Two views on the food we ate—and what I ate tonight

 

Today I happened across a reference to Adelle Davis, the most famous American nutritionist in the twentieth century, and it brought back a flood of memories. My mom was a follower of Davis, and as a result I remember wheat germ in cereals, honey instead of sugar in cornbread, and maybe a bit of Brewer’s yeast in who knows what.

Probably the Davis book that most influenced Mom was Let’s Cook It Right (1947) which was, some sources claim, an attempt to update the popular Joy of Cooking. Davis’s goal was to teach people to eat properly for nutrition, and to that end she advocated nutritional supplements such as wheat germ and powdered milk, the avoidance of prepared food, sugar, and preservatives, and an emphasis on fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grain breads. Davis believed that outcomes in life depended on nutrition, and women who did not well properly during pregnancy would have unhealthy babies who would not do well later in life. Almost no one in America ate a healthy diet, according to Davis.

She criticized both food producers and the medical community for their lack of knowledge about nutrition. Food purveyors, she claimed, misled us about harmful ingredients in their products, and physicians, ignorant of the truth, prescribed unhealthy diets for their patients. Needless to say, she had many critics.

I can remember once as an older teen I had some sort of severe infection, and the doctor assigned to care for me was gentle in his approach—he was after all, an old family friend, as were almost all the doctors on the staff of the hospital where Dad was administrator. This particular one—his name was Ward—said, “I know your mother has some unusual diet ideas.” I have always remembered that moment, though I don’t remember what came afterward.

Running into Adelle today was almost like running into a long-lost friend, but what struck me most was similarities and yet contrast to Helen Corbitt (if you read my blog and don’t know by now who Corbitt was, I give up!). Davis was born in 1904 and died in 1974; Corbitt was born in 1906 and died in 1978. They were contemporaries, both nutritionists, both dedicated to changing American eating habits. Both focused on fresh food and vegetables and proper cooking methods. Books by both women continue to sell well, all these yeas later.

But Davis took the academic route--one book had over 2,000 footnoted references to medical journals and studies. Her tone was peachy, almost scolding for bad habits, verging on the shrill.

Corbitt on the other hand found joy in food, delight in the flavors she combined, the dishes she created. She once claimed God had put he on earth to teach southerners not to overcook green beans. When Stanley Marcus wanted her to share her cream of tomato soup recipe with a visiting dignitary, she demurred and later explained they wouldn’t want him to know it began with a can of Campbell’s. Corbitt’s arena was smaller too—where Davis had a national audience, Corbitt reached mostly people in Texas and surrounding states. But Corbitt’s books are cookbooks with no judgement beyond such cautions as cooking vegetable al dente and often with chatty notes to a recipe.

That’s it—two women, similar backgrounds, similar goals, and such different paths. I have no conclusions to draw about which one succeeded better. Both have pretty much slipped into obscurity these days. And maybe that’s my mission—to rescue them.

So with my head full of healthy eating, guess what I had for dinner tonight? A plate from the potuck buffet for Christian’s birthday—Cane’s chicken fingers, that decadent and ubiquitous potato casserole with sour cream, butter, etc., a sour cream corn dip, some really good dippers that were so crisp they must have been deep fried in a ton of grease, marinated black-eyed peas (okay that was my contribution and Corbitt’s recipe). It was good, and I enjoyed it, but I could feel those two nutritionists frowning at me.

By contrast, one of the thoughtful guests brought me a bag of tomatoes, peaches, and squash from her family’s fresh market. I guess it all balances out.

Here’s to a healthy and delicious daily diet!