Category: Food

Fee Writes

Promoting Unhealthy Food.

And, no, it’s not me who is promoting unhealthy food….far from it.

This video (at the end of this post) came across my desk the other day and when I first viewed it I must admit it did look like a good idea to help with a cultural tradition, but then I got to thinking about it and suddenly it just seemed wrong on many levels.

It’s not the actual “mask” that is the problem.

Again, people are bombarded with the marketing strategies of corporate fast foods – the most unhealthy foods on the planet. Here are people who have been healthy eaters until the western fast food companies arrived and now these companies are determined to really try to corrupt a nation and increase their risks of numerous diseases all associated with processed, nutrition-less foods.

Who gains by the deterioration of a country’s health – the pharmaceutical companies? the medical profession? the health insurance companies? the meat processing companies?….. I’m sure the list goes on and, do you notice that these are all the big corporations – of course you do.

And on the flip side – who suffers? The nation’s ordinary man in the street? the environment? the farmers who practice sustainable farming? the organic industry? all of whom are the victims of the abuse from the fast-food industry who really don’t give a jot about the Joe Blogs of this world.

Again, it’s not the “mask” – it’s the marketing ploy totally invented to increase sales (and it’s worked).

Time to make a stand. We can each do our bit by refusing to purchase from these food outlets – start eating whole foods and actually “know” what you are putting into your mouth.

In the meantime, have a look at the cultural aspect of this video it’s actually a very clever to get around a problem.

Fee Writes

Environment | Food | Random

Big Business At It Again?

New Zealand has the dubious honor of having the largest dairy exporting company in the world. Yup, little N.Z. can lay claim that dairy products are exported to more that 100 countries around the globe.

The company’s name is Fonterra and you can bet your bottom dollar that they will outstrip and outsmart any other company that makes dairy products.

The latest “innovative” move they have made is to introduce a “light-proof” plastic milk bottle Now I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt and say that they genuinely thought they were right when they came up with the idea that milk deteriorates when it comes in contact with light and they should do something about it, but I’m more inclined to think that this is one helluva marketing ploy that will get the punters believing that, not only is milk good for you but it should be kept in the dark.

I spoke to a sales lady who was promoting the new bottles in the super market the other day, the conversation went something like this:

Lady:   Do you like the new bottle?
Me:      No, I don’t – I can’t see how much is left. (I thought that’s what most people would be annoyed at)
Lady:   If you can’t see the milk then that’s actually a good thing, as it means neither can the light!
Me:     (under my breath -duh) It still doesn’t solve the problem. So you’re saying that one just has to do the weight and shake test and judge when you’re going to run out?
The lady ignored my question.
Me:      With three layers….that seems like an awful lot of plastic.
Lady:   These bottles are 100% recyclable.
Me:      Maybe, but it just seem like more plastic.
Lady:   The plastic is thinner, so there’s not that much more at all. Did you know that with these bottles it means that the milk will be as good on day 15 as it is on day 1.
Me:     Mmmmmm, I think you’ll find that a bottle of milk will be used within about 3 or 4 days in the majority of families – or are you saying that I can leave the milk out on the bench longer?
Lady: Oh no, the milk still has to be refrigerated.
Me:     So there’s really no difference then.
Lady: Yes, this milk tastes better.
Me:     I can’t see why if the milk is still used up quickly….milk is milk.
Lady: But with these bottles it’s fresher.
Me:     I can’t see why – other companies get the milk bottled and into the stores daily, just like Fonterra does.

And so the conversation continued.

I finally got bored and left. I’d had my humour for the day, so off I went to get my soy milk. I don’t drink animal milk anyway!

When I was putting this blog together I came across an article that said the recycling companies are not happy with this bottle as it takes more energy and resources to recycle it. Wish I’d known that when I was talking to the lady!

There was also a comment made by ‘Whiti (N.Z.)’ who threw up another argument:

“My wife is a science teacher and just couldn’t resist testing the new bottle. Happy to report that the bottle does indeed appear to be light proof. Unfortunately the good old fashioned lid is not. Given that most light tends to shine down seems a bit of an oversight if it’s really all that important. Maybe just a lot of hype over nothing? Nice try Fonterra better luck next time.”

Good one, Whiti, couldn’t have said it better myself.

Fee Writes

Environment | Food

What to do About Global Hunger

Reading a short blog this morning about global hunger and the fact that the less meat we eat the more people we can feed got me thinking.

I’ve always been a big believer in going to the top. Let’s face it when you need to get results it’s always sometimes quicker and easier just to go to the top man rather than working your way through the chain of command.

It’s like that for food so:

Why not cut out the middle man?
Why go through the food chain for nutrition?
Why not go directly to the source?

Are you with me here? Let me explain. The grain that grows has all the nutrients needed – the meat industry feeds that grain to the animals then, in turn, feeds it to the humans….so, cut out the meat and get to the primary source (the grain) and get the pure nutrients.

Extrapolate this out. Not only do you need land to grow the grain, but you need it also to farm the animals. Cut out the “middle man” i.e. the farmed animals and you have more land to grow crops = more food to feed the hungry.

It’s really quite simple math……but here’s the rub – money.

The meat industry, unfortunately, just doesn’t see it that way – it would appear that personal gain comes way above the gains of the planet. So it’s up to us. By choosing to have one (or preferable more) meat-free day a week you will make a difference. Try to make it a completely animal-free day (vegan) like no dairy products or eggs and you will make that one small step towards doing something about world hunger.

Fee Writes

Food

The Effects of Fast Food

I knew at the time I shouldn’t……but it was late, I was tired and coming home with the thought of having to turn around and start cooking dinner just wasn’t doing it for me.

“Shall I get takeaway?”

“No, better not, you know what it does to you”

“But, it’s late, I don’t want to face cooking.”

“Don’t think about it, you know you can have something quick at home.”

“Yeah, but can I be bothered”

– and so the conversation in my head continued

Call me crazy, but I’m picking that you also have, what I call, “monkey chatter” going on in your head when faced with a dilemma ???

So, on the one hand, I had the option of stopping and picking up a burger (yes….a veggie burger) and fries the other option being that I whip up something quick at home. Let me add here that there were no other people involved so it wasn’t as if I had a family meal to get. It was the thought of “whipping up something” that just wasn’t appealing.

Oh, what to do. The trouble with fast food is that it really doesn’t “sit well” in my stomach overnight…nothing dramatic, just end up with a “yuk” feeling but, even knowing this, the little devil in my head was putting up a really good argument and in the end, she just wiped out the angel and forced me to swing the car into the nearest take out restaurant 5 minutes from home.

Mmmmmm, it was good. The parcel was warm and the smell permeated throughout the car (“let’s hope the smell is gone by morning” said one little monkey in my head).

Needless to say, I sat down and polished the lot off – not good – over-ate – feel yuk now – damn, why did I do that?

3.24 a.m. – Nope, just can’t get back to sleep…there’s nothing for it…will get up and have a cup of peppermint tea and see if that settles the tummy.
Oh, and while I’m up – I may as well do some vacuuming, or clean something, or watch a movie……..hey, I know, I’ll write a blog!

Fast food? Please remind me next time…it’s so much better to cook my own.

Category: Food

Promoting Unhealthy Food.

Big Business At It Again?

What to do About Global Hunger

The Effects of Fast Food

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