I love my food.

Has anyone else ever noticed that the cost of food in the US is unsustainably low?

I noticed the ridiculously low cost of food while travelling through the US recently. Food should not be this cheap in restaurants. It was approximately half the price of an equivalent meal here (this is a very unscientific study completed by me at the Cracker Barrel, Burger King and a local pizza joint. Maybe it's not the most comprehensive study but it was really difficult to find notable restaurants within sight of the interstate in NY, NJ, Pennsylvania.).

People wonder why Americans are gaining weight and eating processed food? Ummm... because it's too cheap not to buy the processed, hormone-laden food due to subsidization and lobbying. Nowhere else in the world is the cost of mass-produced food kept at such a low level. The caveat is - I suspect that local, organic or sustainably produced food is not nearly as affordable, even in the US. I live in Canada and travelled to Africa, Europe and Caribbean. Some of these countries do not have access to the American dream of having thousands of products to choose from at the supermarket but are they any less healthy?

Many societies still rely on a fairly traditional diet. They eat a lot of lamb, chicken, root vegetables, couscous and dried fruit in Morocco. You could probably find all the fast food trappings in Europe but many still value artisan cheeses, breads and meats. Europe also limits the amount of genetically modified food available in the marketplace. There is nothing like a traditional French meal. I was lucky enough to enjoy this with some friends - meal begins at 8pm on the front lawn and ends at 11pm. Homemade foie gras, salads, meat, charcuterie. Cousins, neighbours and friends coming to the meal and contributing a dish or two. Honestly, this is still done. I'm not kidding! We also visited my husband's family in Germany and they did a very similar thing. The tables are permanently set up outside and there is a continual trail of meats, radish, cheese from the house to the table under the castana tree. It sounds very romantic and I doubt every day is such a celebration but it is beautiful to enjoy good food with friends and family. Life is rich. Eating a traditional diet is not such a bad thing, really.

Eating well has costs. It is more expensive to eat clean or well in North America. I wish real food (unprocessed, fruits, veggies, etc) was more affordable for everyone and that processed food reflected the true costs, including health costs. Personally, I have made the decision to spend a greater part of our budget on integrating as many organic or local/sustainable food into our home. I make most of our meals from original ingredients but sometimes... I still stop at McDonald's to give my kids lunch. Sometimes, I grab a pizza from the freezer. It's certainly not perfection. Now, only if they could create a healthy alternative fast-food chain with drive-thru windows for minivans full of children.