In keeping with

In keeping with

Today’s expression is “in keeping with.” It’s a strange little phrase that means nothing like the sum of the parts. See if you can figure it out from the context. All the chemicals and extracts and unnatural processes are not in keeping with the movement toward simpler, more natural foods. Some people think the absence of meat makes the Impossible Burger healthy, but they’re ignoring the heavily-processed ingredients. It might be in keeping with the idea to cut down on meat, but it’s not in keeping with the movement to make our foods simpler.

By now, you may have guessed that “in keeping with” means, agreeing with or sharing important qualities with something. The whole idea of “healthy” food is a moving target. Different definitions of “healthy” come and go. But one popular idea is that you should eat foods that haven’t been heavily processed and that come from ethical farms near your house. In keeping with that idea, many restaurants are offering less-processed food and they will even tell you the farms that supply their ingredients.

Even if meatless burgers are not in keeping with the trends to eat less-processed foods, they are in keeping with care for the environment. That’s because, according to the founder of Impossible Foods, they require 75 percent less water and 87 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than typical burgers.

New safety technology in cars is in keeping with our desire to make driving safer. Renting clothes is in keeping with the new trend toward subscriptions and rentals and away from ownership.

The way I’ve been using “in keeping with” so far is like, in agreement with a movement or a set of values. You can also use it to say, it shares qualities with something.

I think the furniture and decorations in my house are in keeping with my personality. The furnishings share qualities with my personality. They’re generally not too dramatic—no flashy colors, no bold designs. But they’re well-thought-out, functional, comfortable, and a little stylish—not too much. If it were too stylish, it would not be in keeping with the rest of my life! Starting a podcast and a web site is in keeping with my interests in reading, writing, and learning about the world.

Quote of the week

Today’s quote of the week is from Paul McCartney, “If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian.” A slaughterhouse is where they kill animals to prepare them for the food supply. If they had glass walls—in other words, if you could see what happens inside—then everyone would be a vegetarian, according to Beatles singer Paul McCartney. That’s probably not too far off the mark. I remember one time at Thanksgiving, an American politician was being interviewed on television and in the background of the interview a turkey was being slaughtered at a poultry farm. And everyone was horrified that a turkey was being slaughtered right there on television! I remember thinking, how do these people think a turkey ends up on their table at Thanksgiving? But, nevertheless, we don’t want to see it. Quote of the week, Paul McCartney: “If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian.”

On that note, we will wrap things up for today. I’m curious to know if any of you have had an Impossible Burger before, or if you’ve tried any of the other plausible meatless products. The comments section on the web site is open, and I love hearing from listeners in the comments. So visit PlainEnglish.com/184 and let me know what you think about these new meatless alternatives.

Remember I told you JR and I are hard at work on a super-secret project that I can’t announce? Your wait is almost over. We’ll be releasing a special episode this week to talk about our project and what the future holds for your favorite English-language podcast. So check your favorite podcast app for that special episode this week. Until then—and I really can’t wait to tell you, I just have to wait a few more days—until then, have a great week!