FoodWISE: A Whole Systems Guide to Sustainable and Delicious Food Choices

by Gigi Berardi

The definitive food lover's guide to making the right choices amidst a sea of ever-changing informationWe live in a culture awash with advice on nutrition and eating. But what does it really mean to eat healthy? FoodWISE is for anyone who has felt unsure about how to make the “right” food choices. It is for food lovers who want to be more knowledgeable and connected to their food, while also creating meaningful dining experiences around the table. With more than thirty years of experience in farm and food studies, Gigi Berardi, PhD, shows readers how to make food choices and prepare meals that are Whole, Informed, Sustainable, and Experience based. She offers practical guidance for how to comb the aisles of your local food market with confidence and renewed excitement and debunks the questionable science behind popular diets and trends, sharing some counterintuitive tips that may surprise you—like the health benefits of eating saturated fat! FoodWISE will revolutionize how you think about healthy, enjoyable, and socially conscious cuisine.

Genres: Food

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 14, 2020

About the author

A Fulbright scholar in Italy and professor at Western Washington University in Bellingham, GIGI BERARDI also teaches in Florence, Italy, the setting for Bianca’s Cure. The author of more than 400 reviews and articles for print and broadcast media, her work has been endorsed by Forbes and Foreword Reviews, as well as leading authors in food writing and fiction.

She's also published in numerous scientific journals such as BioScience, Ethnohistory, Human Ecology Review, Journal of Sustainable Agriculture, and Society and Natural Resources. Her articles and reviews have appeared in newspapers (Anchorage Daily News, Los Angeles Times, The Olympian), and her public radio features (for KSKA, Anchorage, Alaska) have been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists. She is an elected member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors and maintains popular blogs at
https://gigiberardi.com/

Reviews

[Lệ Lin · Rating 3 out of 5]

FoodWISE, as defined in the book, is both an attitude and conscious control of what food to put into our bodies. It also is about experiential learning of the entire food system, including 'threads of the agricultural web' as Gigi Berardi once called. The concept of foodWISE should come to the mind in terms of four factors - WHOLE ("whole grains rather than refined flours; fish and pasture-fed livestock; and dishes that include plenty of vegetables), BEING INFORMED ("from reading food labels to asking questions at wholesale markets to checking online (...)", "one question to ask is how far back we traced our food"), SUSTAINABLE ("Are my food choices sustainable for my personal food world and my shared food worlds (...)?"), EXPERIENCED ("How involved are we in sourcing our food?")

*
I have to admit that this book took me a lot of effort to finish. The information is well-researched, but badly- put in writing. I can feel that the author poured her heart out to this book but what needs to be improved is the content structure and writing style.

The big turn-offs are the order of actual contents, redundant hook-on sentences and unnecessary overviews.
The introduction is lengthy and I wonder why some terminologies and explanations should be put so early in the intro. The content is poorly organised and repetitive even though this book could have been better with its helpful information.

Besides, too many times the book only discussed the U.S food market; but as someone who resides in another country as well as being nourished in a different culture, I wish I could know more about the general agriculture legislations than only things that involved in the U.S agribusinesses.

*

I thought reading it was more like having an informal conversation, which is hard to convince people who pick up the book with expectations of getting more scientific-based information instead of an experienced and subjective view.
However, the last bit of this book is surprisingly good with practical and knowledgable suggestions for FoodWISE meals.
*

The book owes a lot to one's privilege to access good food sources because it's not easy to apply all the ideas that the author Gigi Berardi examined, especially if you're not living in a developed country.
Overall, I found it more like an introduction to anyone who likes to know more about the food systems than a guide to delicious food choices.

[Sheila Samuelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to North Atlantic Books for sending me a free ARC Copy of this book last month!!

I really enjoyed this book it talked about what the difference is between Organic Foods to Non-Organic foods and how they make a difference in our lives as well as with diseases etc.

I hope this author write more books in the future!! I really enjoyed the recipes in the back as well and plan to make a few of them soon!!

[Rob Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

FoodWISE: A Whole Systems Guide to Sustainable and Delicious Food Choices by Gigi Berardi, PhD, is a practical and insightful guide for anyone seeking to navigate the overwhelming world of nutrition and food trends. Berardi brings over thirty years of experience in farm and food studies to offer a comprehensive approach to eating that is Whole, Informed, Sustainable, and Experience-based (WISE).

The book stands out for its clarity, depth, and actionable guidance. Berardi combines scientific insight with real-world application, helping readers make informed food choices while creating meaningful and enjoyable dining experiences. She challenges common misconceptions in popular diets and offers counterintuitive tips, such as the health benefits of saturated fats, empowering readers to think critically about food and nutrition.

FoodWISE is an essential read for food enthusiasts, home cooks, and anyone seeking a holistic, sustainable, and enjoyable approach to nutrition. It equips readers with the knowledge and confidence to make conscious decisions that benefit their health, the environment, and their overall dining experience.

[Hoan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but the writing was a bit bland and the author seemed to brag quite a bit. It went slow for me until Part 2 or 3. Not too many new surprising revelations about food sources etc.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best for folks at a more beginner level, but has some interesting research on health and nutrition.