Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Twinkie, Deconstructed

In case you missed it, the Twinkie turned 80 yesterday. (And a Big Ol' Happy Birthday to ya!)

First, a confession - I like Twinkies. I can't remember the last time I ate one, but I probably wouldn't turn one down if handed to me. Even knowing what's in it. What can I say - I'm a sucker for a moisty, springy cake! (Someone please file that away for my birthday, ok? Thanks. Moving on.)

In this vide, the man who wrote the book Twinkie, Deconstructed gives a quick explanation of what goes into a Twinkie. He talks about the rocks, the petroleum products...the things that aren't food. (Although, the rocks are broken down into salt, baking powder and baking soda, so I guess I have no issue with those.) When asked if there is anything wrong with having these ingredients in your food, he says, "If there is, then there's something wrong with ALL of our processed foods! And some people do have a problem with that...so they can eat more whole foods."

There's the rub. Those things are in everything from jarred salad dressings to most store-bought breads. They were added to give things a better shelf life, a better mouth-feel, a better look. I can understand that, really, I can. I guess my question is this - when, exactly, did food become a product to sell, instead of just something to eat? Why do we have to eat cakes that were made up to a month ago? Why do we want salad dressing that was made a year ago? Is it the branding? The ease of simply opening a package and having food to eat? The way the flavor is the same behind every jar, seal and wrapper?

Whether out of laziness or frugality, I've stopped buying most packaged foods. While I can pat myself on the back for doing my part to lead a healthier lifestyle...the truth of the matter is, I'm hungry. Most of the time. It's one thing to not buy the food. It's another to figure out what you are going to eat at lunch time, and snack times, and breakfast time, and...you get the idea. I need to give some thought to what we are going to eat, if breaking open a bag of chips or a box of cookies is no longer an option!

Watch the video, and then weigh in. Also, please tell me what to eat? Thanks a ton.

4 comments:

  1. Check out my Goodreads for a book that explains this...End of Food, can't remember the author. Really, WW2 changed everything. Men had already left the homesteads to work in offices and factories, WW2 took the women out of the home as well. They still wanted their families to eat well, but didn't have time to cook. Food companies stepped in with quick processed foods that were consistent, quick, inexpensive, and marketed as scientifically better than homemade (remember Grandma and Grandpa's marriage-long argument about cake mixes?) Talk to any grandma, she'll say "I can buy it at the store and it's just as good, and saves time." Our country, as a whole, is a) short on time and b)fat. Make what you will of that.

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  2. I don't know what to eat- muffins, cookies, bread, and peanut butter by the spoonful seem to make up the bulk of our snacks. Especially since I'm trying to purchase local produce...which right now is carrots and last year's apples. Bleh.

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  3. I was watching Oprah awhile ago, and she was interviewing a guy that put together a documentary called Food, Inc. (which is fascinating, but disgusting, so if you watch it make sure your kids aren't around!) Anyway, he said something about how if you're going to eat junk food, just eat junk food you made yourself. It's still junk, but a cookie you made at home is a lot better, ingredient-wise, than a cookie from the store. So ever since then, I've tried to keep snacks around that I made--not always easy, but I figure it's a step in the right direction.

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  4. Not all grandmothers favored the boxed cake mix. I was in my twenties before I ever saw one - my mother and both of my grandmothers made everything from scratch.
    As to making your "junk food" from scratch - it all takes time. Bake a cake or a pie, make real ice cream, beat up a pan of fudge ... it's a lot of effort and time to make any of these things. So if you make all of your sweets and treats at home, you're going to make - and eat - far less than if you were buying from the store. Can you imagine getting out the potatoes and the deep fryer every time you wanted some potato chips?
    When I was growing up, Mom baked once a week. Sometimes a pie, sometimes cake, sometimes muffins, sometimes squares. When that was finished, there was nothing until the next week. But there was always homemade bread, twelve loaves a week, ready to fill any holes in your belly.

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