Reflection: Fighting Five Food Myths About the "Good Old Days"

This reflection piece addresses and dismantles five myths strongly associated with the food cultures of yesteryears in most developed countries. The myths are: (1) The decline of the family meal; (2) The myth of the happy (nuclear) family eating together; (3) The kitchen illiterate children of today; (4) Danish and northern European consumers low food expenditure as something solely negative; (5) Good tasting and fresh food products as something belonging to the past and never to be found in industrialized agriculture. The main reasons the authors of this reflection piece address and dismantle these five myths are to facilitate change in our present food culture and systems without necessary resorting to an overt idealization of our foods and food habits of the good old days, while also steering clear of the many myths concerning the supposed decline of our present food culture.