Rule #41

I have recently become very enthusiastic about Rule #41 "Eat more like the French. Or the Japanese. or the Italians. Or the Greeks."

Although, I believe the "American" take on Italian food (lots of cheese and carbs) defeats the purpose of this rule. Basically, Italian restaurants will often have lots of fried foods (chicken, eggplant, or veal parmesan) as well as mounds of noodles. More traditional Italian dishes include lean fish, whole grain pastas and breads, as well as homemade tomato sauces. My interpretation of Italian food usually includes Classico four cheese sauce (which has more than five ingrediants including high fructose corn syrup), plain white noodles, and mounds of Kraft parmesan cheese. Not a healthy meal by Food Rules standards. However, I have recently added shrimp cooked in olive oil, pesto sauces, whole grain and fresh pastas, and a salad on the side. MUCH better.

Also, Greek food. I would love to try and adapt my diet to include more traditional Greek foods. however, the only Greek food I have access to is Byblos in the Tulane LBC and the verdict is still out on whether or not that is an acceptable meal by Food Rules standards. I'm sure the chicken is a little too fried, and I can't account for all the ingredients but it does follow the "eat your colors" rule and has alot of veggies.

As far as Japanese goes, I have yet to try and cook it myself. Maybe the sushi rolls and teriyaki chicken would work with the Food Rules. The Japanese food that I like most is tempura and highly marinated beef kabobs (no veggies just beef). Also, most Japanese restaurants serve white rice. I'm not sure what authentic Japanese food is like, I've only been to a few restaurants.

French- What I would like to try next.

Michael Pollen suggests you follow cooking from just one culture because people who do tend to be healthier. It is not necessarily the food you consume, but portion sizes and balance that make a huge difference as well. Take French food for example: in my experience, lots of mayonaise, carbs, and butter. But the French have a way lower obesity rate that goes along with their vastly different attitude towards food.



Also, on a side note: my most recent trip to Whole Foods was to buy my dog organic food. I figured if I feel healthier eating organic than he might appreciate food that follows the crucial rule "avoid food that has ingredients a third grader cannot pronounce"