We accidentally went meatless for our Superbowl appetizers this past Sunday. It was, for real, quite disgusting. Warning: for those of you looking for healthy alternatives, you probably shouldn’t rely on your sight-challenged husband to read the fine print on packages you plan to purchase.
While shopping at the local co-op grocery store, the one my husband and I agree offers more wholesome food options we can feel better about eating, a disastrous meal plan unfolded.
We traditionally have chicken wings as part of our Superbowl fare. I grabbed the package of frozen wings (like the entire wings of the chickens) and presented them to my husband. He paused. They were not as prepared as the processed wings he usually buys. He went to the frozen food aisle and found a package with a picture that looked like grilled chicken pieces. I glanced at the bag and noted it said, “Plant-based chicken.” I was pretty proud of him for grabbing such a natural option. I agreed we could try those too and then went to a different aisle.
Fast forward to the meal prep. My husband started the smoker and I went to the fridge to grab the wings, which I could not find.
“Oh, I put those back,” he admitted. “We can cook these up on the Traeger instead.” He grabbed the plant-based chicken bag. When he opened it, he realized the trouble. Strangely-formed, frozen plant pieces filled the bag. They were very evidently not chicken.
“Oh no! I thought it was plant-FED chicken, not plant-based chicken!” he said.
Laughing, he grabbed out the other two bags he bought and confirmed that he had grabbed plant-based corndogs and plant-based chicken nuggets in place of the actual wings I tried to give him. Nothing was plant-fed and nothing was chicken.
We baked up the plants and quickly decided that processed plants trying to be chicken or corndogs fit in no “real” food category either and must be avoided. Fresh versions of whatever plants had been mushed and frozen would have been 100 times better.
It got me thinking about packaging and marketing of food. We live in a world more intent on selling than on nourishing, and it is up to us to be savvy consumers, especially when it comes to the products we actually consume. Apples do not have flashy pictures to advertise their goodness and full-on chicken wings may look like more work, but they are definitely more real. Advertising feeds emotions. Real food feeds our bodies.
Our food shopping habits are definitely shifting as I take on this For Food’s Sake project. A take-away from our last trip is that real food is usually the best option. (and every cart my husband has access to must be fully inspected before heading to the check-out lane:)
Meagan Frank 
Leave a comment