Food and eating is such an integral part of life that you wouldn't really think a book on rules pertaining to said would be neccessary. In truth, it isn't necessary so much as incredibly helpful! When you consider that the vast majority of human beings now live in cities or other urban areas, which makes us so far removed from the source of what we eat, it is not surprising that we can use a hand when deciding what we should be picking up for dinner. But who are we going to listen to? The marketers? The food scientist? Politicians?? We are constantly bombarded with external stimuli trying to get our attention, "buy this product", "you need this!". This is why it's nice to have the occasional reminder that we really do have choices when it comes to what we want, and that some basic guidelines (for all that the title involves rules!) can help.
Food Rules, also by Micheal Pollan and following in the wake of In Defense of Food, is a very simple and little book that for all of that will likely stay with you a little longer than some of his other works. Not because his other titles are worse, but because it is laid out in a series of Rules, 64 to be exact, that pertain to what, where and why we eat. I think I read this in about an hour, and the best part is that he flat out says in the introduction that if you remember only 3 or 4 rules from each section (there are three of them) you will be ahead in the game. The principle of little changes amounting to big differences really resonates with me, so I truly enjoyed this, and was able to apply several of his Rules without having to even think about it.
In the same way that In Defence of Food was divided into three sections, Food Rules is as well. Section 1, "What should I eat? Eat Food" has some very simple yet profound rules for what we have to choose from. Rule 2: Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food is fairly self explanatory. Rule 12: Shop the peripheries of the store and stay out of the middle is something I already do as most of what I have to avoid is found in the middle with the processed stuff. Rule 13: Eat foods that will eventually rot only has me worried in terms of planning for the zombie appocalypse, but I'm sure we'll figure that out if necessary (I have the trailer for World War Z on the brain, sorry.)
Section 2, "What kind of food should I eat? Mostly plants" deals with the "Do I pick this or that?" of eating. Rule 22: Eat mostly plants, especially leaves leads into Rule 23: Treat meat as a flavouring or special occasion food. I am a big fan of Rule 25: Eat your colours, because pretty food with lots of colours is so much more fun! I am also a big fan of Rule 43: Have a glass of Wine with dinner, and the reasons for that should be obvious.
Section 3, "How should I eat? Not too much" is as much the social aspects as it is the psychological set of Rules pertaining to eating and eating well. There are the physical rules, like Rule 46: Stop eating before you are full and Rule 47: Eat when you are hungry, not when you are bored. There are rules like #44:Pay more, eat less and Rule 51: Spend as much time enjoying the meal as it took to prepare it, which when you think about it, can signify a majour shift from currently held ideals. The socially pertinent rules, however bring us back to how meals used to be: Eat Meals (Rule 55) at a table (Rule 58) in company (Rule 59).
So much of Food Rules really can be said to contain more traditional folk wisdom as anything else, which makes this both incredible homey and comfortable while still containing the seeds for radical change if you want it to. I do think that he saved the best rule for last though, as it really does sum everything up: Rule 64: Break the Rules once in a while!
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