Michael Pollan: Twinkie vs. Carrot

Visit http://nourishlife.org. Have you ever wondered why a bunch of carrots costs more than a package of Twinkies? Food journalist Michael Pollan connects the dots between food policy, high-fructose corn syrup, and our health.

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  Education

[B.J. Hardick]

Obamas: please subsidize carrots, not twinkies.

[manoman0]

Why are people complaining? Why don't they change eating habits? I did. That's the most democratic force companies will listen to: Customers. Vote with YOUR money at the RIGHT place.

[Brad Wilson]

(EMPHASIS is for clarity) This is a great cause (BUT). YES, the farm bill makes junk food ingredients cheap. NO, it's NOT caused by the PRESENCE of subsidies, it's caused by the ABSENCE of Price Floors. To remove subsidies but not restore adequate Price Floors is to fully support cheap twinkies/agribusiness in the farm bill. Read George Naylor comments, as in Pollan's Ominvore's Dilemma.

[Nikodemus Hoffner]

go carrots

[charlottesasaki]

Is it just me or do those carrots start to look really delecious right now?

[Bei Pou]

I tried making stock and I was out of carrots so I used twinkies. It did not turn out so well, and that is a major understatement. Twinkies vs. carrots - carrots for me every time. Live and learn.

[35sdphoto]

Well you got your wish, twinkies are gone and I can get a 10 lb bag of carrots for 6 bucks. Actually my local Albertsons has sold carrots for cheap for a long time I don't know where you get your data. Unless your counting the little bags of carrots that are all fancy pre triple washed hipster carrots.

[CSWRB]

I guess the Twinkies being subsidized just couldn't save them in the end. Oh, well! Maybe the unions can get their members jobs in the carrot industry if the Obama administration bails out carrots.

[tealfarm]

Taxpayers pay to subsidize disease-causing agricultural products that then require people to seek out expensive medical tests and procedures that 1) don't address the problem and 2)sap our financial reserves and vitality...this makes no sense...

[tealfarm]

Great piece! We need to start thinking beyond 'calories' and in terms of cost-per-nutrient when we think of these things--the carrot may cost more up front but represents a much better value due to its micronutrient load. Then twinkies would seem like the rip-off they are!

[gary middleton]

Alas no more twinkies!! 

[KirkNeddy]

Carrots win.