The Omnivore’s Dilemma is a very eye-opening book into our food origins.  Michael Pollan, author of national bestseller In Defense of Food, traces the entire path our food takes, from its simple start as a plant in a field to its place on our dinner table.

If you enjoy eating your food without being aware of the consequences, this book is best left on the shelf.  If you are really concerned with the direction our industrial food system is taking, however, you owe it to yourself to read every page.Pollan explores the tremendous role corn has in almost all of our food, and the environmental impacts of monocultures across America.  We get to take a look at the feed lots our beef must suffer through while they are being fattened with subsidized corn crops at the expense of the global food market.  We see how monocultures are being soaked in toxic chemical fertilizers and stripped of nutrition, all in the name of profit.

While it may be easier to live in ignorance and forget the cost our food choices can have, The Omnivore’s Dilemma strips away the wool from our eyes and shows us just how drastic the consequences can be, not only for ourselves but our children.

Pollan does not leave us without options, however, but presents to us choices that make sense for our health and the health of our environment.  Locally-grown, organic whole foods can be one of the best choices, but avoiding processed foods is a big step in itself.

The Omnivore’s Dilemma is a top seller on Amazon, with 698 reviews averaging 4.5 stars.  At $9.88, it is a small price to pay for enlightenment.