What are your food rules?

Check out this article from the New york Times back in March. Michael Pollan, author of, In Defense of Food, wants to know your personal food rules.
He points out the importance of how a culture views food and reacts to it.

Michael Pollan writes:

I’d like your help gathering some rules for eating well. My premise is that culture has a lot to teach us about how to choose, prepare and eat food, and that this wisdom is worth collecting and preserving before it disappears.

I love this. The comments section is amazing.

One of my favorites on there by a Mr. Daniel Freedman:

Food shouldn’t CONTAIN ingredients; food should BE ingredients.

I agree!

Here are some of the food rules we try to stick to and teach our children. Granted, we're not perfect, but here's some general issues of importance to our family:

• Eat simply and know where your food came from (hopefully as close to home as possible).

• Eat lots of whole grains and legumes.

• Grow as much of your own food as possible, even if it's only a pot of herbs on the windowsill.

• Stock up for the winter by preserving what you can during the abundant summer months. You can do this without having a garden! Buy in bulk from your local farmers and can or freeze or dehydrate!

• Eat fermented foods.

• Know where your meat/eggs/dairy comes from if you eat those things. Make sure those animals are treated well and eat the food they're SUPPOSED to eat. Cows should be grass-fed and allowed to pasture. Chickens should be able to walk and forage for grubby things. Pigs should be allowed to root and eat all the crazy things they love to eat! Etc! Avoid stockyard meat and factory farming.
  

• Support local brewers if you drink beer and wine.

• Many, many people go without food the world over. Be thankful for every morsel of food that goes into your mouth and teach your children to do the same.

• Support fair trade.