A National Shame

I find it unconscionable that in 2023 America, more than 44 million people cannot afford to buy food for themselves and their families.

Food insecurity, as it is called, has been one of the causes about which most care for decades. My church in California used to have 'food barrel Sunday' collections of non-perishable food once a month. I donated through the government's Combined Federal Campaign every paycheck to the local food bank. I never miss an opportunity to donate food to any food drive of which I become aware. I donate once or twice each year to my state's largest food bank, which provides food to smaller food projects throughout the state. I also donate a couple of times each year to Meals on Wheels, which provides hot meals and companionship to the elderly in their homes.

Yesterday my city's police and fire departments collected food donations at several grocery stores in the city. When I dropped off my bag of groceries, I chatted for a couple of minutes with one of the firefighters. He said the response had been good. As I talked to him, I noticed a woman and her son of roughly 10 years old hand two cans of food to one of the firefighters. 

I buy canned goods such as soup and vegetables throughout the year when they are on sale. I do the same with boxes of cereal and packages of pasta. Then I add some of my stock of non-perishable food to the bag. 

I live in a state that is rather poor, and food insecurity is a real thing for many. One in every seven people faces hunger. One in every five children faces hunger. 

Our schools now provide free breakfast and lunch to every child, with a focus on providing locally produced and nutritious food. During summer months when schools are not in session, some school districts offer sack lunches for students. Others send children home on Friday with enough food to get them through the weekend.

This is what we need -- creative ways of ensuring that our children have enough food to grow and to learn. 

I saw a story on the national news yesterday about a 17-year-old Iowa farm girl whose parents allowed her to take 1/2 acre of their land to grow fresh produce for the local food bank. Fresh produce is always needed by food banks. This young lady crew tomatoes, green beans, peas and lettuce.

The next year she expanded her mini-farm to a full acre and added more than a dozen new crops.  She gave more than 7,000 pounds of fresh produce to nine local food banks. Next year she hopes to expand her farm to 2 acres and donate produce to a dozen groups. Others are getting on the bandwagon by donating seeds for food crops.

This is a wonderful example of what an individual can do to help ease hunger in our nation. We can't all farm a couple of acres of land, but I believe each of us can do something. If we can't donate money, maybe we can pick up an extra can of soup or vegetables when on sale. Maybe we can volunteer at a food bank. 

It continues to sadden me to realize that the United States still has so many people struggling to provide food to their families.

So I ask my readers, during this season of giving thanks and throughout the year, to please remember our less fortunate neighbors and do what you can to help.

Food, Glorious Food

I went to the grocery store early this morning in search of a couple of sale items (Greek yogurt and vanilla almond milk).

While there, I cruised the aisles in search of other sale items, and in search of something interesting to eat. Eating has lost most of its allure since a terrible upper respiratory virus robbed me of my senses of taste and smell nearly 2 years ago. I haven't lost any weight, because I still eat, including things that aren't especially good for me. I find that I have replaced the flavor of food with the texture, specifically, the crunch of foods.

I always have loved crunchy foods such as peanuts, flavored crackers, chips and popcorn. I suspect I got this from my father, who always liked popcorn and crackers. But since losing the ability to taste (I occasionally can taste cinnamon and garlic), I have found great gustatory pleasure in eating movie theater buttered popcorn. 

In addition to not being able to taste anything I eat, there is a fairly lengthy list of things I won't eat. I stopped eating pork decades ago due to the cruel way in which pigs are raised on factory farms. I gave up lamb a long time ago because -- don't laugh -- they are just too cute. And I stopped eating beef a couple of years ago to protest the ongoing attempts by the American cattle industry to eradicate wolves, bears and mountain lions from their habitats. Cattle ranchers and their bought-and-paid-for elected allies also are responsible for the annual slaughter of hundreds of Yellowstone's native bison population. And I am not really a fan of seafood other than fish. 

So I eat chicken, turkey and vegetarian meat alternatives, many of which are quite good (especially as I can't taste much of anything). What makes sausage taste like sausage? For me, it's the spices, not the type of meat (or meat substitute) that's used. Stand-alone meat substitutes such as Chik Patties by Morningstar Farms, chickenless nuggets, etc., are great, but they're not meant to be the center of a meal. They are great for sandwiches and snacks.

I love fresh fruit, but vegetables are more work to prepare so I eat fewer of them. But I do like salads and baby carrots with ranch dressing dip. I've also made a point of incorporating vegetables in whatever dishes I prepare at home.

Between my inability to taste foods and the list of things I dislike or won't eat for ethical reasons, finding interesting foods and dishes to prepare has become quite a challenge. So much of our enjoyment of food is psychological, which is why I continue to eat things I used to like and avoid things I don't like, even when I can no longer taste them. But I have pretty much given up desserts. Why consume the calories if I can't taste the dessert?

It isn't likely that my sense of smell and taste will return, so until then, I will continue to enjoy crunchy foods and the occasional taste of garlic and cinnamon.

The Psychology of Eating

The psychology of eating is a new interest of mine, sparked by the loss last summer of my ability to taste or smell anything.

Since I came home from England with a terrible upper respiratory infection last July, I have been unable to smell or taste anything. The ear, nose and throat doctor I saw believes the infection either killed or seriously damaged my olfactory nerve, and that my condition is not likely to get any better.

So since then, I have not been able to enjoy the taste or smell of food. I can still smell dangerous or toxic things such as bleach, nail polish remover or sulfur in the air at Yellowstone National Park. The nerves that alert me to those dangers still work. But no longer can I enjoy the smell of a flower or perfume.

I have never been a 'foodie' or enjoyed expensive or fancy meals. But I did enjoy grilled salmon, fresh-baked bread and cookies, and the aroma of home-cooked (not microwaved) meals that would fill the house.

Some people with anosmia -- the lack of the ability to smell -- overeat in an attempt to compensate for the loss. Others eat less because they can no longer enjoy the food they eat. I am in the middle. My eating habits haven't really changed, and my weight has remained the same. 

I have handled the loss pretty well, although there are times when I feel saddened. It took a while for me to realize that there is no point in ordering a slice of yummy dark chocolate cake, because it is devoid of flavor. Although I no longer am able to enjoy the sweet taste of ripe strawberries, something I love, I still make a point to eat berries and other fruit because I know these things are good for me. I still savor my morning cup of hot spiced tea every 
morning, although I may as well be drinking a cup of hot water. 

This is where the psychology of eating comes to play. I continue to eat the things I have always enjoyed despite not being able to taste them. In my mind, I am enjoying the taste of chocolate or salmon or fresh berries. Once in a great while I get a hint of the flavor of something, as I did while in Costa Rica last year. I was able to slightly taste the seasoned rice and beans that are part of every meal. Sometimes I detect a hint of cinnamon in my breakfast cereal, but most of the time I might as well be eating the cardboard box.

Food is such an integral part of modern life. We like to get together with friends and family to share a meal, and many of us enjoy making a special meal to share. I have a local friend with whom I get together for lunch fairly regularly, to catch up with each other's lives. We still do this despite my inability to enjoy my meal.

If I have to lose one or two of my senses, I guess that not being able to smell or taste anything is the easiest to lose. I can't imagine not being able to see or hear, although I have lived with a major loss of hearing in one ear for more than 50 years.

I will keep hoping that by some miracle, I will regain at least some of my lost senses. Until then, my mind will have to remind me of the foods that I once enjoyed.