Eating is a Privilege

Eating is a privilege. Being worried about how balanced your lunch is or whether your lettuce is organic- these are privileges.

Did you know that one in eight people in New York struggle with hunger and don’t always know where their next meal will come from?

Yep, we’re talking about this.

I’m a white millennial living in New York City making a full-time salary and I have two huge grocery stores within five blocks of my home, plus the access and dollars to have food delivered to my lazy ass whenever I please. The internal argument I have at 1 am about whether I really need the Taco Bell that I’m craving is a privilege. At that moment, I can choose if I’m going to eat the tacos, or if I’m going to get pizza instead, or if I’m going to eat anything at all. That choice, it’s entirely my prerogative.

Think about that. Choosing to eat, let alone what to eat, is a luxury I am afforded because of the position I hold in this society that I never even elected for myself.

We freak out about our diets and wellness and calories when there are people in our own backyards that can’t choose what kind of food they eat because there is no choice. This isn’t about shaming anyone for being conscious of food source or being invested in their own nutrition- you absolutely should be. Hell, that’s literally the basis of my entire brand. What I am trying to emphasize here is that it’s an incredible luxury to give attention to those details and we should not- and can not-  take it for granted.

Our decision to eat a balanced and healthy diet should be made with intention, with spirit. “Damn I’ve got some fresh ass broccoli” rather than “ugh I’m eating broccoli because someone said it’s good for me.” I’d bet there are a lot of people in your own neighborhood who would do a whole lot to know what farm fresh green beans taste like because their closest store doesn’t actually carry any. This is what’s known as a food desert or an area “that lacks access to affordable fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk, and other foods that make up a full and healthy diet,” according to the CDC. Unfortunately, food deserts are primarily found in low-income and rural parts of the country because of the lack of accessibility and proximity to large stores that can provide fresh fruits and vegetables. This means small towns in Middle America but it’s also happening right here in places like the Bronx and parts of Brooklyn.

Let me say it louder for the folks in the back: there are places in this very city that do not have any fresh produce available, at all.

Last week, I was walking in Flatiron and passed a man begging for change outside a McDonalds so he could eat. Unfortunately, as a New Yorker, I’m desensitized to this so I started to walk past him but I barely got a block before my conscience started shrieking at me to turn around. I walked back and asked if he was hungry and if I could buy him a burger and fries. He said the fries were too salty (yes, this hungry man turned down fries because of his concern of salt content) but that he’d take a Big Mac and a Coke. I went in and purchased his lunch, and when I came back out, I was met with an indescribable amount of joy as he took the bag out of my hand.

As I walked away, I felt so grateful that I could help him but also so incredibly sad. Food which I won’t consider eating (even drunk) was clearly the highlight of this man’s day or possibly even week. Here I am on this high horse, preaching about balance and moderation and joyful eating, and this guy just desperately wanted something, anything, to eat.

You’re worried about the source of your kale and whether there’s a gluten free pasta option at one of the thousands of restaurants in your area, and someone in one of the five boroughs can’t even find a fresh apple to eat. Just let that sink in.

Privilege is a touchy subject, I know that. But as someone who comes from many privileges, I feel it’s extremely important to recognize and acknowledge them because they affect my view of the world. I’m not here to really tell anyone how to live their life- you can completely ignore me- but I guess all I’m trying to encourage you to do is be mindful of your eating. When you’re deciding where to make a reservation on a Saturday night, just recognize how wonderful and exciting it is that you have such an array of choices. As you shop at Whole Foods or Trader Joes, appreciate the true freshness of the produce from which you’re picking. Stop and smell the roses, people. Or the asparagus, so to speak.

If you’d like to help those in your area that suffer from food insecurity, please click here to donate to Feeding America.