Mark Bittman: What's Wrong With What We Eat

Another excellent TED Talk, this time on the ways our food system is killing us and killing the planet. I don't eat much red meat, but now I will stop eating any. The evidence is overwhelming that cow production is one of the worst things we can do for the planet.

His mom coked like my mom. His views on protein are incorrect, but then we can get protein without eating cows.

Bittman's view of health is essentially an integral view, which is the only way we are ever going to fix this problem -- to see all the elements that contribute to the issues.

In this fiery and funny talk, New York Times food writer Mark Bittman weighs in on what's wrong with the way we eat now (too much meat, too few plants; too much fast food, too little home cooking), and why it's putting the entire planet at risk.

Although Mark Bittman never formally trained as a chef, his pursuits as a curious and tenacious foodie have made him a casual culinary master. His weekly New York Times food column, The Minimalist, meshes accessible and inexpensive ingredients with "anyone-can" cooking techniques to produce exceedingly delicious dishes. Bittman's funny, friendly attitude and trademark informal approach to food-craft extend to his blockbuster TV programs (which retain delays and mishaps that other producers would edit out) and ambitious cookbooks, like How to Cook Everything and The Best Recipes in the World.

After a decade as the "Minimalist," Bittman has emerged a respected spokesperson on all things edible: He's concerned about the ecological and health impacts of our modern diet, which he characterizes as overwhelmingly meat-centered and hooked on fast food. His criticism has the world listening: His revolutionary How to Cook Everything Vegetarian (sequel to How to Cook Everything), is a bestseller, and his memorable talk at the 2007 EG Conference (available now on TED.com) delivered a stinging condemnation of the way we eat now.

In addition to his columns, cookbooks and TV programs, Bittman also writes about home cooking at his blog, Bitten.

Tags: Mark Bittman, What's Wrong With What We Eat, TED Talks, food, diet, nutrition, culture, society, industrial production, health