“Food in our culture is one aspect of a larger nightmare”. I guess there are different meanings to this quote to different people. Someone can argue that the foods they are eating now are perfect and that they would not change one thing about it at all. However another might argue the fact that the food we are consuming now and producing is a living nightmare and we must change it as soon as possible. And then the devil’s advocate might say, hey, these are just your opinion; someone else is always going to have a different opinion then you. I guess all that matters, is what works for someone. Someone who is obese might say everything is great, the food is great, and life is great, when someone who is an anorexic might say he/she does not need food in their life. Their life is great and always will without food.
In my opinion I think that the food in our culture as of now is not a total nightmare just yet. Yes, we might have millions of fast food franchise all luring us in wanting us to spend our precious money to buy their unhealthy food but I feel that we have a choice on what it is we want to eat. Sure, some choose to eat fast food because well its fast food… but like I said, they chose to eat that. Surely they can take 15 minutes out of their busy life and just go somewhere else that won’t kill their liver and body but they don’t, they CHOOSE to eat at McDonalds and Wendy’s. Although the food in our culture has yet reached a total nightmare, I believe we are very close. Our way of living is solely based on industrial life, and machinery. We depend on machines to do our job too much that I am afraid that come a time we won’t be able to fend for ourselves because we depend on machines so much.
Not only do people rely on machines to do their job, we are also in the crisis of Peak Oil. Not only do we rely on machines to do our job, but we use a lot of oil in the process as well. What used to be, people walking or even taking their bikes to work, nowadays people rely on their cars way too much. Even if its taking a ride to a McDonalds 15 minutes away… people rather take the easy way out to fill their bodies with poison.
In a way though I do feel that the food in our culture is beginning to take form to become a total nightmare, based on all the facts that are around us. It is sad to hear and read that almost half the human population is obese, not just in America but countries around us as well. For example, France has one of the highest obese rates, and in some ways they eat healthier than us; however they do cook all their meals with lots of butter and margarines. It is also sad to hear about people wasting food when there are countries that can barely keep up with their food production let along feed their families.
The way people prepare and get their food these days is somewhat of a downfall. According to text and movies, such as “Fast Food Nation” and “Daily Bread” the way our food is being slaughtered are horrendous. In one skit of the movie in “Fast Food Nation” we see a big executive in large fast food cooperation go into one of his franchise and order a sandwich. It then that we see one of the workers, flat out spit into his sandwich as he is preparing it. Also in the movie “Daily Bread” we see that the workers, who are slaughtering the cows, show no sign of emotions as the cows are being sliced and diced right in their face. I guess the slaughter houses teach the workers to show no sign of emotions since all they care about is the money and not the animal’s feelings.
There was another film that I saw in class that explained how people dealt with their problems when oil was simply unavailable for them. The whole community put aside their problems and differences and just learned to work together to try and keep their small community afloat. Without oil and machines to help them, they learned to grow foods the old fashion way. And towards the end they were able to have a functional community without the dependency of oil and machinery to help them.
I feel that in order for our society today to be able to live longer when oil is no longer available for us, and machines can’t fulfill our jobs, we have to learn how to do things ourselves. People have to stop depending on industrial life, and start focusing on how to plant and grow things because the time when the industrial life falls will be upon us and until then people have to start having a change of heart and start taking this issue into mind!
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Past, Present, Future... of Food
Food is everywhere around us. Everywhere you look you can find at least one person munching down on something. Whether you are at the ballpark and thousands of people are around you eating a hotdog or two, scarfing down some nachos and inhaling beer or maybe you are at movies, and you look to your left and to your right and 1 out of 2 people have bags of popcorn, a drink and candy. Food is almost inevitable to most if not all people just like some people believe that Judgment Day is inevitable. However, that may be the problem nowadays, the fact that food is always around us no matter where you look. That can be the downfall to life as we know it.
In the past, food was as normal as it can get. Local farmers would grow the food, and then sell it at a farmers market, much like we have today. Not many people cared about getting food prepared as quickly as possible just to make a quick buck. Food was treated with a kind of respect, making sure that things were cooked properly and efficiently. There were hardly any fast food chains like the ones we have today that flood the blocks we live on. There were hardly any news on people dieing because of the undercook meat they ate, or because of the disease they gotten. Before fast food franchises hit the market, places like France was a place where home cooked meals were eaten almost every meal. For lunch, they would head home from their jobs, just to have a nice home cooked meal, whereas nowadays, for lunch people just head to the nearest McDonald’s and grab something quick to eat, where they would go hungry again in about an hour or so. Although back then when people would go home to have a home cook meal, the France did cook a lot of their meals in a lot of butter and margarine and always had wine to drink in every meal. This lead to a few cases of obesity but nothing serious like the cases we have today. I guess you can say that fast food franchises are the downfall to human society.
As of now, the food in our society can do much better compared to the past. As of now, fast food franchises have totally taking a huge impact on how people eat. What used to be people eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner at home, nowadays people choose to eat out rather than eat a home cook meal. Sure, eating out is a much quicker way, since you don’t have to cook or clean, but to just pay and eat, it is also bad for the body. What make the food taste good are all the different seasonings and things they put in the food to enhance the taste so that you would come back again and again. Companies like these hardly care about the quality of the food but the quantity. If they can make their food in lightening speed and also make it taste good enough, then they will do it at no expense. For example, in fast food Chinese restaurants, the reason it taste so good and why it appears in front of you so quickly is because of what they put in that they specifically say they don’t: MSG! This special ingredient heightens the taste of the food to great extent but also is bad for your body in the long run. Also people who eat fast food like McDonald’s for every meal every single day, eventually all that sugar and fat will catch up to them and eventually take a toll on their body. People know all these facts from TV commercials and newspaper articles but yet they still do this to their own bodies. They know the dangerous effects of eating fast food every single day yet they still eat it every day because it’s quick and cheap. This is why when you are walking down the streets you see obese people walking, when you head to the beach to have a good time there is a chance you will catch a glimpse of at least one obese person. Like is said before food is here and it is inevitable.
I feel that in the future things will just keep on getting worst if people don’t change their eating ways. Things will also continue to get worst if they don’t do something about the way their food is being harvested and prepared. People have to learn the ways of growing and producing their own food and learning not to rely on oil and machinery to do their jobs or else food WILL be the downfall to human society.
In the past, food was as normal as it can get. Local farmers would grow the food, and then sell it at a farmers market, much like we have today. Not many people cared about getting food prepared as quickly as possible just to make a quick buck. Food was treated with a kind of respect, making sure that things were cooked properly and efficiently. There were hardly any fast food chains like the ones we have today that flood the blocks we live on. There were hardly any news on people dieing because of the undercook meat they ate, or because of the disease they gotten. Before fast food franchises hit the market, places like France was a place where home cooked meals were eaten almost every meal. For lunch, they would head home from their jobs, just to have a nice home cooked meal, whereas nowadays, for lunch people just head to the nearest McDonald’s and grab something quick to eat, where they would go hungry again in about an hour or so. Although back then when people would go home to have a home cook meal, the France did cook a lot of their meals in a lot of butter and margarine and always had wine to drink in every meal. This lead to a few cases of obesity but nothing serious like the cases we have today. I guess you can say that fast food franchises are the downfall to human society.
As of now, the food in our society can do much better compared to the past. As of now, fast food franchises have totally taking a huge impact on how people eat. What used to be people eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner at home, nowadays people choose to eat out rather than eat a home cook meal. Sure, eating out is a much quicker way, since you don’t have to cook or clean, but to just pay and eat, it is also bad for the body. What make the food taste good are all the different seasonings and things they put in the food to enhance the taste so that you would come back again and again. Companies like these hardly care about the quality of the food but the quantity. If they can make their food in lightening speed and also make it taste good enough, then they will do it at no expense. For example, in fast food Chinese restaurants, the reason it taste so good and why it appears in front of you so quickly is because of what they put in that they specifically say they don’t: MSG! This special ingredient heightens the taste of the food to great extent but also is bad for your body in the long run. Also people who eat fast food like McDonald’s for every meal every single day, eventually all that sugar and fat will catch up to them and eventually take a toll on their body. People know all these facts from TV commercials and newspaper articles but yet they still do this to their own bodies. They know the dangerous effects of eating fast food every single day yet they still eat it every day because it’s quick and cheap. This is why when you are walking down the streets you see obese people walking, when you head to the beach to have a good time there is a chance you will catch a glimpse of at least one obese person. Like is said before food is here and it is inevitable.
I feel that in the future things will just keep on getting worst if people don’t change their eating ways. Things will also continue to get worst if they don’t do something about the way their food is being harvested and prepared. People have to learn the ways of growing and producing their own food and learning not to rely on oil and machinery to do their jobs or else food WILL be the downfall to human society.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
IFS Paper
“Good afternoon, welcome to Dunkin’ Donuts/Baskin Robbins, how may I take your order?” “Yea, can I get a sausage egg and cheese combo, with an extra large coffee, light on the half and half with about 5 sugars, and also throw in a chocolate sprinkled donut as well.” “Would you like any then else with that sir, maybe one of our new freshly made cookies or biscuits?” “Hmm… no it’s okay, maybe next time though.” “No problem, well here is your order sir, and you have a nice day.”
Day after day, shifts after shifts, I repeat these opening words to brand new customers, some of which are locals, which I know their order like I know the back of my hand. What really surprises me every single day, is how can people eat these kind of food knowing the facts that they know, from commercials, to doctor visits. How can anyone, eat a sandwich, which its eggs are processed and freeze dried ready to warm up and serve? The meat patties which are combinations of different animal intestines, and probably the only thing that is not genetically modified - the cheese. As I watch people order the same thing every single day, injecting a large amount of sugar and calories into their body, I can’t help to question, is this why a large amount of people in the US are obese, and even though people are trying to change their eating habits, is this why it never works?
The Industrial Food System – IFS is based upon machinery allowing them to produce a large amount of their products thus leading to mass production. The IFS is also based on machinery where the products comes into no human contact, everything is done by machines. According to Martin Heidegger, he states that: “Agriculture is now a motorized food industry, the same thing in its essence as the production of corpses in the gas chambers and the extermination camps, the same thing as blockades and the reduction of countries to famine, the same thing as the manufacture of hydrogen bombs.” When I read that I felt that Heidegger was trying to get across the fact that the way we produce our food is like a natural disaster. Not only is mass production going to be Earth’s downfall I started thinking about Peak Oil and how that is going to affect our future. I start thinking about how almost everything we do in our life, getting our groceries for our dinner, going to the movies, exporting and importing foods, all depends on oil and the industrial life. However as we keep on using up the oil that is limited in our life, pretty soon we are going to use it all up and then most people are not going to know what to do then because they are so wrapped around the idea of allowing machine to do manual labor.
Michael Pollen states: “Very much like a pre-modern city, however, teeming and filthy and stinking, with open sewers, unpaved roads, and choking air rendered visible by dust” In this quote Michael Pollen is describing a feedlot. A feedlot is an environment that is very uncomfortable and very filthy where animals live. Feedlots are designed to be huge, however they use up as much room as possible therefore stuffing animals tightly together as possible. The conditions that animals endure in feedlots are terrifying compared to animals raised on a farm. Not only are the living quarters horrible for the animals but the way they are killed are even more gruesome. Based on a movie called “Daily Bread” cows are literally dazed first with an electric gun, and then they are lifted and transported ready to be killed and washed. However according to the movie, the people who kill and clean the cows, are mostly illegal immigrants therefore they do not have the necessary training to properly kill and clean an animal so therefore some of its excrement drip onto the conveyor belt where other animals are being transported. And that is literally how people are eating “shit” in their food.
I guess all in all not many if not all people do not know the process in which their food is being prepared and what exactly is on their plate. The people who eat at fast food restaurants constantly might actually be eating “shit” or maybe spit… who knows. I know that it is almost entirely impossible to convince everyone to stop eating fast food based on the information I picked up, but it is always worth a shot to convince most people if not all. And who knows, maybe if one person is convinced, that person can convince others, thus leading to others, and maybe someday, everybody!
Day after day, shifts after shifts, I repeat these opening words to brand new customers, some of which are locals, which I know their order like I know the back of my hand. What really surprises me every single day, is how can people eat these kind of food knowing the facts that they know, from commercials, to doctor visits. How can anyone, eat a sandwich, which its eggs are processed and freeze dried ready to warm up and serve? The meat patties which are combinations of different animal intestines, and probably the only thing that is not genetically modified - the cheese. As I watch people order the same thing every single day, injecting a large amount of sugar and calories into their body, I can’t help to question, is this why a large amount of people in the US are obese, and even though people are trying to change their eating habits, is this why it never works?
The Industrial Food System – IFS is based upon machinery allowing them to produce a large amount of their products thus leading to mass production. The IFS is also based on machinery where the products comes into no human contact, everything is done by machines. According to Martin Heidegger, he states that: “Agriculture is now a motorized food industry, the same thing in its essence as the production of corpses in the gas chambers and the extermination camps, the same thing as blockades and the reduction of countries to famine, the same thing as the manufacture of hydrogen bombs.” When I read that I felt that Heidegger was trying to get across the fact that the way we produce our food is like a natural disaster. Not only is mass production going to be Earth’s downfall I started thinking about Peak Oil and how that is going to affect our future. I start thinking about how almost everything we do in our life, getting our groceries for our dinner, going to the movies, exporting and importing foods, all depends on oil and the industrial life. However as we keep on using up the oil that is limited in our life, pretty soon we are going to use it all up and then most people are not going to know what to do then because they are so wrapped around the idea of allowing machine to do manual labor.
Michael Pollen states: “Very much like a pre-modern city, however, teeming and filthy and stinking, with open sewers, unpaved roads, and choking air rendered visible by dust” In this quote Michael Pollen is describing a feedlot. A feedlot is an environment that is very uncomfortable and very filthy where animals live. Feedlots are designed to be huge, however they use up as much room as possible therefore stuffing animals tightly together as possible. The conditions that animals endure in feedlots are terrifying compared to animals raised on a farm. Not only are the living quarters horrible for the animals but the way they are killed are even more gruesome. Based on a movie called “Daily Bread” cows are literally dazed first with an electric gun, and then they are lifted and transported ready to be killed and washed. However according to the movie, the people who kill and clean the cows, are mostly illegal immigrants therefore they do not have the necessary training to properly kill and clean an animal so therefore some of its excrement drip onto the conveyor belt where other animals are being transported. And that is literally how people are eating “shit” in their food.
I guess all in all not many if not all people do not know the process in which their food is being prepared and what exactly is on their plate. The people who eat at fast food restaurants constantly might actually be eating “shit” or maybe spit… who knows. I know that it is almost entirely impossible to convince everyone to stop eating fast food based on the information I picked up, but it is always worth a shot to convince most people if not all. And who knows, maybe if one person is convinced, that person can convince others, thus leading to others, and maybe someday, everybody!
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
What's Good For People To Eat - Rough Draft
Throughout my life, every since I can remember, all the way to when I was still a young boy, I was told to eat a certain kind of food everyday and to always limit the number amount of servings and portions on others. I guess through all the panics and the worrisome, have caused people to change their diet drastically. Food was never a life threatening issue. People in France cooked their meals with loads of oil and cook huge servings. Meat was never feared of giving people diseases and people did not look at their weight as an issue. However as time changes, people change as well. What use to be just a needle in a haystack has blown up world wide. People now a day are starting to notice their waistline get bigger and bigger by the day. People have stopped eating beef for the fear of mad cow disease, yet the majority of the people in the U.S. and in France can’t stop eating at McDonald’s and Burger King and Wendy’s and all the fast food chains. They want to cut their waistline and unplug their arteries yet they go to these fast food chains for a “quick fix.” Some even eat these for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner!!! With such a huge issue now on food, nutritionists came up with different diets that people can follow to steer them away from food that can increase that waist line. Such diets for example, include the famous Atkins Diet, a vegan diet, the Mediterranean Diet, and then just the Normal US Diet. (just to name a few) I feel that all these diets, such as the Atkins Diet, Mediterranean Diet, etc. are all a big joke. Americans and people around the world do not need a guide to tell them what is ok to eat and what is not. People now a day are always on a rush and simply do not have the time to sit down and eat a healthy meal so instead they grab for the closest and most convenient food, fast food. People simply need to do is to watch how much they are eating and if what they are eating is going to hurt them in the long run. It’s okay for people to splurge every now and then and grab something like a Big Mac with Large Fries and a Large Coke, but they simply should not have that every single day, as shown in the movie “Super Size Me” the drastic results of eating only McDonald’s for a whole month, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
With the Atkins Diet the dieter will try to erase carbs from their body completely. Just like with any other diet out there, there are certain foods that one can and cannot eat. With the Atkins Diet, the people have to try to eat as little or no carbs at all. The Atkins Diet consists of 4 phases. Phase number one is Induction. “Induction is a brief, jump-start phase that triggers your body to predominantly burn fats. As you reduce carbs, your body will be prompted to use fat for fuel, resulting in weight loss from this fat-burning metabolism.” (http://www.atkins.com/articles/atkins-phases/phase-one/phase-1-induction) It states that induction lasts for 14 days and that after that period of time one is to see significant results. Beginning with induction is a choice, but if chosen, it will jump start a person’s weight loss as the person starts cutting back on carbs consumption. What happens during induction is when you start cutting back on carbs consumption the body starts burning fat instead. It takes about 48 hours for the body to happen and one might feel hungry and light headed for a few days until the process happens. Foods that are acceptable are:
tuna chicken oysters* beef scrambled
salmon turkey mussels* pork fried
sole duck duck lamb poached
trout goose clams bacon** soft-boiled
flounder Cornish hen squid veal hard-boiled
sardines quail shrimp ham** deviled
herring pheasant crabmeat venison omelets
• cheddar
• cow, sheep and goat cheese
• cream cheese
• Gouda
• mozzarella
• Roquefort and other blue cheeses
• Swiss
• alfalfa sprouts
• daikon
• mushrooms
• arugula
• endive
• parsley
• bok choy
• escarole
• peppers
• celery
• fennel
• radicchio
• chicory
• jicama
• radishes
• chives
• lettuce
• romaine lettuce
• cucumber
• mâche
• sorrel
• artichoke
• celery root
• pumpkin
• artichoke hearts
• rhubarb
• asparagus
• chard
• sauerkraut
• bamboo shoots
• collard greens
• scallions
• dandelion
• snow peas
• bean sprouts
• dandelion greens
• spaghetti squash
• beet greens
• eggplant
• spinach
• broccoli
• hearts of palm
• string or wax beans
• broccoli rabe
• kale
• summer squash
• Brussels sprouts
• kohlrabi
• tomato
• bean sprouts
• leeks
• turnips
• cabbage
• okra
• water chestnuts
• cauliflower
• onion
• zucchini
• crumbled crisp bacon
• grated cheese
• minced hard-boiled egg
• sautéed mushrooms
• sour cream
• Spices
• All spices to taste but make sure none contain added sugar.
• Herbs
• basil
• garlic
• rosemary
• cayenne pepper
• ginger
• sage
• cilantro
• oregano
• tarragon
• dill
• pepper
• thyme (http://www.atkins.com/articles/atkins-phases/phase-one/acceptable-foods/)
The next phase of the Atkins Diet is the Ongoing Weight Loss. During this time the dieter will boost their body’s ability to burn fat. Also they have to “Make better carbohydrate choices as you expand your taste for nutritious food” (http://www.atkins.com/articles/atkins-phases/phase-two/phase-2-ongoing-weight-loss) and what’s important is for the person to understand their own body better meaning recognizing how much carbs they are consuming and still have the ability to lose weight. During the on going weight loss, the person have the choice to experiment with their process to lose weight. The third and last phase is maintenance. In order for the Atkins Diet to succeed one have to really commit to it. It is not just something you do to lose 10 pounds and then go back to the way you were eating before. For someone to have complete success, they have to stick with it throughout, basically like a life time commitment, and only then will the results really show and “soar.
All throughout I feel that dieting is important for one to stay healthy. However to go through each step and experimenting with different diets are completely unnecessary. They only and perfect diet that I think people should try and commit to it is the “Healthy” US Diet where people just have to watch how much they are putting into their body. Consume more fruits and vegetables and balance out the dairy and poultry intake and the body should be fine. I feel that it is also for someone to splurge now and then also just to satisfy their crave as long as they don’t do it on a daily basis and they should end up fine. Also with their eating habits I feel that exercise should always be included daily. At least running for a short period or doing some sort of exercise in the morning or at night can help speed up the process.
With the Atkins Diet the dieter will try to erase carbs from their body completely. Just like with any other diet out there, there are certain foods that one can and cannot eat. With the Atkins Diet, the people have to try to eat as little or no carbs at all. The Atkins Diet consists of 4 phases. Phase number one is Induction. “Induction is a brief, jump-start phase that triggers your body to predominantly burn fats. As you reduce carbs, your body will be prompted to use fat for fuel, resulting in weight loss from this fat-burning metabolism.” (http://www.atkins.com/articles/atkins-phases/phase-one/phase-1-induction) It states that induction lasts for 14 days and that after that period of time one is to see significant results. Beginning with induction is a choice, but if chosen, it will jump start a person’s weight loss as the person starts cutting back on carbs consumption. What happens during induction is when you start cutting back on carbs consumption the body starts burning fat instead. It takes about 48 hours for the body to happen and one might feel hungry and light headed for a few days until the process happens. Foods that are acceptable are:
tuna chicken oysters* beef scrambled
salmon turkey mussels* pork fried
sole duck duck lamb poached
trout goose clams bacon** soft-boiled
flounder Cornish hen squid veal hard-boiled
sardines quail shrimp ham** deviled
herring pheasant crabmeat venison omelets
• cheddar
• cow, sheep and goat cheese
• cream cheese
• Gouda
• mozzarella
• Roquefort and other blue cheeses
• Swiss
• alfalfa sprouts
• daikon
• mushrooms
• arugula
• endive
• parsley
• bok choy
• escarole
• peppers
• celery
• fennel
• radicchio
• chicory
• jicama
• radishes
• chives
• lettuce
• romaine lettuce
• cucumber
• mâche
• sorrel
• artichoke
• celery root
• pumpkin
• artichoke hearts
• rhubarb
• asparagus
• chard
• sauerkraut
• bamboo shoots
• collard greens
• scallions
• dandelion
• snow peas
• bean sprouts
• dandelion greens
• spaghetti squash
• beet greens
• eggplant
• spinach
• broccoli
• hearts of palm
• string or wax beans
• broccoli rabe
• kale
• summer squash
• Brussels sprouts
• kohlrabi
• tomato
• bean sprouts
• leeks
• turnips
• cabbage
• okra
• water chestnuts
• cauliflower
• onion
• zucchini
• crumbled crisp bacon
• grated cheese
• minced hard-boiled egg
• sautéed mushrooms
• sour cream
• Spices
• All spices to taste but make sure none contain added sugar.
• Herbs
• basil
• garlic
• rosemary
• cayenne pepper
• ginger
• sage
• cilantro
• oregano
• tarragon
• dill
• pepper
• thyme (http://www.atkins.com/articles/atkins-phases/phase-one/acceptable-foods/)
The next phase of the Atkins Diet is the Ongoing Weight Loss. During this time the dieter will boost their body’s ability to burn fat. Also they have to “Make better carbohydrate choices as you expand your taste for nutritious food” (http://www.atkins.com/articles/atkins-phases/phase-two/phase-2-ongoing-weight-loss) and what’s important is for the person to understand their own body better meaning recognizing how much carbs they are consuming and still have the ability to lose weight. During the on going weight loss, the person have the choice to experiment with their process to lose weight. The third and last phase is maintenance. In order for the Atkins Diet to succeed one have to really commit to it. It is not just something you do to lose 10 pounds and then go back to the way you were eating before. For someone to have complete success, they have to stick with it throughout, basically like a life time commitment, and only then will the results really show and “soar.
All throughout I feel that dieting is important for one to stay healthy. However to go through each step and experimenting with different diets are completely unnecessary. They only and perfect diet that I think people should try and commit to it is the “Healthy” US Diet where people just have to watch how much they are putting into their body. Consume more fruits and vegetables and balance out the dairy and poultry intake and the body should be fine. I feel that it is also for someone to splurge now and then also just to satisfy their crave as long as they don’t do it on a daily basis and they should end up fine. Also with their eating habits I feel that exercise should always be included daily. At least running for a short period or doing some sort of exercise in the morning or at night can help speed up the process.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Associate Supermarket
As I stepped inside Associate immediately I remembered all the times I went grocery shopping with my mom and always asking her if I could have this and have that. Now I realized that all of the food that I always loved and wanted was not always healthy for you. Right away when I stepped inside the one thing that caught my eye was the hot food section. I could smell what was cooking from a mile away. Since it was still around breakfast, they had smoked sausages cooking, scrambled eggs with ham and onions, almost like an omelet to say. I was also shocked when I saw French fries but I guess there are people who like to eat that for breakfast. Right across from the hot food section they had varieties of cold sandwiches, ranging from turkey and cheese ham and cheese, sushi, and then even a 1 course meal, with rice, chicken veggies, etc. I picked one up that was turkey with Swiss cheese, lettuce tomatoes and a touch of mayo in between a poppy seed bagel. I picked another one up and it was the very same thing, turkey, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo, however this time it was on a roll instead. Right away I was surprised at the different prices between them. The one on a poppy seed bagel was $3.99; meanwhile the one on the roll was $4.99. I thought to my self, is the difference between a roll and a bagel really a dollar. To me I would prefer the bagel instead based on the looks of it. The sandwich with the bagel was more appealing and more “stacked” while the one on the roll looked kind of “flat” and not that appealing. I took a look at the ingredients between these two sandwiches and also the other ones surrounding me and right away I noticed that the ingredients were very simple. All it stated was the obvious, like the meat and the vegetables. I wondered how come it doesn’t state like the oil, and all the chemicals that are in it being that most if not all sandwiches were processed meat. I thought that maybe if it was stated and people knew the truth then they wouldn’t buy it at all and then the supermarket would loose a percent of their profits. However isn’t it better for people to know the food they are eating especially the “fast” food. For who knows, one day one of those sandwiches can be their life…
Other questions:
1. How are processed sandwiches made?
2. How come processed food is not healthy for you, what’s in it that causes that?
3. How do supermarkets determine the prices set on sandwiches such as these?
4. Do these sandwiches cause an increase on calories, cholesterol, sugar and salt intake, etc.?
5. Do supermarkets place these “processed” sandwiches right by the door instead of all the in the back where the detergent is held, to get customers to automatically see it when they come in, and purchase it right away?
Other questions:
1. How are processed sandwiches made?
2. How come processed food is not healthy for you, what’s in it that causes that?
3. How do supermarkets determine the prices set on sandwiches such as these?
4. Do these sandwiches cause an increase on calories, cholesterol, sugar and salt intake, etc.?
5. Do supermarkets place these “processed” sandwiches right by the door instead of all the in the back where the detergent is held, to get customers to automatically see it when they come in, and purchase it right away?
Fast Food
After school I was feeling very hungry due to the fact that I had skipped lunch. However, I didn’t want something like McDonald’s or Burger King, or any of those fast food restaurants because of what I learned about their food and they way it is prepared. I also have experienced working in a fast food restaurant. Working in Dunkin’ Donuts, I noticed day after day when making the sandwiches for the customers, that these sandwiches are exactly the same as the ones in McDonald’s. In order to prepare it, all I have to do is put it in the microwave to heat up and then just serve it up. When looking at the nutritional chart, I noticed that each one of the meat and cheese sandwiches had outrageous number of calories, sugar, etc.
I also didn’t want something like Chinese food because since I’m Chinese I basically eat it every night. Instead I decided to go to a Subway’s that was near my house. I figured that, that was fast food, but also healthier than say McDonald’s. I walked in and immediately all the pictures of sandwiches and the prices caught my eye. $1.99 sandwiches here, a foot long sub special here it was hard for me to choose. Just to make it easier on myself I just ordered what I always ordered when coming to Subway’s, a foot long turkey sub on hearty Italian bread. I also noticed right away that the prices on most subs had not changed that much, but what have changed was the serving size of the sandwiches. I noticed that it had gotten bigger almost.
On my turkey sub, I had lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, and a little mayo. The cashier asked me if I wanted chips and soda, and I choose 2 cookies and a drink instead.
Some people might argue that Subway’s is not fast food and that if you eat it on a consistent basis it can be healthy for you. However I don’t agree with that. I feel that Subway’s is a fast food chain. Although it’s not deep fried or injected with different hormones, it is not clear where the turkey and the chicken, or even the lettuce and tomatoes originally came from. For all we know it could’ve been injected with different chemicals to heighten the taste. Also that Subway’s commercial where the guy only ate Subway’s and lost a ton of weight is complete BS.
I also didn’t want something like Chinese food because since I’m Chinese I basically eat it every night. Instead I decided to go to a Subway’s that was near my house. I figured that, that was fast food, but also healthier than say McDonald’s. I walked in and immediately all the pictures of sandwiches and the prices caught my eye. $1.99 sandwiches here, a foot long sub special here it was hard for me to choose. Just to make it easier on myself I just ordered what I always ordered when coming to Subway’s, a foot long turkey sub on hearty Italian bread. I also noticed right away that the prices on most subs had not changed that much, but what have changed was the serving size of the sandwiches. I noticed that it had gotten bigger almost.
On my turkey sub, I had lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, and a little mayo. The cashier asked me if I wanted chips and soda, and I choose 2 cookies and a drink instead.
Some people might argue that Subway’s is not fast food and that if you eat it on a consistent basis it can be healthy for you. However I don’t agree with that. I feel that Subway’s is a fast food chain. Although it’s not deep fried or injected with different hormones, it is not clear where the turkey and the chicken, or even the lettuce and tomatoes originally came from. For all we know it could’ve been injected with different chemicals to heighten the taste. Also that Subway’s commercial where the guy only ate Subway’s and lost a ton of weight is complete BS.
Friday, February 9, 2007
In Class Questions
When I see food in front of me that looks very delicious I start getting very hungry. For some reason my brain just kick starts the part of my body that recognizes food and all of a sudden I start craving for what’s in front of me, it’s almost like I have a second stomach. Whenever I see food that is in front of me, I immediately start thinking about what I am going to eat later tonight, or later in the day. If I ate already, and I see someone else eating something that looks very good I immediately get hungry once again. I do not know why this happens to me but my brain and my stomach acts as one and sends all kind of mixed signals to make me want to eat once again.
I feel that whenever I eat a plate of pasta I get more full than when I eat a bowl of rice. In addition, I feel that cooking pasta is easier for me and I can experience with the flavors more than I can with cooking rice. Since I have an automatic rice cooker, I do not have to do much work but to add the rice and water and just hit the button down and just let it cook by itself. However, with pasta, I can change it up. I can add this, that, and all sorts of herbs and flavoring to change its flavor and make it more succulent. In addition, whenever I eat mashed potatoes I always tend to fall asleep right after. Right after I finish eating I tend to just lie on the couch, watch some T.V. and just doze off. It is the best feeling to me.
For certain people, only certain foods are healthy to them and others are fatal to them. It all depends on the kind of diet they are on or need. In general they should have a 3-course meal a day with the kind of food required in their diet. For me if I had an infinite amount of money, for my 3-day meal, it would be
• Eggs and steak, with a side of home fries, and a big bowl of mixed fruit, with a glass of milk and OJ, for breakfast.
• For lunch, I would have a nice plate of spaghetti and meatballs, with lots and lots of pasta sauce covering the entire plate and also a nice glass of frosty root beer to wash everything down.
• In addition, to finish my day, I would have a plate of smoked salmon with a touch of lemon to spice it up. I would also have a plate of assorted veggies just to balance out the nutritional meal. To finish off the night, maybe a bowl of ice cream, or fruit would be nice.
I feel that whenever I eat a plate of pasta I get more full than when I eat a bowl of rice. In addition, I feel that cooking pasta is easier for me and I can experience with the flavors more than I can with cooking rice. Since I have an automatic rice cooker, I do not have to do much work but to add the rice and water and just hit the button down and just let it cook by itself. However, with pasta, I can change it up. I can add this, that, and all sorts of herbs and flavoring to change its flavor and make it more succulent. In addition, whenever I eat mashed potatoes I always tend to fall asleep right after. Right after I finish eating I tend to just lie on the couch, watch some T.V. and just doze off. It is the best feeling to me.
For certain people, only certain foods are healthy to them and others are fatal to them. It all depends on the kind of diet they are on or need. In general they should have a 3-course meal a day with the kind of food required in their diet. For me if I had an infinite amount of money, for my 3-day meal, it would be
• Eggs and steak, with a side of home fries, and a big bowl of mixed fruit, with a glass of milk and OJ, for breakfast.
• For lunch, I would have a nice plate of spaghetti and meatballs, with lots and lots of pasta sauce covering the entire plate and also a nice glass of frosty root beer to wash everything down.
• In addition, to finish my day, I would have a plate of smoked salmon with a touch of lemon to spice it up. I would also have a plate of assorted veggies just to balance out the nutritional meal. To finish off the night, maybe a bowl of ice cream, or fruit would be nice.
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