The New York Times has a new column by Mark Bittman “on food and all things related”. The first article appears in today’s (2/2) issue and is entitled A Food Manifesto for the Future. In his op-ed, he lists ideas for improving the American Diet. 1. End government subsidies to processed food (i.e. corn and soy beans). 2. Begin subsidies to those who produce and sell actual food for direct consumption (i.e. veggies & fruits). 3. Break up the USDA and empower the FDA. (to prevent things like the US government advertising for Dominoes to get Americans to eat more cheese while at the same time trying to get Americans to eat less fattening foods) 4. Outlaw concentrated animal feeding operations 5. Encourage and subsidize home cooking 6. Tax the marketing and sale of unhealthful foods (works for tobacco, why not pop?) 7. Reduce waste and encourage recycling 8. Mandate truth in labeling 9. Reinvest in research geared toward leading a global movement in sustainable agriculture. These are by no means new ideas. They are, nonetheless, very good ideas and I hope as we see more articles like this one. As the public becomes more aware of these issues, people will vote for politicians who are willing to make the kind of changes that will truly make a difference in the health of Americans. Mr. Bittman plans on expanding on these ideas in future columns. I’ll keep you posted as I see them. Happy healthful eating!