FEATURES

Seeing the Bigger Picture...

Sunday, 26 July 2015 00:10

By Deanna Pomfret (usatriathlon.org)

At a recent party a spunky 10-year-old came hopping into the room, grabbed a cracker off the cheese and cracker platter and started bouncing away. Her mother called after her, “don’t you want some calcium and protein with that cracker?” The kid just looked at her mom blankly and quickly backed away.

When on earth did we start calling cheese, calcium and protein? Why not just ask her if she wants some cheese? And why the need for cheese? Who cares anyway if she just has a cracker. She wouldn’t be able to bounce around so well weighted down with cheese in her belly anyway.

Children are more instinctive than we adults who get bogged down with nutrient facts and what is good or bad for us. This child knew what her body was looking for, saw the choices available and picked the cracker. She didn’t think too hard about it. She didn’t know this, but she needed quick energy to get back on task — which was playing. We don’t need to teach children about protein and calcium as much as we need to learn from them how to eat without so much analysis....

When did food get so deconstructed? When did we have good and bad choices? When did cheese get reduced to being protein and calcium?

Cheese is a soul-nourishing real food that can be enjoyed as part of a healthy lifestyle. You can find the most amazing cheeses from around the world. Paneer is a cheese made from separating milk into whey and solids. The solids are used in many Indian dishes. Some of my favorites like Livarot and Camembert come from France. Locally we have Vermont cheese that has taken on a much more European style over the years and in fact rivals some of Europe’s best cheeses in quality. Cheese is steeped in history, culture, industry and change. It is more than something we eat because it has protein and calcium and is good for us. READ MORE