True or False: Misfits Market produce rots faster than your average grocery store produce. TRUE!!! Why?
The short answer is either A or B:
-A) Foods that will not rot are not real food. They’re more like a plastic-“0g Transfat”- or paper, like the coating on pre-shredded cheese. Or Velveeta, which is a construction material related to the LEGO, not a food.
-B) Foods that will not rot are so loaded with chemicals that they would rot but can’t: produce, meat, dairy, anything shelf-stable (crackers, bread), McDonald’s French Fries under the seat in your car. The extreme example here is Twinkies. It’s a cake, filled with cream, that will last forever. This should scare us, not entice us.
You actually want to eat foods that will rot—obviously before they start to rot. These foods, like the produce in the Misfits Market boxes, have not been treated to extend their lives. In this real state, the state they grew in, these foods are easy to digest and don’t contain additives or preservatives. This is GREAT!!
Think about it: the purpose of all those chemicals is to prevent food from breaking down. When we digest food, we’re trying to break it down so it can fulfill its purpose: nutrition (and deliciousness!).
So yes, this means your produce from the Misfits Market Box will go bad quickly. Yes, you will need to work a little harder to make sure you cook/eat your produce before it gets gross on your counter. But you will feel better because your body won’t have to work extra hard to flush out all the crap that makes Twinkies the eternal food.
If you want a longer explanation, read Food Rules and/or In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. Food Rules is a short (and funny) version of In Defense of Food.
During a heart to heart with my father after stroke #2, I convinced him to walk about the grocery store and ask himself “Will this rot?” so he can make better choices. He is supposed to keep walking if things will not rot. Unforeseen consequence: in the middle of the workday, I get 5 text messages asking me “Will pistachios rot? Will cookies rot? Will ice cream rot?” because he’s at the store and needs an answer. I’ll take it. You keep texting, Dad.