LIFE AS IT IS

Reading Terminal Market. First opened its doors in 1893, this is one of America’s largest and oldest public markets. More than 80 vendors and an immensely wide selection of foods, drinks & confectionaries - a gastronomer’s heaven. Location: Philadelphia, PA.  Note: The corned beef and pastrami Kosher sandwiches are from Hershel’s East Side Deli.   

It started out of curiosity, but soon turned into a rule of my grocery shopping -- I read the nutrition labels on foods before buying them . Ten years ago, I did not care to decode Nutrition Facts labels. I would just pile up my shopping cart with whatever I wanted to eat -- bread, jam, peanut butter, cereals, cookies, chips, candy, fruit juices, ice cream, frozen dinners-- you name it; I did not care to find out if these were wholesome or not. I ate what I wanted to eat! Living in a country where grocery stores are giant, food options unlimited and portion sizes huge, overeating is not uncommon. I gained weight in the first few months of my life in the U.S. It was after I put on weight that I began to wonder if I was overeating like many others or, if it was my diet that was unhealthy. It was during this time that I became curious about the hundreds of words in small font that are printed on any packaged edible item in this country. I learned from those easy-to-understand labe...