The Grand Fiasco

There’s no denying that Southern food tastes good. In fact, I think it’s the Best American Food of all! Just think about all that Southern food entails – Cajun, Creole, Low Country, seafood, barbecue, and of course, the good ole country cooking like country fried steak, smothered pork chops, buttermilk biscuits, and rice and gravy. Can we agree that all these foods are yummy? Millions of people love them, so they must be really good. Okay, southern food is awesome, but is it healthy?

The obvious answer is a resounding NO! Typical Southern food is laden with calories, salt, fat, cholesterol, and refined carbohydrates. Much of it contains sugar, too. The funny thing is, all my relatives ate this way, and they’ve all lived to be at least eighty years old. I have an aunt who still uses hog lard for all her baking and frying – which she does on a daily basis – and her total cholesterol is 160. Okay, you’re thinking that she probably does a lot of exercising, right? Wrong. She has a sedentary lifestyle.

Am I saying that traditional Southern food is healthy? No, I’m not. I know those things I mentioned are bad for your heart, but really, all Southern foods aren’t unhealthy. We do eat lots of fresh veggies, and some of us have even learned to season the vegetables with other things besides ham or bacon. Sometimes I use chicken bouillon or just some olive oil, herbs, and spices. We eat lots of raw veggies, too. In the late spring and early summer, most old-fashioned Southern cooks offer fresh sliced tomatoes and raw cucumbers in vinegar with lunch and dinner. Most Southerners also do a lot of grilling and barbecuing, and if you use lean meats, fish, or poultry, along with a sugar-free barbecue sauce, grilling can be pretty healthy.

And as for all the unhealthy, delicious Southern food dishes and Southern recipes, they shouldn’t be totally taboo. If you enjoy the foods, you should have them once in a while. After all, remember – Southern food is the best American food!