"You Don't Get Fat on Food You Pray Over" Quotes from The New York Times Magazine

In this week's Times Sunday Magazine, the annual Food Issue, Michael Pollan shares his favorite reader-submitted food rules. We love this one for its sweet sentiment—no matter what your religious convictions—that meals thoughtfully prepared at home are healthier than what you eat on the go.

Actually, in addition to making us reflect, this quote also makes us laugh. We think of all the outrageously cheesy, calorie-laden casseroles and enormous helpings of cake or pie that we've prayed over. No doubt those could make us fat.

But the idea is a good one. The entire quote, submitted by Times reader Carol Jackson, reads:

"'You don't get fat on food you pray over.' This is from a friend who points out the meals prepared at home, served at the table and given thanks for are more appreciated and more healthful than food eaten on the run."

Pollan highlights 20 of his favorite "food rules" from readers, part of the research he's doing on cultural influences that guide our eating choices. Another one we liked: "Don't yuck someone's yum," meaning we should let people eat the weird things they like without judgement.

• See the list: Food Rules: Your Dietary Dos and Don'ts

• Read the entire Food Issue, which includes a cover story on Jamie Oliver's fight to change America's eating habits, starting in West Virginia.

Who's reading the Food Issue this week? What's your favorite article?

(Image: Vegetable Pizza Print, $6 from Etsy seller onelonelyapricot)

Comments (10)

That struck me as a bizarre claim. I like the ritual of blessing the food, but I have seen plenty of obese people bowing their heads at all-you-can-eat buffets.

And the traditional southern diet, loaded with fat and sugar, cooked at home or eaten anywhere else , is going to make you unhealthy, no matter how much you pray.

My Mom always said, "Don't ick my wow." not just about food, but anything she liked -- along the same lines of yucking someone's yum.

Kate -- I honestly don't think that the person who said "you don't get fat on for you pray over" is making the scientific claim that God takes calories out of food that's been blessed. It's supposed to be funny, ironic, tounge in cheek...

My bf is a recovering bulimic and I have had problems with body dysmorphia. So I can definitely relate to "Don't create arbitrary rules for eating if their only purpose is to help you feel in control."

I agree most with the suggestion to never eat food that is masquerading as something else (no veggie burgers, dairy-free yogurt, fat free sour cream, sugar-free chocolate, butter-flavored spreads)...

But honestly, the ideas that likely work the best are "If you're not hungry enough to eat an apple, you're not hungry." and the Chinese proverb stating that you should only eat until you're 70% full and then stop.

I should really follow that Chinese proverb more often.......

Also, I think most home cooking is much leaner than in the south...... Even Polish food, known to be rich, is normally tempered with a big bowl of soup and a good deal of veggies.

What really adds insult to injury is the portion sizes available at restaurants..... a little rich food is a tasty treat... all-you-can-eat southern bbq, especially when regularly consumed, is a health hazard.

A woman I met said once that you have to pray over food these days because sometimes you just don't know what you're getting. This is true in light of the long list of foods they added to the list of dangerous food such as eggs and milk, etc. meaning they have a high contamination rate.

@graciela I completely agree about: "Don't create arbitrary rules for eating if their only purpose is to help you feel in control." So many women grew up with eating problems, I've never found rules to make my eating habits better, and in fact, they bring guilt to the table.

I'm already a healthy eater--stressing out over full fat greek yogurt or being self-judgmental about being super hungry and eating a huge amount of hummus and fresh veggies is simply not helpful and takes away from enjoying the healthy homemade food I eat and make!

Kate (NC): You probably see plenty of thin or normal sized people at all-you-can-eat buffets, as well, so please watch you bias as well as you watch their waistlines.

I made a rather flippant remark about Pollan's rule which is obviously not based on science, but the humor and irony of it is subjective and based on my life experience; not funny to me. I live in a highly educated and affluent bubble of population and come from a poor rural area. The challenges Jamie Oliver is facing in West Virginia are widespread. The sizes of people in high priced restaurants or Whole Foods and the sizes of people in all you can eat rural barbecue houses is a difference that is shockingly real. There are always exceptions to the rule. I eat home cooked organic, mostly vegetarian, food and my brother eats mainly fast food. We are both genetically ectomorphs.