Food in the 70’s was often playful and creative. And it was occasionally also really gross. As a child, I remember eying the lettuce jello salad mould with dread and disgust.
Food was so much more fun back then, though. It was a time of plenty, and we had lots of local, affordable, healthy food. Anyone could have a decent life and put a healthy meal on the table if they set their mind to it.
Now, food is complicated, more processed, less nutritious, and increasingly expensive. What we eat comes from far away, did damage to the ecosystem there, was produced by underpaid people, then shipped across the world, filled full of chemicals, bought and sold a few times, and then presented as an expensive commodity we can barely afford.
The 1970’s were better than today, in so many ways, if not so much for its fashion sense!
Comprehension and speaking questions
1.) What has changed since the 1970’s?
2.) What has improved?
3.) Why is food more expensive now?
4.) What is the author’s main idea?
Vocabulary Builder
Think of a synonym and an antonym for each of the adjectives:
flavourful
colourless
spicy
crunchy
sweet
Compare the Dishes
1.) Compare the dishes using comparatives and Past and Present tenses.
Essay outline writing option: Prepare an answer with a main idea. Provide 2 supporting ideas.
Writing
Write an essay about food. Suggest your own topic or select a question to answer:
– How has food changed in your community?
– How has processed food changed the local diet?
– Select a food and describe how it travels from field to table.
