What Kind of Food Culture are We Creating For Our Kids?

Cassie and I recently took the kids to the homestead resort in hot springs, Virginia.  On the surface, we were celebrating the fourth of July, but in reality we were just taking advantage of the $100 off per night deal and the opportunity for some much needed rest and relaxation.  We even took advantage of the baby-sitting service and treated ourselves to a couple of hours at their spa.  

Since it was the fourth of July, many families were dressed in coordinated red, white, and blue outfits.  Cassie said this was the norm, but I felt like it was a little much.  Don't get me wrong.  I'm as proud to be an American as the next guy.  I just can't get into the idea of putting my kids in outfits that look like they threw up the American flag and then sending them off to do a photo shoot.

But as I gazed into the night sky as the fireworks went off, I got to thinking about whether or not we can be proud of the American food culture.  What exactly is the American food culture?  Fast, convenient, processed food comes to my mind.  Over the past half century, we have moved away from preparing traditional food and moved into industrially prepared processed food.  In that same time period, we have seen a near tripling of the prevalence of obesity and a more than tripling of the prevalence of diabetes.  

Food is much more than just sustenance.  It is a gateway into people, history, and culture.  One of the most exciting culinary experiences is melding the foods from two different cultures into one delectably delicious new culinary experience.  That is the true melting pot, and that is the kind of food culture we should be creating for our kids.  Take for instance, the Korean taco, the perfect example of blending two cultures together into one dynamite bite.  I feature the Korean taco in this week's video, entitled, "Southeast Side Story."  

Here is the link to the recipe featured in the above video:

http://www.tablefortwoblog.com/slow-cooker-korean-tacos/

References

Flegal KM, Carroll MD, Kit BK, Ogden CL.  Prevalence of obesity and trends in the distribution of body mass index Among US adults, 1999-2010.  JAMA.  2012;307(5): 491-497