How American Food Got Bad

I recently read Tyler Cowen's new book, An Economist Gets Lunch. As an economics major and a self-proclaimed foodie, I can honestly say it is one of my favorite things I've ever read. I'd highly recommend it, even to those not interested in food or economics.

While the whole book is fabulous, one of my favorite chapters is "How American Food Got Bad." Don't get too offended; lots of food in the U.S. is good, and it is getting better, but we've definitely had some rough spots. Cowen explains how exactly we've come to be a "Cheez Whiz culture." Many people blame the demise of American food on commercialization, but Cowen has a different story. Here is a quick overview of his explanations:

1. Prohibition: Restaurants make huge profits on alcohol, and without those profits many of the best restaurants had to shut down. Through prohibition "expensive, high-quality food was hurt the most." The restaurants that didn't serve alcohol focused on "speed and convenience more than the quality of the food." Furthermore, underground speakeasies had no incentives to serve good food; people were there primarily for the alcohol. 
2. World War II: World War II led to a decreased food supply and a need for rationing, but Europe and America both dealt with this in different way. In Europe, people had to eat less, but all of the food they ate was fresh and local. Their rails were being used for war supplies, not commercial shipping. They ended up eating less food, but of better quality. In America, we kept up high levels of consumption by shipping processed food around the nation. We ate large amounts of low quality food. 
3. Discouraging Immigration: Most American food is immigrant food. As we can see by comparing the delicious Mexican food in Southern California to the mediocre Mexican in Maine, recent immigrants improve food quality. When we've gone through anti-immigration periods, our food has also suffered. 
4. Catering to Kids: The structure of the American family is detrimental to good food. In other parts of the world, kids are expected to eat whatever the parents serve them, but kids in America often make the calls themselves. By allowing our kids to be picky eaters, we cause all of America to be stuck with overly starchy, sweet, bland food.
5. Television: With TV came TV dinners and fast food. The best shows were on right at dinnertime, so families had to come up with quick, easy ways to get food on the table. Instead of cooking, American's started ordering pizza and eating microwavable meals frequently.

I found this to be a pretty convincing and comprehensive overview downturn of food in America. What do you think?