Why I eat less Fast Food

Anyone who has hung out with me since this last summer knows that I’ve been eating very little fast food.  I wouldn't say I was eating a ton of fast food before -in fact, I began to actively reduce my intake a few years ago in an effort to facilitate better blood health.  But reading a book by Joel Salatin titled “The Marvelous Pigness of Pigs” has made a veritable impact on me and our family.

I’ve always loved fast food; I used to work at McDonalds and I’ve been a notorious advocate* for Taco Bell.  In fact, even recently I would dream and scheme about how cool it would be to run a fast food restaurant! I used to scoff at people who got over emotional about how “nasty” or un-healthy fast food was.  In my heart I felt they were mostly driven by a desire to appear sophisticated and set themselves apart from the masses or else they were weak minded people who got worked over by the “Super Size Me” documentary. I would often challenge people to be less picky and be open to more fast food if only for the sake of table fellowship. Suffice it to say, i was never looking for an excuse to stop eating fast food! And, while we haven’t completely stopped eating it, I now try to avoid it for the most part. I’m thinking very differently about the fast food industry, farming, food production and nutrition.  And my change in thinking on these things is being facilitated mostly by theological discussion on God’s design for creation and for our bodies and even for human work.

Joel Salatin is an inspirational  guy who describes himself as a  "Christian, libertarian, environmentalist, capitalist, lunatic, farmer".   He’s fairly well known among permaculture and organic farming types. Joel not only runs a farm regarded as ‘beyond organic’ called Polyface Farm down in Virginia, but he writes books and gives lectures all over America.  (He actually came and spoke at Cornell a few years ago and unfortunately I didn’t really know who he was at that point so I didn’t make a huge effort to go and hear him. If he came back, I would try and hang out with him all day!) 

Joel is a passionate educator who mostly helps people learn how to farm in ways that are sustainable, healthy and ecologically beneficial.  Even though most of what he promotes seems like old fashioned common sense he’s often considered a “radical” and a revolutionary. He is certainly creative and innovative.  Joel takes a lot of heat because he’s an outspoken critic of industrial farming practices and food systems driven by greed and sustained by exploitation. But I think Joel is  helpful because he labors to farm in ways that are fundamentally glorifying to God. He makes a point not to divorce his theology and his understanding of God from his farm work and business practice.  Again, that sounds like simple Christian integrity, but when you step back and realize how un-thoughtful we can be about God’s design and how He would have us interact with animals, produce food and take care of people, you can see that most of us are carelessly  hypocritical and un-Biblical!

One of Joel’s newest books is titled “The Marvelous Pigness of Pigs.”  Most of what he writes (I think) are practical “how to” books about how to farm under girded by theology and the Christian worldview.  But this book is a theological treatise with farming and food production in view. It’s a challenge written specifically to American Christians addressing Creation care and stewardship of the earth.

In my next post, I’ll share with you one of my favorite parts of Joel’s book.  For now, I just wanted to tell you how much I’ve been impacted and recommend it to you!  

*On top of eating at the Bell throughout my life, I've incorporated Taco Bell into most 'special events' in my life. My wedding, the birth of my children, mission trips, tourist journeys. I also claim to have "invented" the 'Double Loco' Taco with my kids. LOL