The document discusses the philosophy and principles of Slow Food, which promotes enjoying meals slowly and savoring flavors, using seasonal and local ingredients prepared traditionally. It contrasts Slow Food with fast food/junk food, which provides only empty calories and is linked to health issues. Slow Food values biodiversity and heritage foods, supporting small producers and traditional cooking methods.
31. Junk food is and junk food loved by
today's youth.
32. Junk food mainly provides empty
calories, fat, sugar and salt, artificial
preservatives, colours and flavour
enhancers.
33. The term „junk food” is not a 20th
century invention. It was already in use
in the 1950s.
34. Unhealthy eating does not just mean
eating junk food. Unhealthy eating is:
- eating low-quality products;
- low intake of vegetables and fruit;
35. - irregular meals;
- Inappropriate meal times, e.g. night
eating;
- unfavourable eating conditions;
36. - lack of balance of macronutrients
(proteins, fats and carbohydrates);
- a lot of salt and sugar in the diet;
- too much or too little daily calorie
intake;
37. - high intake of saturated and trans
fats;
- inappropriate cooking methods;
- inadequate storage of food products.
Slow food (English) - calm, slow food without haste, in a concentrated manner, prepared with natural ingredients in a traditional way.
Slow Food is an international non-profit organisation founded in 1986 by the food critic Carlo Petrini in Italy.
The reason for founding the organisation was the phenomenon associated with the rapidly growing number of fast food restaurants, the unwritten symbol of which became the establishment of a McDonald's restaurant in a historic part of Rome. Since its inception, the organisation has set itself the goal of supporting small regional food producers - especially original, traditional food produced in a way that is not found elsewhere in the world.
The symbol of the slow food movement featured in the logo is the snail. It is a non-profit organisation with more than 100,000 members from 151 countries around the world!
Slow Food is a philosophy that involves slowing down and enjoying life. Food, as an essential part of human existence, is at the core of this philosophy. Although Slow Food organisations define the principles slightly differently in each country where they operate, the general principles are almost identical.
Slow Food principles.
The key principles of the Slow Food organisation include:
Promoting a culture of eating for pleasure rather than simply to satisfy hunger, providing nutritional value rather than empty calories;
Promoting regional products made under ecological conditions, using traditional methods and original recipes.
Promoting a lifestyle compatible with the laws of nature.
Promoting the diversity of tastes.
Protection of traditional, regional products.
Opposition to genetically modified products.
Supporting traditional food production methods, far removed from modern technology.
The promotion of culture and the preservation of social assets such as traditional recipes and the preparation of foodstuffs.
Raising awareness of ecological and sustainable food production.
Supporting small producers of healthy food without chemical additives (colours, flavours, preservatives, etc.).
Protection of biodiversity, endangered plant and animal species. Breeding of rare plant and animal species). Animals are raised in friendly conditions, have free space, are fed with natural fodder while plants are grown in the traditional way, without artificial fertilisers
The progress of civilisation, has contributed to the extinction or drastic reduction of thousands of plant and animal species.
During the 20th century, 75% of food products (vegetables, fruit, cereals, livestock varieties) disappeared or became extinct in Europe and as many as 93% of the products on the market in America.
Ark of Taste - Slow Food initiative.
Progress is also responsible for the disappearance of many culinary traditions. The movement (Slow Food) has taken the initiative to protect such culinary assets at risk of annihilation, calling it The Ark of Taste, referring to the biblical ark of Noah.
Special care is given to unique, regional products or rare, endangered species. Currently, the catalogue contains 5968 endangered products that belong to cultures and traditions from all over the world. There are 62 products in the catalogue, from Turkey 79 products, from Bulgaria 62 products and from Estonia 19 products.
Slow food cooking is a return to the traditional recipes and recipes of our ancestors using natural and additive-free products.
Preparing food according to the idea of slow food starts with gathering the necessary products - from the home garden, the local fruit and vegetable market or the local farmer. Cooking should be a pleasant and joyful process. This type of approach to food preparation is in contrast to the use of ready-made, often deep-frozen or preserved products, which we buy in foil and prepare using the microwave or oven.
Meal preparation - principles.
When preparing meals, it is worth following a few rules:
We use self-prepared products, e.g. home-baked.
Meat and fish are baked, not fried.
We cook by steaming so that the vegetables retain more vitamins and minerals than when cooked in water.
We prepare our own preserves from seasonal fruit and vegetables.
Slow food is an opposition to so-called mcdonalization, or the consumption of nutrient-poor meals, the popularity of which has begun to grow rapidly since the late 20th century.
Mcdonalisation - the term is defined by three words: fast, cheap, convenient.
Mcdonalisation is a term that does not only refer to food, but to life as a whole. this is how people deal with food. It is supposed to be fast (suitable for quick preparation and therefore devoid of any nutritional value), cheap (which means low quality), convenient (no time is wasted preparing it).
The idea of mcdonalisation fits perfectly into 'instant culture'.
The idea of mcdonalisation fits in perfectly with the 'instant culture' that is becoming increasingly popular, especially among young people, i.e. a culture of instant gratification.
Slow food is opposed to fast consumption.
In summary, Slow food is opposed to the rapid consumption of highly processed products, without in-depth analysis of their composition, production process and impact on the human body. It assumes the pleasure of preparing meals and encourages savouring them. It is food that is unique, specific to a particular region, and cannot be found elsewhere in the world.
Junk food is and junk food loved by today's youth, which includes:
- salty snacks: sticks, crisps, popcorn, crackers, etc;
- sweets, confectionery and pastries;
- sweet sauces, toppings, marmalades;
- carbonated and non-carbonated drinks with added sugars and synthetic colours and sweeteners;
- energy drinks;
- instant foods;
- foods such as hamburgers, chips, hot dogs.
Junk food mainly provides empty calories, fat, sugar and salt, artificial preservatives, colours and flavour enhancers.
The term 'junk food' is not a 20th century invention. It was already in use in the 1950s.
Unhealthy eating does not just mean eating junk food. Unhealthy eating is:
- eating low-quality products;
- low intake of vegetables and fruit;
- irregular meals;
- Inappropriate meal times, e.g. night eating;
- unfavourable eating conditions;
- lack of balance of macronutrients (proteins, fats and carbohydrates);
- a lot of salt and sugar in the diet;
- too much or too little daily calorie intake;
- high intake of saturated and trans fats;
- inappropriate cooking methods;
- inadequate storage of food products.
Why do we choose unhealthy products?
The main reasons for this are:
- Lack of consumer awareness of the nutritional value of the products consumed. Consumers do not read or understand product composition labels.
Unhealthy eating habits that are perpetuated from an early age and are often 'carried' from home.
Taste preferences. People are often unfamiliar with a flavour other than, say, a frozen burger, or are afraid to try something new.
Lack of time to cook.
The effects of excessive junk food consumption.
Overweight and obesity. Junk foods are products that are often a rich source of hydrogenated vegetable fats that cause rapid weight gain, resulting in obesity.
A feeling of fatigue and sluggishness. This is caused by the consumption of fats, which are more slowly digested, resulting in a prolonged feeling of fatigue and lethargy.
Mental problems. Many products provide trans fats, preservatives, emulsifiers and dyes that are fatal to mental health
Elevated sugar levels. Junk food is a source of easily digestible simple carbohydrates, the consumption of which leads to a rapid, sharp rise in blood glucose and insulin levels.
Cardiovascular disease. Eating junk food once a week increases the risk of death from ischaemic heart disease compared to people who do not eat such foods at all.
Asthma. Its development is influenced by a diet rich in products containing hydrogenated fats, which also adversely affect the respiratory system.
Inflammation. The consumption of, for example, hamburgers, chocolate bars and instant soups promotes the maintenance of chronic inflammation in the body, resulting in constant stimulation of the immune system and tissue destruction.
Cancer. The consumption of chips and crisps leads to the accumulation in the body of acrylamide, a compound that is a product of the reaction between sugars and amino acids when potatoes are deep-fried. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has identified acrylamide as a substance with a probable carcinogenic effect.
Caries, is the result of eating foods rich in simple sugars, whose fermentation is caused by bacteria present in the mouth. These reactions produce compounds that destroy tooth enamel.
Hypertension, the so-called "silent killer", which if untreated often causes heart attack, stroke or kidney failure. Excess salt, large amounts of which are found in junk food such as crisps, contributes to its development
Hypercholesterolaemia. Excess cholesterol often causes complications that can lead to: coronary heart disease, heart attack, ischaemic stroke or lower limb ischaemia. Problems with atherosclerotic plaque are not just due to a high dietary fat supply. The cause is not only an excess of fats but also an excess of simple sugars and a lack of nutrients and fibre in the diet.