Eat Colorfully!

Fulfilling a basic need and necessary to our very existence, for most of the population, eating is the most sought after and/or enjoyable of experiences. Feeding oneself—and others—can also be seen as an act of love, rewarding ourselves on a daily basis.

Whether skillfully crafted in the kitchen, garnished from a neighborhood take-away, or gathered from a farmers’ market, food is the object of constant fascination.

Partaking of a simple picnic in the park to participating in the most lavish celebrations, the act and the art of eating invariably accompanies a special occasion. And we certainly know how color plays into the beauty of food presentation.

We demonstrate our love for family and friends by plying them with food.

Bon Appetite! says the Frenchman . . .

Mangia! Mangia! Mangia! implores the Italian . . .

Essen! Essen! Essen! commands the German.

We all appreciate the art of food presentation, however today it is also important to be concerned about how and where food is grown.

There is a long history of food consumption and eating patterns within every culture. Our survival, no matter where we live, has depended upon it. But today we are living with the rapidly increasing reality that food is not just sustenance, but literally about survival, sustainability and rapidly diminishing resources.

Four Major Conservation Efforts we can All Make:

• Reducing waste by taking smaller portions, eating leftovers and encouraging restaurants and supermarkets to develop waste-producing measures.
• Becoming more thoughtful about the food we put on our plates, making connections with the farmers who grow it.
• Thinking more about the land, watersheds and climate that sustain us.
• Shifting to less meat-intensive diets so that there is less environmental impact. Frankly, that is a bit proselytizing, coming from a non meat-eater!!