availability in ethnic markets Yet another, at the opposite extreme, was the rediscovery of the traditional system of food production and its pleasures: eating locally grown foods, often forgotten “heirloom” or other unusual varieties, that were harvested a matter of hours beforehand, then sold at farmers’ markets by the people who grew them Allied to this trend was the growing interest in “organic” foods, produced without relying on the modern array of chemicals for controlling pests and disease Organic practices mean different things to different people, and don’t guarantee either safer or more nutritious foods — agriculture is more complicated than that But they represent an essential, prominent alternative to industrial farming, one that encourages attention to the quality of agricultural produce and the sustainability of agricultural practices These are good times for curious and adventurous eaters There are many forgotten varieties of familiar fruits and vegetables to revive, and many new foods to taste It’s estimated that there are 300,000 edible plant species on earth, and perhaps 2,000 that are cultivated to some extent We have plenty of exploring to do! Plant Foods and Health Plant foods can provide us all the nourishment we need in order to live and thrive Our primate ancestors started out eating little else, and many cultures still do But meat and other animal foods became important to our species at its birth, when their concentrated energy and protein probably helped accelerate our evolution (p 119) Meat continued to have a deep biological appeal for us, and in societies that could afford to feed livestock on staple grains and roots, it became the most prized of foods In the industrialized world, meat’s ... and many cultures still do But meat and other animal foods became important to our species at its birth, when their concentrated energy and protein probably helped accelerate our evolution (p 119) Meat continued to have a... We have plenty of exploring to do! Plant Foods and Health Plant foods can provide us all the nourishment we need in order to live and thrive Our primate ancestors started out eating little else, and many cultures still do...varieties of familiar fruits and vegetables to revive, and many new foods to taste It’s estimated that there are 300,000 edible plant species on earth, and perhaps 2,000 that are