My Rule About the Grocery Store

I was in a discussion with a friend of mine last night about cooking. I was trying to explain to him how truly easy it can be. He replied by saying that he does cook. And that he cooks frozen dinners all the time. I had to stop him. “That is not cooking.”
He was somewhat shocked. “You don’t eat frozen dinners?”
“Never.”
He pondered this for a second, and understanding my background with food he asked, “But if you did eat them, what brand would you buy?"
I had to explain to him my rule of the grocery store: STAY TO THE PERIMETER.
Everything you should be eating is on the edge of the store. Produce, bakery items, meats, cheeses, seafood and fish, dairy, and deli food, is always around the edges of the store. Anytime you find yourself strolling the aisles, be careful!
There are things that I have to go to the aisles for: cereal, crackers, condiments, and rice. But I never end my trip with a grocery basket full of packaging. A healthy grocery cart, has no bright colors and boxes with fireworks and celebrations on them. Healthy grocery carts are filled with naturally occurring items.
I explained to my friend, “There is a time and place for everything.” Sometimes I may want some Easy-Cheese (canned cheese spray). It reminds me of camping as a kid, a comfort food if you will, but it is not a regularly occurring item in my pantry. The same should go for frozen dinners.
Food-like substances are full of additives and preservatives. There are tons of things in them that you shouldn’t eat.
“But why do they taste so good?” my friend asked.

Someone who was standing close-by, overhearing our discussion chimed in and explained, “Anything with the ingredient, ‘Natural Flavoring’ is full of chemicals. ‘Natural Flavoring’ is the legal way to get around listing all the chemical compounds they spray the food with to make it ‘taste’ like something.” That simply makes me sick.
I also explained to my friend that his palate was being destroyed by these Franken-foods.
He has an affinity for Taco Bell, and I explained to him that their “beef” is made from crushed chicken bones doused in taco seasoning. CHICKEN BONES!!! There is no trace of cow in their beef. If you eat stuff like that, you can lose your ability to taste what is real, fresh and good. But keeping yourself from the packaging and buying real food is the start.
I started to question my friend’s awareness of his body. How could he eat that stuff without feeling sick? I told him, “My brother is a professional chef and restaurateur himself, and he told me once, ‘Diarrhea is not natural. If you eat something or somewhere and you have diarrhea, then there was something wrong with the handling of the food, or the food itself.’” To me that is the most poignant and simple observation you can make about food quality. If it makes you ill, there is something very wrong with it.
My friend explained that he did cook some, but most of the time it tasted terrible.
I had to tell him that food is supposed to taste GOOD. EVERYTIME. NO EXCEPTIONS. If your meal turns out terrible, there is something wrong with the recipe, or with the preparation. But the more you get comfortable with handling and preparing food, the more you understand what flavors can combine to make an outstanding dish.
In summary, frozen dinners are not viable meals. Don’t rely on them for sustenance because you won’t get it. Nutrients are found in the vegetable and meat naturally. The more it is cooked, chopped, processed, dehydrated, frozen and reheated, there is nothing left to satisfy your body. Never accept a frozen meal.