What should you have for dinner -- besides leftover turkey from yesterday's Thanksgiving feast? In this holiday rebroadcast of Science Friday, Ira talks with author Michael Pollan about his book, 'The Omnivore's Dilemma.' In it, Pollan traces four meals to their roots, following the food chain backwards.  We'll talk with him about how we get our food, from industrial processes to farming to hunting and gathering.

We'll also talk about a movement to 'eat local.' When you sit down to dinner, take a minute to consider how far your food traveled to get to your plate. Is your steak from Nebraska? Are your carrots from California? Your fruit from New Zealand? Sure, you bought it at the grocery store down the street, but chances are your food traveled hundreds of miles before it landed on your plate. This hour, Ira and guests consider our global grocery shopping. Experts say eating local might make us healthier and be better for the environment.

This is a pre-recorded show, so please don't try to call in. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday! Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Guests:
Michael Pollan  
Author, "Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals" (Penguin Press, 2006)
Contributing Writer, New York Times Magazine
Knight Professor of Journalism
University of California Berkeley
Berkeley, California

Brian Halweil
Author: "Eat Here: Reclaiming Homegrown Pleasures in a Global Supermarket" (2004, W.W. Norton & Company)
Senior Researcher
Worldwatch Institute
Washington, DC

Jennifer L. Wilkins
Kellogg Food and Society Policy Fellow
Senior Extension Associate, Division of Nutritional Sciences
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Books/Articles Discussed:

"Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals," by Michael Pollan. Penguin Press, 2006.

"Eat Here: Reclaiming Homegrown Pleasures in a Global Supermarket" by Brian Halweil. W.W. Norton & Company, 2004.

(find books discussed on previous broadcasts)

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This segment produced by Science Friday Staff