In a world that demands agility to perform several tasks simultaneously, the busy schedule of commitments prevents there from being appropriate time to take care of food. This was the gap that fast food chains found to win their audience. On one hand, they offer ease and convenience for eating. On the other, ultra-processed products full of fat, sugar, and additives.

In opposition to this trend is Slow Food, a movement created in Italy in 1986 to reaffirm the importance of caring for food. The proposal is to unite the pleasure of eating with responsible food production and consumption. This means that having a healthy pace of life is as important as being conscious of each stage that involves eating.

What is slow food?

To better understand Slow Food, you need to know its three principles: good, clean and fair food.

Good food: Preserving as much as possible the naturalness of food, which should be enjoyed calmly.

Clean food: Give preference to methods of cultivation that protect the environment, animals and the consumer’s health. To do this, it is necessary to invest in pesticide-free production, with minimal processing and use of chemical additives.

Fair Food: Prioritizing the working conditions of the producer and giving preference to local production, social honesty and transparency.

The Slow Food movement is actually in the hands of every human being. You can follow some habits in your daily life that make all the difference:

• Have a vegetable garden at home. For this, you don’t need much space – you can even plant in an apartment. Besides being practical and healthy to have fresh vegetables always at hand, it is also a true therapy.

• Give preference to small producers. Besides being a way to promote the local economy, it is also a guarantee that you will consume food that does not harm the environment, since it does not use pesticides and uses less fuel for transportation (which reduces the carbon footprint in the atmosphere).

• Give value to each meal. Dedicate a time to have your meals and try to eat in a quiet environment. Savor your meal calmly and make this moment as pleasant as possible.

What are the benefits of eating the way the Slow Food movement proposes?

The consumption of good and clean products brings countless health benefits, because it reduces the consumption of preservatives, agrotoxics, dyes, flavorings, etc., which can cause several diseases, including cancer.

It also helps to control the intake of fats and sugars, reducing the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, metabolic syndrome, etc.

Furthermore, Slow Food proposes that these meals be shared not only with family, but also with friends. This togetherness would help combat stress and anxiety, resulting in a better quality of life for everyone.

As for the fair food standard, it brings benefits to society as a whole, because the small producer and the producing communities are given a place in the market. In general, these producers are marginalized in the market or exploited in the production chain by large producers.

How to put this into daily life in a practical way?

Some people, despite identifying with these ideas, think they cannot put them into practice. If this is your case, here are some tips for adopting Slow Food.

Out of home

• try to set aside a “fair” amount of time to eat, choosing quiet places to eat;
• if you are alone, don’t invite your problems to have meals.

At home

• use any space, even a pot to grow food. It can be fruit, vegetables, or spices;
  give preference to homemade products instead of industrialized ones. Olive oil, cheese and beer are easy to get into your daily diet;
• give prestige to small national producers. It will always be easier to know their production methods and to know if they are “clean and fair”;
• share the discovery of new products with your friends. Make small informal meetings for tasting and indicate the ones they approve and the producers your family adopts.

Now that you know what Slow Food is and how to put this theory into practice, start experimenting with it and see what works best for you, your health will thank you later.