RODALE NEWS, BOSTON, MA—Did you ever get annoyed by a self-righteous vegan or vegetarian who criticizes your food choices every time you fork a piece of meat into your mouth? Or perhaps you are one yourself. Although your intentions are likely well, talking down a person’s food choices isn’t likely going to change many minds, says Bryant Terry, award-winning eco-chef, food security activist, and author of Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen
THE DETAILS: Inspired by a rap song about factory farmed meat and reading Upton Sinclair'sThe Jungle, Terry stopped eating meat and went on to earn a degree in history and start a nonprofit group that empowers youths to be active in creating a more just and sustainable food system.. His heart was always in food, and bringing food justice to disadvantaged communities, where there are often dozens of conveniences stores selling unhealthy processed food and not one decent grocery store. After attending culinary school, he set his sights on writing Vegan Soul Kitchen, in which he altered Southern soul food recipes to retain the same flavor profile, but without all the fat and calories.
WHAT IT MEANS: We all have food choices, but making good ones are increasingly tough because we’re constantly bombarded by fast food, processed snacks, meat from animals injected with hormones and fed unnatural diets, and sugar-laden drinks. Terry, not a vegan himself, says 9 out of the 10 states with the highest rates of obesity and diet-related illnesses hail in the South. So he took that region’s soul food and gave it a healthy twist in hopes of changes those statistics for the better. “So often when we talk about healthy, sustainable cuisine, ethnic dishes are left out,” says Terry.
Here are strong steps you can take to change attitudes about food:
Throw a food party this month. Throw a food, or grub, party and invite members of your community. Ask each guest to make a fresh, healthy, organic meal (vegan, if you’d like) using as many local ingredients as possible, but ask them to cook in bulk and bring food storage containers along. You can all sit down around the table and eat, and leftovers can be given out to guests so they can freeze and enjoy the dishes for days and weeks to come. “Provide with food, and start at the table,” Terry says.
Set the mood. In Vegan Soul Kitchen, Terry suggests certain soundtracks, movies, and even art to accompany specific meals. When you throw your party, try to do the same to create a good vibe where guests can discuss their views, concerns, and solutions to the broken food system over a good, home-cooked, local, organic meal. Yum! That sounds like a recipe for positive change!