Episode #184 Cook From Scratch

Three Problems

• Many of the products labeled ‘Juice’ contain exactly 0% juice.
• We often avoid foods (or food groups) simply because we didn’t like them as a child.
• Convenient foods are more likely to be sold in plastic containers, so they are not only harmful to our bodies but also damaging to the Earth.

Five Principles

• The more we know about our food, the healthier decisions we tend to make.
• Just as we train ourselves to like the bitter taste of coffee or the strong taste of alcohol, we can train ourselves to enjoy healthy foods.
• We may fall in love with even our least favorite foods if we learn to prepare them well.
• Homemade foods may require more effort, but they are often substantially cheaper and of significantly higher quality.
• Buying produce from farmers’ markets not only supports local business but also reduces carbon emissions by minimizing long-distance transport of foods.

Five Practices

• As much as possible, eat whole foods composed of only a single ingredient.
• Make a list of every healthy food you have previously disliked, and try each of them again over the next year.
• Create homemade versions of your favorite salad dressings in order to avoid the unnecessary sugars, fats, and calories found in store-bought bottles.
• Each time you purchase meat from a market, grocery store, or restaurant, remind yourself that this requires the loss of a life.
• If you don’t know where to begin your journey of cooking from scratch, begin with bread.