I'm Not A Big Foodie

Being someone who is not a big foodie, I struggled to figure out what to write about, since the topic of this assignment is to write about how we now see ourselves, and food. As we are four weeks into the semester, I have already learned, and became more aware of my food choices, and what I eat on a daily basis.

Inside: McDonald's

Watching Inside: McDonald's, I was interested by the astonishing facts that were presented throughout the film. McDonald's has more employees than a combination of the Army, Navy, Marines, and US Air Force. (Inside: McDonald's) I was really surprised to hear this. McDonald’s is truly taking over the nation. Not to mention that on a daily basis, over 25 million people eat at a McDonald’s. (Inside: McDonald's) About 317.5 million people make up the United States population; meaning that about 12.7% of the population eats at McDonald’s on a daily basis. Since I barley go to McDonald’s (sometimes we go a few times a year, when we are traveling) I couldn’t believe that 12.7% of the United States population goes to a McDonald’s everyday. How does McDonald's attract such a large population of customers? Since McDonald’s is fast, and easy – drive thru – it makes some sense. I’m curious to know the percentage of the United States population that eats from a fast food establishment (McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s etc....) on a daily basis.

Have you ever worked in the food industry? I haven't worked in the food industry; however, 1:8 Americans have worked at McDonald's. (Inside: McDonald's) With a population of 317.5 million people, that means that about 39.6875 million people will work at a McDonald's. 

As I continued to watch the film, I was able to further connect all the facts together. More Americans visit McDonald’s than any other chain, of any kind. (Inside: McDonald's) How is that more people visit McDonald’s than they do Wal-Mart or a different chain such as Target?! As someone who loves Target, I could easily go their everyday; they have everything you would ever need...clothes, food, household items, school supplies, crafts etc.... I wonder why so many people choose to eat from McDonald's, instead going to Target or another store and purchasing food to make at home?

Is It Vegan?

Just ran across a very fitting quiz on Buzzfeed; Is It Vegan? I got 5 out of 14 right. I found the facts at the end extremely interesting...

How many did you get right? http://www.buzzfeed.com/leonoraepstein/quiz-is-it-vegan

What Did I Just Eat?

Every Wednesday afternoon and Sunday morning I teach Hebrew School. Each day we have a snack break; each family is assigned a day to bring a snack, of their choice. The snack this afternoon was Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies. After I made sure all the students got a snack, I ate one. When I finished eating it, I had the empty wrapper in my hands. I began reading the ingredients and nutrition information. I was shocked and disgusted to read what was in the oatmeal cream pie; some of which are: niacin, riboflavin, sorbitan monosterate, sulfite treated, thiamine mononitrate etc.... Especially after our class discussion today I was disappointed in myself that I didn't read the ingredients ahead of time. I definitely didn't recognize more than five of the ingredients, meaning I should never have eaten it. From here on out, I will make sure to read labels before I put food into my body.

This made me realize how often this situation happens in society. When we are hungry, or offered food, we usually just eat it; neglecting to take the time to find out what really is in our foods.   

How Do You Prefer Your Food?

How do you want your food? Processed? Reconstituted? Breaded? Fried? Frozen? The choice is yours. Or is it? 

As I read the book "Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schlosser I am taken back by the shocking ways our nation produces our foods. The paragraph that bothered me the most is:

“After six months of intensive research, the Keystone lab developed new technology for the manufacture of McNuggets – small pieces of reconstituted chicken, composed mainly of white meat, that were held together by stabilizers, breaded, fried, frozen, then reheated. The initial test-marketing of McNuggets was so successful that McDonald’s enlisted another company, Tyson Foods, to guarantee an adequate supply.” (digital page 345)

First off, it is sickening to have the words food, manufacture and lab all in the same sentence. When I think of the word food, I think of family dinners around our kitchen table; with delicious food that my mom made when we were at school. When I think of the word manufacture, I think of car companies; manufacturing cars/car parts. When I think of the word lab, I think of high school biology and chemistry; creating science experiences in the lab. I definitely don’t associate these words with the way food is made; nor should these words be associated with food. I have to admit, that I am guilty to occasionally eating a McNugget or two. When we take family road trips we usually stop at a drive thru, for time’s sake.

It is very challenging to constantly find foods that: don’t have stabilizers added to them, aren’t breaded, fried, frozen or reheated. It is unfathomable to me that our food industry functions the way it does. Hopefully one day the foods we put into our bodies won’t be processed and manufactured and instead be fresh and not mass produced.     

Fresh Food vs. Fast Food

When deciding what to eat for dinner, one often chooses the easiest and fastest food choice for themselves and their families. Neglecting to figure out if it is a healthy food choice. Throughout reading the book written by Eric Schlosser “Fast Food Nation” it became very apparent to me how fast our nation has transformed. Schlosser states, “…most fast food is delivered to the restaurant already frozen, canned, dehydrated, or freeze-dried. A fast food kitchen is merely the final stage in a vast and highly complex system of mass production.” (digital page 24) When eating foods that are not freshly prepared you aren’t receiving all the nutrients that foods provide you. Not to mention fast food establishments fry and grease nearly all their food items (with the exception of salad, and apples).

The most shocking fact that I read was “The Golden Arches are now more widely recognized than the Christian cross.” (digital page 28) Connecting information to each other throughout the book made me realize just how possible this situation is; “Family farms are now being replaced by gigantic corporate farms with absentee owners.” (digital page 28) Fresh foods, or even fresh fruits and vegetables sadly aren’t a commonality anymore. One of my favorite memories is going to the Farmers' Market with my mom in the summers. Processed food items don't compare to the richness of fresh food. 

“The United States now has more prison inmates than full-time farmers.” (digital page 29) How could the United States end up this way? Why aren’t farmer incentive programs being created? Why are there more prison inmates than full-time farmers? Are prisons taking over land that farmers once used? Are corporate farms buying out the land? This statement disgusts me. These are questions America needs to address. 

My Comfort Food

Every Friday afternoon, as soon as the bus dropped my sister and I at our bus stop, in our neighborhood, just a few doors down from where we live, we would run home. We knew that coming home from elementary school, when we would walk into our house, it would be filled with the overwhelming scent of freshly baked challah. When we were at school our mom would spend her afternoon preparing, braiding and baking challah. Once the challah dough is made, it rises, then gets braided, and bakes. After it cools it is then covered with a challah cover. In our family my mom always used a challah cover that my sister or I had made in preschool.

Challah is the most delicious bread/food in the whole wide world (yes, better than Olga bread! We eat challah as a part of our every Friday night Shabbat dinner.   

Shabbat, Sabbath, is the Jewish day of rest, beginning at sundown on Friday till sundown on Saturday. Every Friday night dinner is Shabbat dinner. Our family (and often friends) will all get together for an enjoyable dinner, including the delicious challah. Challah is, braided bread that is sweet and painted with egg yolk. When Shabbat starts, one of the prayers that we say is over the loaf of challah.

To me, challah is a comfort food. Since I am away at school, I don’t get to walk into the door and get a strong whiff of challah being made. Despite this, every time I am home my parents will always send me back to school with a loaf of challah in hand, from my favorite Jewish bakery. My roommate looks forward to when I arrive back at school with a challah, only the best food in the world! Every though it isn’t the same as being home, it is a big comfort food to me.