A Manifesto For Sustainable Eating by Katrina Heron [SF Chronicle]

Taking a break from photography here...

We all know that fast food is good for several reasons. It's easily accessible, cheap, and no doubt it just tastes good [I had a Whopper Jr. with a side of onion rings and a medium Dr. Pepper... gotta have the Dr. Pepper with fast food.. just the other day].

And we all know it's bad for one reason--it's simply not good [enough] for you.

This doesn't just apply to the recognizable fast food chains like McDonald's, BK, Taco Bell... it's in our grocery aisles too--packaged meals [frozen aisle], junk food, and everything else that you buy without much preparation to eat.

Well I found a good article and it's written by Katrina Heron of San Francisco Chronicle on eating with healthier choices. And no, you don't have to jump on the organic band wagon and shop at Trader Joe's. Here from her article are 10 quick tips to better health:

1. Know what you're eating. Find out where it comes from and what's in it. Think about what's in season now - what's ripe, not just fresh. A lot of these foods will turn out to be local.

2. Get cooking. And try making things from scratch. You'll save money and rediscover skills you forgot you had.

3. Plant something. It could be an herb pot on your kitchen counter or, if you have space at home, a small kitchen garden, or a communal plot in your neighborhood that you tend with family and friends. (The Victory Garden on Civic Center Plaza is a landscape of ideas, staffed by experts who can guide your hands to the soil.)

4. Pack a bag lunch.

5. Drink tap water. It's healthier for you, and it's free.

6. Learn about and celebrate the food traditions your family still possesses. These are like seeds, long stored and just waiting to be planted.

7. Invite someone to share a meal. Strengthen the bonds of friendship and community by cooking and eating together.

8. Learn about endangered foods and how we can bring them back to our tables.

9. Conserve, compost and recycle.

10. Vote with your fork.

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Also, on the Labor Day weekend, SF is sponsoring "Slow Food". Log on to SFGate.com during the week of Aug. 24 for more details.

And go on, read Katrina's article here.