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Some of you may have heard of the slow food movement, but may still be wondering what exactly this is.  Or perhaps you know a little something about it but are wondering if you even have time to eat slow foods.  Well to find out more keep reading.

The Slow Food movement was originally founded by Carlo Petrini of Italy.  The movement was begun as a means to combat the growing take over of the developed world by fast foods.  The slow food movement seeks to preserve the cultural importance of cuisine.  The movement has grown exponentially in recent years, and now has approximately one hundred thousand members in over 130 countries.

Slow food began in Italy and was started in response to the advent of McDonald’s expansion in that country.  Some of the primary objectives of the movement include promoting local and traditional food, including preparation and products; the organization of small scale processing and farming; the celebration of local cuisine; and a commitment to educating others on the detrimental effects and risks of eating fast foods. 

The slow food movement also seeks to lobby against factory farming, the use of pesticides and genetically engineered foods; to preserve the skills of gardening and food preparation and to promote ethical buying.  Finally the movement also is involved in the sustenance of seed banks and traditional heirloom seed varieties.

The slow food movement seeks to defend the biodiversity of the planet’s food supply and to inhibit the spread of monocultures and genetically modified foods.  While the movement is still in its early stages, many of its goals and objectives are shared by food aficionados as well as nutritionists and those in the health and wellness industry.

Thus slow food does not have to mean hard to cook or time consuming meal planning. Slow food means food that is fair, clean and healthy.  Slow food is merely food produced in a way that doesn’t damage the environment or our own health.  

Going slow therefore might simply mean paying a little more attention to where you food is coming from and to how it is being produced.  Many people are already trying to buy local and organic produce and to inquire a little more about where their food is coming from.  Taking these simple steps can help reduce environmental pollution, animal degradation and the food contamination that we’ve become all too accustomed to. 

By going slow you might just be hastening the healing of our bodies and our planet.  Skipping the fast food and opting for tasty local meats, vegetables and fruits will bring us much closer to living in balance with our environment.  This doesn’t have to mean forgoing taste or spending hours in food preparation.  It simply means taking a little time to think about where your food is coming from.