THE SUPERMARKET HANDBOOK: Access to Whole Foods

by Nikki & David Goldbeck ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 19, 1973

This cautionary and useful guide to sensible shopping-cart maneuvering is great fun to read -- especially for TV-commercial victims who enjoy watching name products get theirs. All those food companies who skimp on the good stuff, who pile in the chemicals and non-nutritive ingredients, all those ""Sugar Frosted Fortified Fake""-makers -- get their just desserts; while the good guys like Dannon, Breyers, Aunt Millie, Hellmann's and others are listed under ""Exemplary"" at the end of each section. However, the authors' aim is not to debunk but to reinforce the consumer's search for nutritious foodstuffs by calling attention to sound products, by suggesting methods for home preparation in areas where the supermarket offers little (puddings for example), and emphasizing thrifty and intelligent buying habits (there is a section on label-reading.) You'll pick up some informative advice -- try to buy Canadian maple syrup (Camp, for example) bemuse Canada forbids the use of formaldehyde pellets in maple trees to speed the flow. Yes, you can buy cookies and cakes (like Pepperidge Farm's and Chock Full o' Nuts) but somebody doesn't like Sara Lee. In fairness, however, it must be said that the authors admit to possible omissions and they invite reader corrections in future editions. This is not a faddy book, in spite of their cereal section which features gritty granola; the authors caution on a too easy acceptance of ""organic"" and ""natural"" food-labeling. An extremely useful, salutary antidote to all those years of media brand-name brainwashing.

Pub Date: Sept. 19, 1973

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Harper & Row

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1973

Categories: NONFICTION