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Book Review: Salt Sugar Fat by Michael Moss (Part 3) — 14 Comments

  1. This sounds like a book I would really like. You make a great point, Joy–eating healthier is so much less expensive than eating processed foods. Tracking expenses, we realized eating out of the house was about 3x more per meal than eating at home — and hardly ever as satisfying. Making eating out (including lunch) a rare treat has had a great effect on our budget! Thanks for the review.

  2. Salt. Yes. Once you stop using salt, you’ll find most commercial, processed food and restaurant food way too salty. You’ll wonder where the flavor of the food is underneath all that white stuff.

  3. What a thorough and thought-provoking review. I’ve had this book on my to-read list for a while and saw the author on The Daily Show a few weeks ago. I definitely want to read this book even more now that I’ve read your review.

  4. Thanks for the link to the Atlantic article. I think Freedman has a couple of good points, but his constant mocking referrals to “Pollanites” and how elite and naive they are was extremely grating and alienating. As you pointed out in your review, Freedman misrepresents the views of these prominent food journalists. I’ve read Pollan’s In Defense of Food and am currently reading Bittman’s Vegan Before 6. Freedman wrongly conflates their views with various products on the shelves of Whole Foods and similar stores. Both Pollan and Bittman have a nice flexible approach to diet that I appreciate and their main points are to eat more vegetables, fruits and whole grains and less meat and junk food. They also emphasize cooking at home, so Freedman’s emphasis on restaurant food is also misplaced.

    In fairness to Freedman, Freedhoff’s response in U.S. News & World Report doesn’t seem to have fully comprehended Freedman’s article. Freedman also talked about the “healthy halo” effect in his article, but without using that phrase. Instead he talked about how the fast food companies are *not* trying to boast about the healthy aspects of their more healthy options, because of such marketing failures as the McLean Deluxe.

    Anyway, I find the topic of public health and the food we eat to be really interesting, so thanks for making your review of the book into a three-part series.

  5. I’ve found your series of reviews on these books very interesting over the past couple of weeks – thanks for breaking down what you found interesting/useful and what’s not so useful (the linking is great).

  6. Sounds very informative, I’m always on the lookout for new info. I’ve long been a fan of ‘clean eating’ but it’s taken some time to give up most packaged/processed foods. I’ve had hereditary high blood pressure from a young age and while reduced salt has had little effect on it, I’m sure other health benefits are a positive!

  7. What a fascinating review- I love it that you made a three part review of this book, I will have to go find the first two parts. I really enjoy this sort of book too, it’s so important for us to think about our food, read and act on a personal level, and also of course on a societal level.

  8. excellent review and comments. I had seen this book, but this is the first review I have read. Must get my self a copy of this.
    I have been a low salt person for years and find that restaurant foods and packaged stuff is just too salty. I do try hard to cook from fresh at home, but it does get difficult and out favourite meal is sushi and making sushi at home is not for me.
    Soup is one of the best items to make at home, it can be almost no-salt where as any store bought stuff has too much salt in half a cup. I do like a tiny sprinkle of salt on sliced tomato, but that’s about the only time I sprinkle it on. If I fry potatoes, I sprinkle on a home made spice assortment instead of salt. It’s not missed.

    Sugar is my weakness. I love sweets, specialy dark chocolate, though I can stop myself at one square.

  9. Pingback:Back to School Reading Challenge — my Sign Up Post | Joy's Book Blog

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