Simple Eating

After I posted my paper on 'simple living,' in our meeting on Friday, Davis brought up the question of how eating fits into my prescription.  How does one maintain a healthy and satisfying diet while living simply?

In my paper, I emphasize relationships as the most important aspect of life.  I urge people to eschew the accumulation of material goods, as they aren't alive and cannot possibly lead to a fulfilling life, because one cannot establish a relationship with them.  The only mention of food, as far as I remember, is a quote from Thoreau, encouraging people to eat only as much as they need, not to be gluttonous just because they have the opportunity.  

Davis told me to consider the onion. Or ketchup. Do we really need either?  Certainly neither hold important nutrients that are exclusive to that food and cannot be obtained from other foods.  So, does that mean that we should only eat a handful of foods,  that each contain all the essential vitamins and minerals?

Here's my take on how to eat simply.  We don't need onions, or ketchup, or many cultivated or processed foods.  What we do need, though, is variety and culture.  As I stressed in my paper, relationships are paramount.  This absolutely includes relationships to food.  A gigantic goal of sustainable agriculture and food systems is to reconnect people with their food sources - this is establishing a relationship.

Food is more than a mere source of sustenance.  If it were only that, then certainly we would take no pride in the variety of foods we can grow, make, and consume.  We would have no desire to eat more foods than necessary to stay alive.  But we are a society of eaters - eating is a huge part of culture.  Where would America be without corn?  Asia without rice?  We have as much a relationship with what we eat as with other humans.  Food, be it based in vegetables or animals, was alive.  It's still another living thing, connected to us in the ecosystem of our world.

Relationships are reciprocal.  Each side gives and takes.  We can grow our food, nurturing it, giving it the necessary elements to grow and flourish.  In return, it nourishes us our body with its nutrients, and our minds with its associated culture, heritage, etc.

We don't need onions from South America or Heinz ketchup.  But if we can grow the onions in our own gardens, or mash tomatoes from farmers market into home-made ketchup, why shouldn't we?  Humans relish experiencing multitudes of tastes and textures.  If we can somehow establish a relationship with what we eat, then there is no reason to limit the number or varieties of foods we consume.

I know my life would be considerably emptier, if not for the onion.