Unsatisfactory diet ...

... and dealing with it.

Following on from "Introducing the Haggis, here's a brief extract from the Preface:

"The free and open hospitality which characterise Scots everywhere may be found in different forms in other civilised countries.  As the march of civilisation continues over family unity, community spirit and dietary self-care, at least some countries are tackling the issue of a good national diet. Scotland is amongst them. It is suggested, however, that Scotland was subjected to an unsatisfactory diet during its history."  

Is Wales amongst them?

The extent to which a second parallel can be assumed relating to the last sentence depends very much on the interest and reaction of readers.

The question of tackling the issue of a good national diet is a main aim in relation to Wales.

 

A different sort of parallel is in my second book.

 

Are We Really What We Eat: The Thinker’s Book of Food   

 

Some thoughts on development in the Welsh context 

Man is what he eats –  in German eats and is are puns. “Being is the same as eating,” (p 28)    “Human beings have an appetite for the foods that symbolize the type of person they want to be.” (p 29)    The child is father to the man. (p36) Self esteem (p63)
 
Mother as provider – equipment such as the microwave used to reheat mass-produced meals alters the role of the provider to ordinary member of the family where anyone can process the meal.   (pp44/5) ..there are important roles and duties for parents to fulfil and perform but they increasingly avoid  them. When did you last eat together as a family? (p63)
 
The trip to the supermarket – fills the deep-freeze and larder shelves with a range of foods drawn from the corporate food preferences of the family in the context of the marketing approach of the supermarket which includes  “Never put off till tomorrow what you can buy today.” (p46) Britons, lacking leadership for sensual enrichment through food are mesmerised by food manufacturers and their advertising agents into buying adulterated, fatty, sugary, salty foods developed to the lowest common denominator of taste and smell and designed to enrich no one else but themselves. (p68). The purchase of ready-cooked food became much more common … in those societies where husband and wife are both working .. (p45).
 
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"Are we really.." is out of print but it is on my main website and here is an introduction:
 
It leads to an extension of national gastronomy in the 2011 context: http://acommunityfoodprojectforsewales.yolasite.com/welsh-national-gastronomy.php