The Chronicle welcomes our newest columnist, Valerie Walker, food systems coordinator at the Columbia Pacific Food Bank. Valerie will be providing insightful and essential information about the foods we eat, where they come from and what we should know about them.
Right now I’m eating some “Flamin’ Hot Cheetos” and they’re delicious. Chester Cheeto is sliding across the picture with flames coming off the soles of his shoes, he’s holding a giant Cheeto, breathing fire and appears to be lovin’ it. I’m lovin’ them, too. They are everything I want them to be. Crunchy, savory, a little tangy and not hot at all, but they have a certain kick to them that makes me feverishly shove one after another into my mouth. I know I shouldn’t eat too many because they’re bad for me, but I’m hungry/bored and want to eat the whole “new bigger size” bag. As I try to restrain myself by rolling closed the bag (for the third time in 10 minutes) and lick my fingers I skip over the nutrition facts (I already know they’ll make me fat) and look at the block of text that is the ingredients list. I’m curious to see what foodstuffs I’m actually eating. The front of the bag describes the delectable morsels inside as “Cheese Flavored Snacks.” I understand the words “cheese” and “flavor” but the word “snack” is where things get a little murky for me. A snack could be anything: A few carrots, a small sandwich, popcorn, a cup of pudding, a handful of grapes, a couple bites off of last night’s pot roast sitting in the frig… what is a snack?
It turns out that those crunchy caveman club shaped “snacks” of fried goodness are made of “enriched corn” which is then followed by a parenthetical list of unpronounceable words. My eyes lock on the next word I can read, “vegetable oil.” Turns out vegetable oil is a cocktail of oils made of many veggies. I’m ok with that, though. Oil is oil, right? The next ingredient is my favorite: “Flamin’ Hot Seasoning.” I skip past all of this. Three-quarters of the ingredient list is filled with all sorts of colors (colors as ingredients?), science-y words and a plethora of dairy derived ingredients; all the way to the bottom of the square of innards that ends with “and salt.” I’m amused that this is the last, presumably least used, ingredient since salt was said about a dozen different ways before we got to “and salt.”
I look at the words “natural flavor” and “sodium diacetate” that are mixed in and wonder what they mean. Which flavors? And natural versus what… unnatural? The fact that it has been specified that there are natural flavors suggests that the rest are unnatural. How can food be unnatural? You mean to tell me that Cheetos don’t grow in uniform-weighted bags on trees that fall and litter the ground with individually sealed, portable, never-never spoil packages of tastiness? Can children not rake together fluffy, brightly colored piles of Cheetos? Well, if that’s not the case, where do Cheetos come from?
October 24 is National Food Day and, conveniently for the debut of this column, today. It is a day set apart to challenge people to think about where their food comes from and what they’re putting into their bodies. There are a variety of events going on all over the county in celebration, even in our beloved St. Helens. Tonight at 5:15 p.m. at the Saint Helens Public Library there will be a free showing of the movie “Fresh” which highlights some of the things we might not have considered before when shopping at the grocery store, but probably should.
This is the first of more food-based columns meant to get you to think about food and its many sides, as well as what is specifically happening here in Columbia County. You won’t get any tasty recipes from me because I don’t really like to cook all that much (read Grey and Trent’s column for that). But just because I don’t like to cook doesn’t mean food doesn’t affect me, my community or the world. I have spent the past year exploring role of food in the county with the help of Columbia Pacific Food Bank and Oregon Food Bank. I tried to piece together a picture of food in the county. In my quest I have met farmers, consumers, chefs, worked with folks from various public and private organizations, spoken with school officials, home gardeners and local emergency food sites alike. I have spent time perusing the local history books at the library and county historic society’s treasures and have been amazed at the rich agricultural history the area has and what is still quietly happening today all around the county. Check in with me from time to time and I’ll show you how food is more than just what you eat. Together we’ll explore how you can use food to make not only your community stronger, but you and your family too.
Originally Published By: St. Helens Chronicle
195 S 15th Street
St. Helens OR, 97051
Main: 503-397-0116