Elitism
Image by Despair.com

A few weeks back, a friend told me that his better half called me a “Food Elitist”. Now, you may be thinking “What sort of awful transgression could you have committed?” Or you may be thinking “Well, you are.” Or you may not be thinking at all, a state that I often find myself in.

It all started when this friend was asking me some things about improving his diet. And I had the audacity to propose drinking organic, hormone-free milk (since raw is so hard to get here). We also discussed the differences between grass-fed meats and conventionally-raised meats. Then I had even more gall to imply that not all meats are created equal, not all apples are the same, and some foods are, in fact, better for you than other foods.

I can only come up with two possible interpretations of the phrase “food elitist”.

  1. One who looks down on those that choose not to eat like him/her, is overly concerned with the source of his/her food, and refuses food that doesn’t “fit”
  2. One who strives for quality in his/her eating

So starting with the first interpretation…that’s pretty far from being me. I respect that people have different priorities in life and choose to invest different amounts of time and money into their nutrition. I don’t have to understand how someone can choose Burger King over spending 20 minutes in their own kitchen to be perfectly okay with them making that decision for themselves. I’m pretty far from turning down perfectly good food, even when it doesn’t fit with what I would typically eat. I don’t even concern myself with whether people are feeding me pastured, grass-fed, organic, blah blah blah meats and produce, nor do I preach to them the benefits of such. I don’t ask how the food was prepared (margarine, butter, sugar, etc) because I understand that a one-off meal is nothing in the grand scheme of things. Even a meal of donuts, potato chips, and Pepsi is fairly negligible as long as its not a common occurrence.

A couple of examples…Saturday, I went to a friend’s cookout and ate their grain-fed hamburgers, a handful of tortilla chips, some potatoes with cheese, and a few other less than healthful items. I didn’t ask them what the source of their meat was, nor did I care. Last night, I had dinner with a good friend and his fiancee. She made rice and naan to go with the (excellent) chicken curry. Did I make a comment like “well, I don’t typically eat grains” or did I just eat it and rave about the time and excellence she put into the meal (which was in fact true…one of the best home-cooked meals I’ve had)? The correct answer is “b”. You see, the things you say can hold a good deal of meaning, even if you capitulate and eat the “offending food”. Even the way you turn things down says a good deal.

The second interpretation is the one that I will give a hearty “Hell yeah” to if it’s used in reference to me. I do strive for quality in my food. At home, I stick to pastured poultry, grass-fed meats, mostly local vegetables, and quality oils. When I eat out, I typically go for foods that fit with my priority of health. It’s entirely possible to reject the bread basket without being elitist and holier-than-thou.

What’s the difference in those two interpretations? The first person alienates others and lets his food ideals override his ability to enjoy the company of others and the offerings of others. The second person strives for quality in his eating, but is willing to loosen the reins a bit when outside of his own kitchen. The first person is too concerned with teaching others why they should choose his way to ever respect their different priorities. The second realizes that priorities differ and each person is making an unconscious cost-benefit analysis in their decisions and keeps his opinions to himself until they are asked for.

So am I a “food elitist”? That depends on what you mean. If you mean someone that alienates others, is always focusing on why this food and that food aren’t good enough to enter his body, and makes life difficult on anyone wanting to share food with him, then no, that’s most certainly not me. If you mean someone that understands healthful foods and aims to consume them 90% of the time, willingly discusses his choices with others when they show interest (and keeps his mouth shut otherwise), and puts the social aspect on as high of a plane as the food aspect when being communal, then yes, that’s me. In the end, food is one of the biggest influences on your health, so what better thing is there to be elitist about? Just remember that you can be a “food elitist” without being a pain-in-the-a$$ to those around you.

What about you? Where do you fall on the “food elitism” scale?

Other reading:
Kelly the Kitchen Kop declares “I’m really not a food snob!”


If you enjoyed this post, share it on StumbleUpon or Health Ranker (or both!)


Print This Post Print This Post

Tags: , ,