First the bad news: You probably have no idea what kind of horrifyingly awful stuff you’re putting into your grocery cart. In fact, you probably think most of it’s pretty darned healthy. That’s where you’d be wrong.
We’re not talking a diet of Cheetos and Twinkies here, but ostensibly good-for-you-foods sold in the most expensive of markets–things like sugar-shocked yogurt; Franken-fruits pumped with pesticides, hormone-laden milk and fish raised in toxic ponds. Oh, what’s a shopper to do?
Now, before you go off screaming in panic, there’s an answer. Food Salvationist Marion Nestle has broken down the myths, confusion and down-and-out lies about what we’re eating in What to Eat. From vitamin supplements to grass-fed beef, organics vs. conventional fruits and veggies, pesticides, bottled water and why milk is always at the very back of the store (to get you to buy more impulse items), Nestle is one of the nation’s leading nutritionists and food scientists. But mostly she’s a consumer advocate who knows how to break down food labels, government studies, and industry-backed health claims into the truth about what we’re really eating.
So before you stick that irradiated apple in your mouth, do yourself a favor and see if it’s actually as healthy as you think. You just might be surprised. And horrified.
What to Eat by Marion Nestle, North Point Press, $16.