“FOOD, INC.” – A Must See Film

The American food system is in crisis, plagued with an industrial mentality that puts profits ahead of the people it is supposed to nourish. In response, the first of two much-need films on the topic has been released.

Food Inc. “lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment.”

10 Simple Things You Can do to Change Our Food System

The movie, Food, Inc. will inspire you to do your part to get healthier and support a healthier U.S. food system. Here are 10 simple steps you can take right now to change our food system for the better.

Please try to incorporate as many of these tips into your lifestyle as possible, and encourage your friends and family to do so as well.

1. Stop drinking sodas and other sweetened beverages. You can lose 25 pounds in a year by replacing one 20-oz. soda a day with water.

1. Eat at home. You’ll eat less and you’ll eat healthier.

1. Support the passage of laws requiring chain restaurants to post calorie information on menus and menu boards.

1. Tell schools to stop selling sodas, junk food and sports drinks.

1. Go without meat one day a week. About 70 percent of all antibiotics used in the United States are used in farm animals!

1. Buy organic or sustainable food with little or no pesticides.

1. Protect family farms by visiting your local farmer’s market. This allows farmers to keep 80 to 90 cents of each dollar you spend.

1. Make a point to know where you food comes from. Read labels and choose locally grown foods as much as possible.

1. Tell Congress that food safety is important to you.

1. Demand job protections for farm workers and food processors, ensuring fair wages and other protections. Farm workers face poverty more than twice as often as all other wage and salary employees.