“So that's us: processed corn, walking.”
Analysis of Quote by Michael Pollan
In this quote, Michael Pollan is highlighting the prevalence of processed corn in the modern human diet. By referring to ourselves as "processed corn, walking," Pollan is drawing attention to how much of our food products are derived from corn and how dependent we have become on this single crop. This statement serves as a commentary on the industrialization of food production and the consequences it has on our health and environment. Pollan's words prompt us to consider the impact of our food choices and the need for greater diversity and sustainability in our diets.
The Effects of Processed Foods on Our Health
In his quote, Michael Pollan highlights the prevalence of processed foods in our society and the impact it has on our health. This statement remains relevant in today's modern world, where convenience often takes precedence over nutrition. As more and more people rely on processed foods for their meals, it is important to consider the long-term consequences on our health and well-being.
Michael Pollan on Processed Corn
“So that's us: processed corn, walking.” - Michael Pollan
This quote highlights Pollan's view on the prevalence of corn and corn-derived products in our modern diet.
Reflection Questions:
Reflecting on the quote by Michael Pollan, consider how our modern diets are heavily reliant on processed foods made from corn. How does this impact our food system, our health, and our environment? In what ways can we strive to move away from being "processed corn, walking" and towards a more sustainable and healthy diet? What changes can we make in our own lives to promote better food choices for ourselves and the planet?
Similar quotes
“But carbon 13 [the carbon from corn] doesn't lie, and researchers who have compared the isotopes in the flesh or hair of Americans to those in the same tissues of Mexicans report that it is now we in the North who are the true people of corn.... Compared to us, Mexicans today consume a far more varied carbon diet: the animals they eat still eat grass (until recently, Mexicans regarded feeding corn to livestock as a sacrilege); much of their protein comes from legumes; and they still sweeten their beverages with cane sugar. So that's us: processed corn, walking.”
“Growing corn, which from a biological perspective had always been a process of capturing sunlight to turn into food, has in no small measure become a process of converting fossil fuels into food.”
“There is every reason to believe that corn has succeeded in domesticating us.”
“The Christmas presents once opened are Not So Much Fun as they were while we were in the process of examining, lifting, shaking, thinking about, and opening them. Three hundred sixty-five days later, we try again and find that the same thing has happened. Each time the goal is reached, it becomes Not So Much Fun, and we're off to reach the next one, then the next one, then the next.That doesn't mean that the goals we have don't count. They do, mostly because they cause us to go through the process and it's the process that makes us wise, happy, or whatever. If we do things in the wrong sort of way, it makes us miserable, angry, confused, and things like that. The goal has to be right for us, and it has to be beneficial, in order to ensure a beneficial process. But aside from that, it's really the process that's important.”
“Come in early, so there'll be time to pop corn,' Mrs. Ray said. If she mentioned popping corn, they always came in early. So she usually mentioned it.”