Food for the food

Was a phrase used by an acquaintance last night during a dinner party.  He was referring to a salad served midway through the meal as a palate cleanser.  Unfortunately, while he was being snarky, I don't think the sentiment was too far from his real feelings re the vegetable kingdom.  As we slide into 2012, one of the things our industry must address is the consumer perception that fresh vegtables are neither necessary or desirable additions to ordinary or even special dinners.  While their is a large constituency for fresh among baby boomers and those concerned about their health, an even larger number of younger generations and the elderly have either abandoned fresh, or never embraced it in the first place.  Some people will dump a couple of cans of sodium laced vegetables on the plate and feel they have served up a healthy meal.  Education can help with these perceptions, but cost and flavor are the real drivers of consumption in many cases.  In store demos of fresh vegetable cookery, much as the additive laced processed food manufacturers do at Costco and Sam's Club may be one way to boost consumption.  More visible information regarding the health benefits of fresh is another.  Who will foot the bills and who will design the programs?  Something needs to be done, or demand will level off and  will be reflected in the producer pricing.  We need to promote produce as food for us, not food for the food.