Eating well without being neurotic about it...

As someone who will eat something as healthy as a veggie burger for lunch one day, and something less healthy, like a chorizo-filled deviled egg for breakfast on another day, I think I have a relaxed attitude about food. I enjoy a wide variety of it and think that there is value in food other than the nutritional value itself. (I couldn't imagine not serving burgers on the 4th of July when family is visiting, for example.)

As a parent, I find it quite a bit disturbing that there are kids who are obsessed about healthy food, as discussed in What's Eating Our Kids? Fears About 'Bad' Food. I think the culture and attitude around food is important for both being sensible about our diets while also enjoying a well-prepared meal.

It seems that some of the neuroses about food stem from the same fears about trying to make our children absolutely safe. I know I want my kids to have an enjoyment of food.

A couple of good articles from the Times on food

I've been reading quite a bit on the Internet and a couple of books for the class I'm taking this semester. These two articles interested me.

Brooklyn's New Culinary Movement discusses New Yorkers producing their own food.

Alice Waters and Katrina Heron wrote this editorial criticizing the current school lunch program with recommendations on how to make it healthier and cost-efficient.