Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating with More Than 75 Recipes

by Mark Bittman

From the award-winning champion of culinary simplicity who gave us the bestselling "How to Cook Everything" and "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian" comes "Food Matters," a plan for responsible eating that's as good for the planet as it is for your weight and your health.We are finally starting to acknowledge the threat carbon emissions pose to our ozone layer, but few people have focused on the extent to which our consumption of meat contributes to global warming. Think about it this way: In terms of energy consumption, serving a typical family-of-four steak dinner is the rough equivalent of driving around in an SUV for three hours while leaving all the lights on at home.

Bittman offers a no-nonsense rundown on how government policy, big business marketing, and global economics influence what we choose to put on the table each evening. He demystifies buzzwords like "organic," "sustainable," and "local" and offers straightforward, budget-conscious advice that will help you make small changes that will shrink your carbon footprint -- and your waistline.

Flexible, simple, and non-doctrinaire, the plan is based on hard science but gives you plenty of leeway to tailor your food choices to your lifestyle, schedule, and level of commitment. Bittman, a food writer who loves to eat and eats out frequently, lost thirty-five pounds and saw marked improvement in his blood levels by simply cutting meat and processed foods out of two of his three daily meals. But the simple truth, as he points out, is that as long as you eat more vegetables and whole grains, the result will be better health for you and for the world in which we live.

Unlike most things that are virtuous and healthful, Bittman's plan doesn't involve sacrifice. From Spinach and Sweet Potato Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing to Breakfast Bread Pudding, the recipes in Food Matters are flavorful and sophisticated. A month's worth of meal plans shows you how Bittman chooses to eat and offers proof of how satisfying a mindful and responsible diet can be. Cheaper, healthier, and socially sound, "Food Matters" represents the future of American eating.

Genres: Food, Nonfiction, Cookbooks, Health, Cooking, Nutrition, Environment

336 pages, Hardcover

First published December 30, 2008

About the author

MARK BITTMAN is one of the country's best-known and most widely respected food writers. His How to Cook Everything books, with one million copies in print, are a mainstay of the modern kitchen. Bittman writes for the Opinion section of New York Times on food policy and cooking, and is a columnist for the New York Times Magazine. His "The Minimalist" cooking show, based on his popular NYT column, can be seen on the Cooking Channel. His most recent book, VB6, debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list in its first week on sale.

Reviews

[Mindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

If Michael Pollan, Barbara Kingsolver, and Mark Bittman all invited me to a dinner party on the same evening and I could only accept one invitation, I'd take Bittman's. This book doesn't offer many new insights, but Bittman comes across as less dogmatic and self-righteous than the other two. He seems like someone I could enjoy a meal and a conversation with. And his cookbooks taught me how to cook.

[Elizabeth M.]

Two years ago, Bittman, an admitted foodie, was overweight. Over the course of one month, however, his cholesterol and blood sugar were down. His sleep apnea was gone and he was fifteen pounds lighter. Major changes all by eating healthier, the details of which Bittman discusses at length in the book.

Food Matters is broken up in two sections. The first looks at food consumption and how that impacts global warning (factory farming, yes, but mass produced baked goods are one of the largest contributors to energy usage), how manufacturers market specific foods to us and how that impacts our understanding of what we are supposed to eat ( re-think how you define “healthy” because more than likely your definition comes from a clever marketing plan and not what is actually healthy) and what Bittman terms “sane eating” [I refer to the same concept as "clean eating":]: eliminate processed foods, load up on as many vegetables as you can, embrace moderation (smaller plates, more frequent meals), limit alcohol, and give yourself “good” sweets (a homemade cookie, dark chocolate with natural peanut butter, etc.). The second section details recipes and meal plans. They are smart, uncomplicated and make good sense. Most are vegetarian, if not vegan, but if you are a meat eater, it is easy to imagine where you can use meat or watch for Bittman’s meat add-in suggestions in certain recipes.

Bittman sets out to inform readers about how his personal health journey can be ours as well and, by taking this less traveled path, how we can, as individuals, help reduce global warning. It’s a compelling case. Books like Food Matters are important because they connect the dots for busy people who want to do the right thing. This population is obviously the intended audience: the average American who is not terribly affected by the recession, who feels reasonably comfortable in his job and is not overly concerned if gas prices rise again, even if he does drive an Acura MDX. Because what is not addressed in Food Matters is the extent to which one’s socio-economic level impacts their opportunity to eat healthily. Pretty much a non-factor based on my assumption of who his intended audience is with this book. With one vague reference to vegetable side dishes being less expensive on the menu than meat ones and a reference to how eating less meat and fish can lower your grocery bill, Bittman doesn’t include the factor of price with his “keep your fridge full at all times, mostly with fruits and vegetables” mantras.

Eating healthy is expensive. Choosing cage-free, organic eggs over the store brand can cost the average consumer at least $1-2 extra, more depending on the market and location. Those healthy, environmentally good choices add up. Organic produce is always much more expensive than the non-organic option. Farmer’s markets are great places for good food and worth supporting but from New York and Connecticut to here in Durham, I have found them to be just comparable in price or more expensive than their grocery store counterparts. And, yes, eliminating or cutting back on meat and fish will always reduce the cost of your grocery bill. . .if you do your weekly shopping at Balducci’s. But if Kroger is your grocery store, like it is for me, you can buy frozen turkey breast for 99 cents per pound. That’s less expensive than practically any vegetable in the entire produce department, with the exception of kale or turnip greens perhaps, and what’s more that turkey will feed a family of four for dinner, with leftovers.

And so we come to the challenge between great ideas in theory and in practice. In theory, we could all adapt Bittman’s recommended lifestyle and save the planet from imminent destruction. In practice, most of the population in the United States is not wealthy enough to purchase wild salmon and fresh herbs on a regular basis. But I am not a fan of either/or. As participants from workshops and my clients know, I often look for the vast grey area in between black and white (either/or) for tips, ideas or answers. So, Food Matters is worth checking out from the local library (I am returning my copy tomorrow). Open it up, peruse. You don’t have to adapt every single one of his practices, if they feel beyond where you are at right now. Take what you want and leave the rest.

One thing we can all do, regardless of income level, is acknowledge that we–not our doctor, partner or even Mark Bittman–have control over our personal health. And that’s no small potatoes.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many readers will, no doubt, be tempted to turn this into a 'diet book'. It's not and the author makes it clear that it's not his intention. It is nothing more than a call to sanity in regards the way we eat and the contents of our meals.

It's refreshing to hear someone make so much sense when it comes to food. The message is simple and logical: eat less animal products, more plant products and cut out pseudo-foods. This will lead to better health, lost weight, money savings, and a clear conscience.

The reason it makes so much sense is that, although it guides you towards the above lifestyle of eating, it in no way denies our human need to enjoy the foods we enjoy, be they red meat, alcohol, fatty foods, or sugars: the key is balance and moderation.

I read this book in a couple hours (only 120 pages of 'sit down reading' content) since the second half of the book is a nice compact cookbook example of sensible eating. I'm already a sold-out Bittman fan when it comes to his cooking style (we live by "How to Cook Everything")...so this is some nice application of his simple style to this sensible way of eating. The only reason it didn't get 5 stars is because the topic is SO logical that you sorta think "duh!" when reading it...there's nothing new or cutting edge here.

I'd say this is a must read if you're at all interested in the foods you put into your body...otherwise, skip it and go eat McDonalds (again) instead.

[Adela (Lita) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good alternative to Pollan's books if you're too busy to read them and want a shortcut to start eating healthy, earth-friendly, affordable food. But you will not get the intellectual pay off that Pollan's books give you. Bittman is smart and concise. His book is about giving people the short story about industrialized farming and a practical approach to everyday eating.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

The things this book says will come as no surprise to readers of Omnivore's Dilemma or Animal Vegetable Miracle. Well written, but framed more as a diet book. Helpful for someone looking to overhaul their diet.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thought-proking information on how our way of eating (lots of meat, fast foods, and packaged foods) effect our enivornment, not only our health. Made me look at food from a different perspective and now I want to make some changes in my diet even more than ever. The information and statistics portion of this book is a small portion and quick-read. It is followed by many yummy-sounding healthy (and environmentally-friendly) recipes. I will probably buy the cookbook which followed up this book.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good advice on better eating that is much more realistic than many books about changing food habits and not preachy. Motivated me to make some healthy, incremental changes. Looking forward to trying some of the recipes too.

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

An extra star for the recipes at the end! Very handy.

Eat less meat, eat more fruits and vegetables. Yea. I get it.

While the message is good, I found the method to be a bit distasteful. It ignores the fact that food deserts exist, that lots of people don’t have the time, energy, or funds to cook. In a privileged life this book would be five stars. But it suffers as most of this type does and that’s to ignore (or worse, be ignorant of?) the actual reasons that people eat as they do.

I think Bittman really tried to make the “food matters” style of eating to be attainable and accessible, but I think he simply doesn’t not have the experience in that realm to do so.

[Christma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m always interested in this information. Good mix of research, personal experience and ideas.

[Andi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I heard about this book from Salon, and I probably found it on Salon because I was looking for information the illustrious Michael Pollan, who I adore. But when I read this Salon review, I knew I had to get a hold of this book - here would be a book that would help me put into practice, practically (like that?), what Pollan has told me in The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food. Here I would finally figure out how to eat healthily and responsibly. . . you can see I had high hopes for Bittman’s book. . .

and he delivered. The book gives a short breakdown of much of what Pollan says about corporate farming, organic food, meat eating, etc. . . and he does so with verve. (If you find Pollan long-winded, which I don’t but hear some do, Bittman is probably a good choice for you.) In this book, Bittman describes why people should eat less meat and animal products (sigh - I guess I really can’t eat as much cheese as I’d like) and why they should slow down, enjoy their food, and appreciate. It advocates no diet beyond this. There’s no calorie counting; no foods that are off-limits; no rules about how to eat or in what combinations our foods should come in. Instead, he simply tells the story of how he eats - vegan until dinner and then anything he wants for dinner. . . . sounds pretty good (except for that no cheese before 5pm thing). . . And it seems to work for him.

Perhaps the best parts of the book, though, are the shopping lists (who knew coconut milk was so important?) and recipes that comprise the last third of the book. Here I found great recipes for rice pudding (hence, the coconut milk), pasta, even grilled seafood and such - all made with the freshest of ingredients but all reasonable - no saffron necessary.

So I’ve been trying out some stuff - I’m putting rice milk and stevia in my coffee in the morning. I’m trimming back on my dairy consumption (cheese lasts a lot longer in my fridge these days). I’m eating more veggies and whole grains. None of these is life-changing for me since I was a fairly organic-eating vegetarian before. . . But the idea of allowing myself to revel in food, as Bittman encourages, because Food Does Matter . . . that one I’m still soaking in. I’m trying to eat more meals at a table (not at a desk or in a car); I’m having more regular meals with friends; I’m cooking more. . . and I feel happy about that.

Now the 35 pounds that Bittman lost when he started this method of eating . . . that I’ve yet to see.

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this a very helpful book for someone who has read Kinsolver and Pollan and wants to find a way to put their ideas into practice, but who has to cook for a family, and can't turn everything upside down all at once.

Bittman starts with an overview of the key concepts that Pollan addresses in The Omnivore's Dilemna, but then moves into very practical suggestions. Essentially, he is putting his own spin on Pollan's "Eat food, mostly plants".

His own approach has been to avoid dairy and meat and junk food during the day, but to basically go "without rules" after six. Despite his willingness to eat anything at night, he has found the effect of his daytime eating habits to be an adjustment in what he wants to eat at night as well. It seems to be to be an achievable, and practical, approach to changing how you approach food.

The second half of the book consists of recipes that support his approach to food. There are a lot of very practical suggestions, along the lines of, if you're going to cook grains - its as easy to cook 2 or 3 meals worth, and keep the balance in the fridge for easy access. I note in passing, it means considerably less pans to clean as well.

A very quick read, and a very useful one.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is largely redundant with Michael Pollan's book In Defense of Food, is written with more invective and fewer sources. However, I liked the fact that he pointed out that the treatment of animals in the meat industry is cruel (at best) and that anyone w/ an ounce of compassion should be able to recognized that (especially all the pet owners out there). He also emphasizes the huge effect that meat production has global warming, which is massive beyond belief. The best part of the book though is that he gives some recipes that fall in line with the "sane eating" strategy that both he and Michael Pollan (and Marion Nestle and a host of others) advocate. And the important thing for most people is that he isn't saying everyone needs to become a vegetarian to save the planet and to be nice to animals. Rather his point is that Americans (mostly Americans, but some other western societies too) need to eat less meat on average and more plants on average...which will lead to drastic improvements in health, global warming contribution, and the well-being of the animals that we do end up eating. And then he shows you how to actually do it by providing some recipes.

[Gail · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm so annoyed that I bought this book in hardcover. What a waste of money. I believed the hype. Don't read this book. Just read The Omnivore's Dilemna and enjoy some good writing and investigative journalism. This book is just a weak distillation of what I have already read in other books. I think he was just jumping on the bandwagon. The book is set up like a typical diet book, even though it clams not to be. First comes the personal testimony, then the persuasive bit, then the meal plan, then the recipes. I skimmed the first half and decided not to try the recipes. Actually they might be good, but the names are so dull that I don't even want to try them. Brown Bag Popcorn, Noodles with Mushrooms, Curried Lentil Soup with Potatoes, Vegetable Pancakes. *yawn* It's like a vegetarian primer, and there are so many out there. He has no passion for vegetarian cooking and it shows. The only useful thing in this book is a page of metric conversions, which I ripped out.

[Lex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Bittman and his simple approach to cooking. In this book, he distills some of the important points from Michael Pollan's books. I'm probably not his target audience as I agree with all of his points and have been trying to follow, for a year or two now, the eating habits he advocates.

However, he did put concrete numbers to some abstract ideas about the way we eat. For example... "To give you an idea of how much more energy goes into junk food than comes out, consider that a 12 ounce can of diet soda--containing just 1 calorie--requires 2,220 calories to produce, about 70 percent of which is in production of the aluminum can." (p. 17) That tidbit alone is enough to stop me from buying soda ever again.

Towards the end, though, it got a little too diet-y, which was not of interest to me.

[Natalie Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I've had a few friends change how they ate recently and so i was intrigued. I looked up several books about health and diet and from the summaries, this was the one i was most interested in. i really liked it. he gives the hows and the whys to eating more plants, less animals, and cutting out junk food. i enjoyed reading the facts he had but also how simply he feels that everybody can just do a little better to make an impact. his writing style is very easy to read. he comes off a bit bitter, attacking food companies and the government in places which isn't my taste but it was rather minimal and the things he was teaching made up for it. i by no means ever plan to be a vegetarian (which he also says) but i've found it very simple to cut way back on the amount of meat i eat and focus more on vegetables and simple less processed foods.

[Benjamin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I [heart:] Bittman, but this book didn't have much new to say. Basically just Bitty's take on Michael Pollan's rules: "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." The first few chapters explain how Americans have a screwed up relationship with food, but there hasn't been much to report since In Defense of Food or even Food Politics. The last half is recipes and meal plans designed for Bittman's "vegan until dark" diet, most of which are available in his other cookbooks.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

In many ways, this is the same book as every "we've gotta change the way we're eating!" food book that's come out in the last 5 years. BUT, here's why it's my favorite. Two reasons. 1. Bittman has read all the Michael Pollan & co books, so now you don't have to unless you're really into being bummed out about corn. 2. The back half of the book is dozens of killer recipes to help you practice what's being suggested. Or, you know, just triple the meat and halve the vegetables, and you've got a regular recipe.

[Natalie Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bittman is one of the best food writers of our time. Along with Michael Pollan, Marion Nestle, and a couple of other authors, he makes a lot of sense about the parlous state of today's supermarket.

I highly recommend this book as a starting point or even a middle-of-the-way point for anyone who is trying to improve the quality of his or her diet, eating, health, and eco-consciousness.

Also lost in the many positive reviews of Bittman is the fact that he's a great writer and his writing is a real pleasure to read.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

As other reviewers have said, this book's messages are similar to those of Michael Pollan and Marion Nestle. But Bittman actually says something I don't think I've ever read before (and that I believe is true): that it's okay to go hungry once in awhile! Americans have become "accustomed to feeding ourselves at the first sign" and we could think twice before eating from simple hunger. We might occasionally consider embracing our hunger! Shocking.

[Aspasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bittman does a good job summarizing the problems with Big Food, advertising, the government, and the obesity epidemic, but none of the recipes appealed to me. Bittman advocates a lifestyle change (done your way), not a diet, and admits that will never go completely vegetarian. Bittman explains that our food choices need to be made for our personal health and the health of the planet. A good book but not great.

[Anita Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Food Matters" is something I had been doing intuitively for a while now, but this book helped me to take it to the next level.
Excellent book for improving both the health the planet and our bodies.
I saw him speak about his book at University of Washington, and I felt inspired to go home and eat more veggies and fruit!

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Michael Pollan's books are much more informative, but I still liked Mark Bittman's easy, straight forward presentation and his recipes are always reliable. I think this book is most suitable for someone who is interested in the most basic explanations of a healthy diet and the problems with our food supply chain.

[Gregj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eat more fruits and vegetables, less animal products is the main theme throughout. About 2/3's of the book is recipes, and some good recipes at that. This book does not go into great depth about why you should follow the advice given. I think Michael Pollan provides much more info in An Omnivore's Dilemma. Still, a quick, easy, enjoyable read.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Bittman organized a cult, I'd join. I'm ready to shave my head and sell my belongings.
In the meantime, this is a must-read. It backs up ALL the reasons I am vegetarian and gives readers a sensible, non-punitive way to eat less processed food, lose weight, and put less of a strain on the environment. I'm all in.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I already knew some of the facts of this book, it was still inspiring to me. I enjoyed the recipes and I like the ideas. I'm going to buy a copy.

I got my copy and now I'm re-reading it.

Now I'm trying some of the recipes in the book.

[GraceAnne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved Bittman's recipes in the NYTimes for years. I have taken him as my guru in the quest for a way of eating suitable to the various difficulties being in one's 60s places one.

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing new here if you've read Pollan and Nestle.

[Laurie Rackley-joseph]

This is a must read and I am grateful to my dear friend for the gift....

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learned a lot from this book, and really started thinking differently,a little more spiritually, actually, for once in my life, about my eating habits and how bad they suck.

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way this author explains his thinking about food and eating habits. It was very interesting to read and think about his ideas.