Final Food Paper...

From the start of time, food has been one of the most important factors within ones life, and has had an huge impact even on those of different religions. Within the second semester of school, one topic we focused on was food. Specifically, how our food is produced or even how it is being picked, who pick our food, how we shop, what we eat, how we cook it, all these things that associate with the production of food. At the start of the food course we were assigned a homework where we had to tell everything that was in our refrigerators at the moment. From looking into my refrigerator i had basic things like, mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, cheese, turkey, ham, salad dressings and than i had other foods like spaghetti, vegetables such as celery, i also had plenty of fruits strawberries, apples, pineapples, etc. and most of all i had juice. These things within my refrigerator was a way for me to analyze how i eat, or what i eat. Although some of the things within my refrigerator were not healthy i thought i would question why organic foods were considered "better" than regular unhealthy foods.

As a way to understand this i did internet research from a website named "The Healthiest Foods", i found out that organic food contains less toxins such as pesticides and solvents compared to agricultural foods we usually eat. Also organic food contains more higher level of protein, vitamin c, and minerals. From understanding this, it made it easier for me to understand a different way of eating compared to my eating habits and to experience this i thought it would be a good thing to try eating organic made foods. This practice did not work out as well as i thought it would because the food had tasted different than regular made foods that i eat already. Being able to experience this was probably the best thing that i could have done. I took it a step further and understanding how my family shop in grocery stores and how healthy the foods are and how i go about buying the foods i eat.

When shopping in grocery stores, my mom always make sure to stock up on can goods, like green beans, collard greens, corn, lots of vegetable, while also buying meats staying away from pork. Most of the time she come back with chicken, & fish which are the two most meats that we eat in my house. She may also pick up fruits, like strawberries, apples, mangos, oranges, pears and that would last us throughout the month. If food begins to run low in my house she may go to the local supermarket, path mark, everything there is sometimes affordable but sometimes it is over priced. I also thought about how the way my mom cook compared to the way others within the US cooked could of been different. In my house, my mom usually cooks all the dinners. Maybe twice a week I contribute to cooking dinner. When my mom cooks she often try to stay away from salts, and use healthy ingredients to prevent high blood pressure, or diabetes, which runs in my family. Usually when dinner is served it is before 9 PM.

Compared to the Us Mainstream i notice that many Americans eat unhealthy. They often use too much salts and oils for example Mc Donald's. When the movie Super Size Me came about i thought many people would learn their lessons of eating less fast foods but i guess over time it has gotten worse.

Food Assignment #7

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE DESSRT


Ingredients:
68 NILLA Wafers, divided
3 cups sliced strawberries, divided
3 cups cold milk
2 (4 serving size) packages JELL-O Cheesecake Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1 (8 ounce) tub COOL WHIP Strawberry Whipped Topping, thawed

1. Cover bottom of 2-1/2-quart clear glass serving bowl with 24 of the wafers; top with 1 cup of the strawberry slices. Set aside.

2. Pour milk into medium bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended. Spoon half of the pudding mixture over strawberry layer; cover with 1 cup of the whipped topping. Repeat layers using 24 wafers, 1 cup strawberries, remaining pudding mixture, and 1 cup of the remaining whipped topping. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

3. Arrange 8 whole wafers and 8 strawberry slices alternately around edge of serving bowl. Top with the remaining 12 wafers, 1/2 cup of the remaining strawberry slices and the remaining whipped topping. Garnish with remaining strawberries.

Grocery Store and Habitual Food

Well about once or twice a month my mother shops for groceries. At least one of those times she shop at a warehouse called "Costco", here they have a large amount of a food at a discount price. For example lets say a bag of chicken wings in a store like Path Mark are 10 dollars Costco's would sell the same bag, same brand for about 8 dollars. My mom always make sure to stock up on can goods, like green beans, collard greens, corn, lots of vegetable, while also buying meats staying away from pork. Most of the time she come back with chicken, & fish which are the two most meats that we eat in my house. She may also pick up fruits, like strawberries, apples, mangos, oranges, pears and that would last us throughout the month. If food begins to run low in my house she may go to the local supermarket, path mark, everything there is sometimes affordable but sometimes it is over priced.

From my experiences in grocery stores, many stores like costco send you coupons where you have a percentage off of a certain item or get an extra item for whatever you buy. In path mark i noticed that they have particular sales, for example soda sales where you get 3 cases of sodas for the price of one.

Food Journal

Tuesday Night Dinner:
-Tacos(beef, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, italian dressing)
-Tortilla Chips w/ Guacamole
-Drink: Perrier Water
((Cooked by Mom, eaten with hands, there was a conversation))

Feelings::
Before:
I was too tired, I wanted to eat and go to bed because i lost a couple hours of sleep.

During:
I was satisfied.

After:
Relieved that I ate & wanted to go to sleep

Wednesday
Morning:
-Bacon, Egg & Cheese
-French Vanilla Capuchino
((From Emma's, eaten w hands, cooked by mexicans, no conversation))

Before:
Starving & couldn't wait to eat

During:
No feeling

After:
Pleased

Lunch:
-Latin Thing: Ecuadorian chicken, black beans, yellow rice
-Drink: Snapple
((Cooked by spaniards, eaten w/ spoon, there was conversation))

Before:
I had a crave for spanish food

During:
Happy

After:
Excited & Full

Dinner:
-Fish
-Salad(lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, green & red peppers)
-Drink(Hawaiian Punch)
((Cooked by mom, Eaten w/ fork, There was conversation))

Before:
Didn't have a taste for it but was hungry

During:
Delighted

After:
Full & Tired

Food Cultures ((Home & Corporate))

How do you do food at home? How do people in the U.S. mainstream do food - as shown in TV and movies? Please write a one page comparison of your family's foodways, your foodways, and mainstream corporate US food ways.

Think about implements. Speed. Convenience. Togetherness. Ingredients. Healthiness. Sacredness. etc.

In my house, my mom usually cooks all the dinners. Maybe twice a week I contribute to cooking dinner. We eat lots of pasta, salads, and fish, as an alternative to stay away from the fried foods. Because I live in a neighborhood where there are not any fancy supermarkets, we often go to path-mark which i believe carry the same items as any other supermarket. When my mom cooks she often try to stay away from salts, and use healthy ingredients to prevent high blood pressure, or diabetes, which runs in my family. The food is often made around the same time each night, about 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. When we do eat dinner we eat together, and watch corny soap operas like all my children because thats a TV my mom loves. Last but not least, when dinner is being made, my mom always tries to please everyone in my house so she makes a dish that everyone liked.

US Mainstream-
Compared to the American way of cooking, most of the foods are unhealthy. They often use too much salts and oils for example McDonalds. Lots of people in the US eat out to fast food places, which is the reason why our cultures food is unhealthy. American culture are not accustomed to cooking. The culture was born to know how to cook or taught how to cook.

Internet Research

1. Why are organic foods better for health?

-Organically grown food is your best way of reducing exposure to toxins used in conventional agricultural practices. The toxins include pesticides that were said to have a potential to cause cancer and metals like lead and mercury and solvents like benzene and toluene. Heavy metals damage nerve function, contributing to diseases such as multiple sclerosis and lowering IQ, and also block hemoglobin production, causing anemia. Organically grown foods have been shown to contain substantially higher levels of nutrients such as protein, vitamin C and many minerals.

-Rats fed organic food were significantly healthier than their peers given conventionally-grown produce. (Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, February 2005) During the experiment, 36 rats were divided into three groups. All were given potatoes, carrots, peas, green kale, apples, rapeseed oil, and the same vitamin supplements. One group was fed organic food, another conventionally grown food with high levels of fertilizer and some pesticide, and the third group received minimally fertilized conventionally grown food.

Source:
The World's Healthiest Foods
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=faq&dbid=17#Health

Refreigerator Assignment

Heres some things stored in my refrigerator:
1. Mayonnaise
2. Jelly
3. Salad Dressing(Ranch, Italian, French, Balsomic Vinegrette)
4. Spaghetti
5. Salad
6. Cheese(American & Swiss)
7. Turkey
8. Water
9. Juice(Hawaiian Punch)
10. Milk
11. Fruit(Strawberries, Pineapples, Apples, Tomatoes)
12. Vegetables(Celery)

The reason why most of these things are in the refrigerator is because of my mom. Most of the things usually in my fridge are healthy, while the things i contribute to the refrigerator are unhealthy. I often eat spaghetti and salad or other pastas. I usually make sandwiches when i get home from school which is the reason why i have lots of turkey & cheese. I don't drink milk unless its in cereal so most of the time it goes to waste. When i eat dinner i always drink juice and Hawaiian punch is my favorite. In my house the food made that isn't eaten is put in the refrigerator as a leftover. I believe that no food should go to waste or should be given to someone who doest have any food which is the reason why there are leftovers. I eat leftover although they dont taste the same as when it is first made.