It must be That’s What I’ve Been Saying All Along Week at the New York Times!

In addition to telling the world how great Queens is, now the newspaper of record has published another fine and sensible essay by Michael Pollan, who has been one of my favorite writers ever since I read Botany of Desire years and years ago (thanks, Heidi, for the rec).

His story “Unhappy Meals” in this week’s magazine starts: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

There’s plenty more, of course, but that’s the gist. He goes on to detail just how we got into such weird federal dietary guidelines (politics, natch), and talks about the rise of “nutritionism”–the particular way so many Americans have come to look at food as sources of nutrients, rather than just food.

Even if I didn’t agree so fervently with him, I would still love Pollan just for the way he writes. It’s never overblown or too alarmist, but he allows himself the occasional bit of flair–characterizing the produce section lying “silent as stroke victims,” for instance, while all the processed food boasts about its health benefits. Because he writes so simply, without manipulation, he gives me hope that he’ll be able to convince people.

He also makes the brilliant observation that we shouldn’t be so surprised that carbs make us fat–humans have been fattening up animals on carbs ever since we started domesticating them.

If you’re overwhelmed by all 12 pages of it online, you can skip toward the end, where he outlines his basic suggestions for how best to eat, slightly expanded from his opening sentences. But then you’d be missing out on all of Pollan’s great writing.