When Did Yogurt Become the Enemy?

by CKM

“When did yogurt become the enemy?”

My good friend, Liz, asked me this recently when describing her mother’s refrigerator filled to the brim with what Liz calls “fake food.” Instead of eating real yogurt—the kind we grew up on—Liz found some fake substitute in its place with half the fat, half the calories, guaranteed to make you thinner in a week! Liz lamented that this is what it’s come to—that because her mother is so desperate to lose weight, she’ll sacrifice eating real food for food that’s been scientifically modified and put through the processing ringer for hours so this fake form of yogurt is produced with a half the fat guarantee.

This is also an issue Michael Pollan addresses in his new book, In Defense of Food so you might want to check that out, as well.

In bringing up Liz’s frustrations with fake food, though, I wish not to delve into the horrors of the processed food we all partake. Whether it’s the 2%, low-fat cheese or the reduced-fat Wheat Thins, we’ve all become desperate to lose weight and be healthy and to purchase food items (whether they are real or fake, that is the question) that make us feel like we’re eating healthy and taking care of our bodies. However, there’s something lost in this quest to appease our psychological need—enjoyment of eating real, whole foods. It’s also much healthier to eat real, whole foods than the fake, processed foods that claim to be lower in fat, sodium, you name it, because, at the end of the day, you don’t have to worry about the origins of your food. This is also a benefit of eating local foods straight from the farmer who grew it, but that’s a whole other article.

I recently gave up meat (pork, chicken and beef). I’m on a trial run during this season of Lent, but hope to continue the pursuit of becoming a Vegetarian or at least stick to eating only grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, etc. once Lent ends. It’s been quite the challenge for this West Texas girl, born and raised on beef and potatoes; however, it’s also prompted me to return to REAL food. I’ve been trying new recipes and new vegetables and found myself, scrambling at times, to find new sources of protein so my hypoglycemia and headaches don’t spin out of control.

So this morning, in an attempt to load up with protein, I ordered the Progress Coffee “special” recipe of granola and yogurt—real, whole milk, pure and simple yogurt. It was magical. My taste buds leapt for joy, my stomach sang with enjoyment, my palette was perfectly satisfied. And, no head ache is in sight.

Come to find out, yogurt isn’t the enemy, but rather a healthy, sustaining essential to my newly found vegetarian diet. If we all would return to eating real food and simply eat less of it, we’d be a lot better off. The health of not only our bodies, but also the earth and the environment would improve, as well. Additionally, if we all reduced our meat consumption by just 20% it would be as if we all switched from a standard sedan to the ultra-efficient Prius.

In the end, I don’t pretend to have the answers to these complicated issues of food consumption and food ethics. However, I do advocate the return to eating real, whole foods—I think that’s evident here. If you need further evidence, take a look at Eurpoe—how they live, what they eat, how they eat it.

Remember, REAL yogurt isn’t the enemy. But, your processed, fake substitute just may be.

CKM is the Development Director for Sustainable Food Center (SFC) in Austin, TX.