Alcatraz- A Lesson in Healthy Eating?

My sister was recently visiting the famous Alcatraz Island and sent me a photo of the menu served to inmates when this island was an inescapable prison. How interesting, early in 2012, to look back in time to the early 1960’s, and consider how our dietary habits have changed.The breakfast menu read: assorted cereal, steamed wheat, milk, 1 egg, stewed fruit, toast, butter and coffee.  The interesting point is that this really was a fairly healthy meal the inmates were offered, and so very different to how we currently eat.  I find so many people now either skip breakfast, or go for an artery clogging feast like multiple eggs, sausage and bacon or jelly filled doughnuts!This morning I was giving a presentation about whole grains, and again realized the difference in how we “used to” eat compared to now.  Examples of whole grains are millet, bulgur, quinoa, amaranth, barley, buckwheat and oats.  Some of these are the grains we used to cook with on a regular basis.  But now, who even knows where to these food products?  Ironically many of these grains are still sold at your local grocer, but you’re more likely to find them hidden with “organic” or “specialty” foods.We’ve learned a lot about what habits from our past we shouldn’t keep. Maybe if we took a closer look at what we should preserve our health would be better off?My sister was recently visiting the famous Alcatraz Island and sent me a photo of the menu served to inmates when this island was an inescapable prison. How interesting, early in 2012, to look back in time to the early 1960’s, and consider how our dietary habits have changed.The breakfast menu read: assorted cereal, steamed wheat, milk, 1 egg, stewed fruit, toast, butter and coffee.  The interesting point is that this really was a fairly healthy meal the inmates were offered, and so very different to how we currently eat.  I find so many people now either skip breakfast, or go for an artery clogging feast like multiple eggs, sausage and bacon or jelly filled doughnuts!This morning I was giving a presentation about whole grains, and again realized the difference in how we “used to” eat compared to now.  Examples of whole grains are millet, bulgur, quinoa, amaranth, barley, buckwheat and oats.  Some of these are the grains we used to cook with on a regular basis.  But now, who even knows where to these food products?  Ironically many of these grains are still sold at your local grocer, but you’re more likely to find them hidden with “organic” or “specialty” foods.We’ve learned a lot about what habits from our past we shouldn’t keep. Maybe if we took a closer look at what we should preserve our health would be better off?