What's the difference between "to nourish" and "to feed"?
Allow us to get a bit philosophical today.
While both terms mean to provide food, "to nourish" has a depth that "to feed" does not.
To feed someone is to give them food. That's all. The term does not specify what the quality of the food might be, how it was prepared, or whether it had any other purpose than staving off hunger.
An industrial frozen pizza zapped in the microwave will definitely feed someone, but it will not nourish them. Nor will most mass-produced pickles or a tub of a typical flavored yogurt bought at the grocery store.
"To nourish", on the other hand, implies a mindful engagement with food, where careful thought is given to the quality of the ingredients and to how the food was made.
"To nourish" is to enhance the recipient's long-term wellness by means of nutrient-rich real food made from simple, clean, unprocessed staples in traditional artisanal methods that have been nurturing countless generations.
Homemade fermented foods are in that category.
Fermentation is the antidote to today's "instant cooking" techniques where the microwave device and factory-made foods reign supreme.
Back to our pizza, pickles, and flavored yogurt.
You can ferment your own versions of these:
- Here's how to make a homemade sourdough pizza
- Here's a starter culture to make 'pickled' (fermented) vegetables
- And here's how to make your own probiotic yogurt which you can top with fresh fruit and healthy cereals
If you prefer ready-made, you can get high-quality options in many stores these days. You only need to look for them and read the ingredients list. (Don't skip this step. It will make all the difference between being "fed" by that food to being "nourished" by it.) You may want to avoid added sugars, unrecognizable compounds and the like.
Nourish yourself and your family with real, nutritious foods.