Michael Pollan’s New Rule

Photo: Ken Light

It’s simple really:

“Don’t buy any foods you’ve seen marketed on television.”

In an interview this week with New York Magazine’s Adam Platt, food guru  (he hates the term, btw) Michael Pollan has this to say about Big Food:

…it’s very hard to stay ahead of the food industry. When I first published Food Rules, I said, “Don’t buy any processed foods with more than five ingredients.” Within a year, there was a Häagen-Dazs ice cream called Five. There was a Tostitos commercial on TV where this woman is buying chips for a party. She picks up a bag and says, “There are more ingredients here than I have guests coming to my party.” And then she reaches for Tostitos, which only has three ingredients. None of them particularly healthy, but only three ingredients. So I added a new rule: Don’t buy any foods you’ve seen marketed on television.

ELV loves this rule, obviously, and thinks it is a perfect companion to:

ELV’s Immutable Axiom (#137): The more a food is advertised on television, the more worthless it is.

Exhibit #1: Coca Cola.

Exhibit #2: Any and all diet foods.

Exhibit #3: American mega-brewed beer.

Exhibit #4:

http://media.fooducate.com/blog/posts/cheetos-girl-in-bath.jpg

(Feel free to add to the list in your comments below.)

The prosecution rests.

12 thoughts on “Michael Pollan’s New Rule

  1. Ah, but those are puffed Cheetos. I always did prefer regular. And you didn’t say “Mexican Coca Cola” so those are still fair game in my book.

  2. I sometimes think that every place has a Facebook page. If you eliminate such places, then eliminate Joel Robuchon, Guy Savoy, and just about any other place I can think of.

  3. Larry, I guess what I wanted to point out is that I’m sure your Facebook page as most, describe honestly what a cool and fantastic guy you are and how you are living a dream life….

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