Blame It On Carl

Stress eating again?  Overindulging on your favorite ’comfort’ foods? 

It’s all Carl’s fault.  Carl von Linde, that is.  More specifically, I’m referring to his damned vapor-compression refrigeration machines.  I was hoping they’d just be another short-lived fad [like the automobile and personal computers], but alas, it appears as if they’re here to stay.

Because of Carl’s “little invention”, it is remarkably easy to store calorie-dense, nutrient-void foods in our homes for immediate access 24/7.  So easy, we take our modern “ice-box” for granted (until the power goes out, anyway, but that’s what an emergency food kit is for, I guess).

Burritos anyone?  Take ‘em outta the freezer, plop ‘em in the microwave and in less than a minute, you’ll be fat and happy.

Ice cream at 2am?  You’ll need to move the stack of frozen pizzas, but it’s in there. 

Frozen waffles for breakfast?  Hey! Le’ggo my Eggo…

Talk about instant gratification.

Gone are the days of working the soil in your backyard garden to grow your own vegetables.  

There’s no reason for a daily visit to the local farmers market for fresh food (do they still make that?) on the way home from the office when you can load up the mini-van once a month at Costco.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m all about innovation and can certainly appreciate the intricacies of German engineering as much as the next guy, but Carl’s invention spawned an entire industry of convenient, crappy food for the home.