patterns. The inherent guide is that the right fats, such as extra virgin olive oils should be consumed in moderation.  In most studies, individuals with a higher Mediterranean Diet score have reduced cardiovascular disease, and a lower rate of total mortality.

Edit: Adding the details here is a bit much. See pages 44-45 of the full document.

A favorite line in Frances Mayes’ Every Day in Tuscany, shares on p. 245, “When ingredients are good, you don’t have to torture them into complex recipes.” Simply well said.

Our recommendation goes to the heart of the Mediterranean Diet — Good food, best fresh, simply prepared, and eaten with good company. Good values for health and good living.