Assignments
This page is home to the various assignments that I completed. Some assignments focused on me analyzing my own behavior while others forced me out of my comfort zone. Enjoy scrolling through and seeing how some of the assignments affected my individual thoughts and behavior.
My Industrial Food Diary
Day 1 (9/17/2018)
- Protein shake – frozen berries, flax seed milk, Greek yogurt, protein powder
- Woody’s chicken and rice plate
- Salad
- 2 mandarin oranges
- McDonald's cheeseburger and fries
- Chocolate milk
- Breakfast burrito (eggs, bacon, quinoa, veggies, spices)
- 2 mandarin oranges
- 1 green apple
- Oikos Triple Zero Cherry Greek Yogurt
- Chickpea pasta with marinara sauce
- Small bag of Chex mix
- Baked chicken and brown rice
- Cucumbers and red peppers
- Protein shake – frozen berries, flax seed milk, Greek yogurt, protein powder
Day two where we were not supposed to eat processed foods was rather difficult for me. I had to truly think and plan out my meals. I remember standing in my kitchen as I was deciding what to make for lunch and feeling a little lost just because I was having difficulty establishing what processed foods actually were. Despite Warner’s definition, many of the foods I eat that I would consider on the healthier side are actually quite processed such as flax seed milk and Greek yogurt. I typically try to eat plain Greek yogurt with frozen fruit in it but because I was working early in the morning I did not have the time to put the ingredients in a plastic container before I had to rush out the door (this may have more to do with poor time management but that is a problem to be discussed another time). I had made a breakfast burrito the night before because I knew if I did not properly plan my meals I would be grabbing a frozen waffle or bagel, both of which are items I would not be able to make within my own kitchen. I will say that this assignment did help me realize that while time seems to be my enemy, there are ways that I could improve my diet and fill it with more wholesome, nutritious foods. Chelsea Fagan offers some great tips in her article “How to Be Your Own Italian Grandmother” such as making the portion sizes big enough so you have dinner and lunch, keeping the spice rack full, and making things in bigger batches and then just freezing the rest (p. 57). Some of things will be more feasible when I do not live with three other people; however, I think the most important tip I could follow right now is making my meals last for both dinner and lunch. I used to do this over the summer but once school came around and I got distracted by classes and other obligations, meal prepping my food became a thing of the past. With a little conscious effort, I think I really could change my eating habits so that they reflect the things I stand for such as good health and respecting our earth. We get so wrapped up in our busy lives that many times we forget to take a step back and realize while we have the ability to eat as many processed items as possible, the choices we make are going to affect us in the present but will also have long-term, potentially hidden impacts on both our health and the planet. While I do not see myself completing giving up processed foods any time soon, I would like to remind myself it is okay to take a breather every once in a while and just prepare a meal that is fun and enjoyable to make both prepare and consume.
Looking at Food Through a Different Lens
A person’s fridge can be a lot more revealing than one may think. Not only does it contain the day to day food items that are being consumed, but it also may reveal aspects of people’s lives they may not think about as much such as their cultural practices, income levels, and taste and food preferences. The photograph I obtained is from a family of four- a mom, a dad, and two boys both in their adolescence. Initially looking at the picture my first thought is “wow that is a lot of food!” The freezer space particularly stands out to me because it is filled to the brink with processed food items such as garlic toast, perogies and frozen chicken nuggets. The perogies are interesting because that may indicate some cultural reasoning behind some of their meals. Perogies are a traditional polish dish that are typically made of this dough like pastry filled with a variety of food items, which in this case are onion (although my suspicion is that is potato and onion – most industrial made perogies are filled with mashed potatoes). Perogies take an incredibly long time to make so one may assume that while they value their ethnic background and enjoy those certain types of food, they still have very busy lives and may not have the time to spend hours or even days preparing homemade perogies. The fact that this family seems to rely heavily on already made food items that take little to no time to prepare indicates time is a big constraint in their household and even if they would like to prepare a homemade meal every day, that option may just not be viable. In the article by Laura Shapira, “Something from the Oven” she indicates that food companies were able to get women in the 1950s and 1960s to actually want to buy processed foods by a concept called “glamourizing” where it only took a few ingredients, yet the end product was something seen as luxurious and creative. This allowed women to feel as though they were still making hearty meals for their families without sacrificing their pride. Some of the items in the freezer can be utilized as glamourized food product such as the frozen fish or berries which can be assembled in different ways to create “sophisticated” meals that realistically only take about 15 minutes to prepare. Convenience has become as staple in the American diet and for this family, it is no different.
Another interesting aspect I noticed from this picture is that there appears to be some family members that can have dairy milk while others cannot. There is a flax milk, a small dairy milk, and some coconut and almond milk in the fridge. This seems like a lot of different varieties which may indicate that they have the funds to buy the different kinds to suit a variety of preferences. It is interesting that the smallest container of milk is the regular dairy milk which could mean either this family does not use a lot of milk in general or there is maybe only one two people that can have dairy milk. Dairy does not seem to be a general dietary restriction however because there was sour cream, yogurt and ice cream in the fridge and freezer. There is also a decent amount of vegetables and foods that have previously been prepared within the week and are now being stored. Despite the many contents of industrial food items held within the freezer, this family does seem to place some importance on ensuring they are getting their nutrients from whole foods. Chelsea Fagan in her article “The Financial Diet: A Total’s Beginners Guide to Getting Good with Money” makes it a point that leaning to cook can have profound impacts on the average family’s budget because often times, it is much cheaper to cook for yourself than go out to eat constantly or buy large quantities of processed foods. This family probably sits around middle-class status where they can afford to have a surplus of items that range from very processed to no processing at all. There are many spices and dressings contained on the door of the refrigerator which indicates that there does seem to be a decent amount of cooking that happens in this family. This family also does consume alcohol based on the Miller Lite can stored carelessly on the side door of the fridge. This would further indicate they are no influence by certain religious practices that may abstain one from drinking.
Overall this experience was quite interesting because we never really think about how much our food preferences can say about ourselves and others. While food can be revealing, it is important to note that we cannot gather all the necessary information simply from one picture. The way we grew up around food influences much our preferences later in our lives. Processed foods do not indicate poor income status nor does fruits and vegetables indicate a high-income family. Perhaps it is time that makes a family more drawn to processed foods or maybe it is a simple aversion to spending time in the kitchen because they were never taught how to cook by their families. A family with kids is interesting because sometimes kids just become picky eaters and instead of constantly battling over a plate of vegetables, it may be easier to just hand them a plate of chicken nuggets and call it a day. Whatever the case may be, this just goes to show that food preferences are complex in nature. There are a variety of factors that influence the way we eat. Just as you cannot judge someone based upon how they look, you cannot get the full story from a picture of a person’s refrigerator. Food is only one aspect of an extremely complicated and dynamic social process that dictates how we make our decisions on an everyday basis. While you cannot get the full story, it does not negate how telling our food choices can reveal about ourselves on a deeper level.
A person’s fridge can be a lot more revealing than one may think. Not only does it contain the day to day food items that are being consumed, but it also may reveal aspects of people’s lives they may not think about as much such as their cultural practices, income levels, and taste and food preferences. The photograph I obtained is from a family of four- a mom, a dad, and two boys both in their adolescence. Initially looking at the picture my first thought is “wow that is a lot of food!” The freezer space particularly stands out to me because it is filled to the brink with processed food items such as garlic toast, perogies and frozen chicken nuggets. The perogies are interesting because that may indicate some cultural reasoning behind some of their meals. Perogies are a traditional polish dish that are typically made of this dough like pastry filled with a variety of food items, which in this case are onion (although my suspicion is that is potato and onion – most industrial made perogies are filled with mashed potatoes). Perogies take an incredibly long time to make so one may assume that while they value their ethnic background and enjoy those certain types of food, they still have very busy lives and may not have the time to spend hours or even days preparing homemade perogies. The fact that this family seems to rely heavily on already made food items that take little to no time to prepare indicates time is a big constraint in their household and even if they would like to prepare a homemade meal every day, that option may just not be viable. In the article by Laura Shapira, “Something from the Oven” she indicates that food companies were able to get women in the 1950s and 1960s to actually want to buy processed foods by a concept called “glamourizing” where it only took a few ingredients, yet the end product was something seen as luxurious and creative. This allowed women to feel as though they were still making hearty meals for their families without sacrificing their pride. Some of the items in the freezer can be utilized as glamourized food product such as the frozen fish or berries which can be assembled in different ways to create “sophisticated” meals that realistically only take about 15 minutes to prepare. Convenience has become as staple in the American diet and for this family, it is no different.
Another interesting aspect I noticed from this picture is that there appears to be some family members that can have dairy milk while others cannot. There is a flax milk, a small dairy milk, and some coconut and almond milk in the fridge. This seems like a lot of different varieties which may indicate that they have the funds to buy the different kinds to suit a variety of preferences. It is interesting that the smallest container of milk is the regular dairy milk which could mean either this family does not use a lot of milk in general or there is maybe only one two people that can have dairy milk. Dairy does not seem to be a general dietary restriction however because there was sour cream, yogurt and ice cream in the fridge and freezer. There is also a decent amount of vegetables and foods that have previously been prepared within the week and are now being stored. Despite the many contents of industrial food items held within the freezer, this family does seem to place some importance on ensuring they are getting their nutrients from whole foods. Chelsea Fagan in her article “The Financial Diet: A Total’s Beginners Guide to Getting Good with Money” makes it a point that leaning to cook can have profound impacts on the average family’s budget because often times, it is much cheaper to cook for yourself than go out to eat constantly or buy large quantities of processed foods. This family probably sits around middle-class status where they can afford to have a surplus of items that range from very processed to no processing at all. There are many spices and dressings contained on the door of the refrigerator which indicates that there does seem to be a decent amount of cooking that happens in this family. This family also does consume alcohol based on the Miller Lite can stored carelessly on the side door of the fridge. This would further indicate they are no influence by certain religious practices that may abstain one from drinking.
Overall this experience was quite interesting because we never really think about how much our food preferences can say about ourselves and others. While food can be revealing, it is important to note that we cannot gather all the necessary information simply from one picture. The way we grew up around food influences much our preferences later in our lives. Processed foods do not indicate poor income status nor does fruits and vegetables indicate a high-income family. Perhaps it is time that makes a family more drawn to processed foods or maybe it is a simple aversion to spending time in the kitchen because they were never taught how to cook by their families. A family with kids is interesting because sometimes kids just become picky eaters and instead of constantly battling over a plate of vegetables, it may be easier to just hand them a plate of chicken nuggets and call it a day. Whatever the case may be, this just goes to show that food preferences are complex in nature. There are a variety of factors that influence the way we eat. Just as you cannot judge someone based upon how they look, you cannot get the full story from a picture of a person’s refrigerator. Food is only one aspect of an extremely complicated and dynamic social process that dictates how we make our decisions on an everyday basis. While you cannot get the full story, it does not negate how telling our food choices can reveal about ourselves on a deeper level.
Disrupting “McDonaldization” while Grocery Shopping
One may come to believe that the process of McDonaldization is restricted to the fast food chain itself. However, according to George Ritzer in his work titled The McDonaldization of Society “It is possible to view a wide range of the most contemporary phenomena as being affected directly or indirectly by the McDonald’s model (and McDonaldization).” Going to the grocery store is a very routine process that includes an unspoken set of social rules most people tend to follow. People do not expect to have conversations with one another besides maybe a simple “How are you?’ and other small talk phrases. In fact, even making eye contact with one another can be seen as strange simply because we have become used to a very predictable experience of grocery shopping- that is, coming in, picking up the necessities, and leaving without so much as smiling at one another. This may not apply to grocery stores nationwide, but it is something I have noticed heavily since growing up in suburban Michigan. Everyone seems to be on the go and therefore have no time to connect with one another, especially strangers.
I decided to go out and disrupt the McDonaldization of grocery shopping during my most recent trip to Meijer. I was rather uncomfortable at first because even I follow the social norms of antisocial behavior while grocery shopping. Despite my discomfort with the situation, I decided to seek out individuals that looked as though they may be willing to share in a conversation with myself. Keeping in mind the article “How to Be Your Own Italian Grandmother” written by Chelsea Fagan, I thought asking people in the store for advice on new and exciting recipes may be a way to get people comfortable talking to me, especially they truly enjoy cooking. Most people enjoy talking about themselves and their talents so I figured I could find someone that had a lot of various ingredients in their cart that were less processed overall and ask them for some advice. As Fagan points out, “Much of our generation regards home cooking as simultaneously scary and far too much of a hassle” which is exactly how I feel about cooking. I decided to ask a woman with 2 kids in the pasta isle how I could make pasta more interesting beyond simply just cooking noodles and pouring some jarred tomato sauce on top. I was taken back because she responded so politely and seemed genuinely interested in helping me come up with new pasta ideas. She actually ended up giving me an idea of how to make shrimp scampi where you only use one pan. She said her kids loved that dish and it is quite healthy because all the ingredients are made at home. It was so nice to hear from a mother with kids that cooking does not always have to seem as this daunting and time consuming task. I even got to say hi to her two younger children, both girls. I was nervous at first when I initially asked my question but she answered in such a warm and receiving way I forgot that I was doing this for an assignment in class. McDonaldization does not allow for these spur of the moment conversations that could actually have a lot of meaning in the end for all participants involved. Sometimes it is nice to break out of our homogenized social constructs and do something that is a little more daring. One could argue that McDonaldizing the grocery shopping experience makes it more efficient because you are able to get in and out relatively easy; however, I personally saw this experience as being quite enriching because not only was I able to make a social connection while doing a rather boring task, I also walked away from the experience having new knowledge I may not otherwise have been able to get.
One may come to believe that the process of McDonaldization is restricted to the fast food chain itself. However, according to George Ritzer in his work titled The McDonaldization of Society “It is possible to view a wide range of the most contemporary phenomena as being affected directly or indirectly by the McDonald’s model (and McDonaldization).” Going to the grocery store is a very routine process that includes an unspoken set of social rules most people tend to follow. People do not expect to have conversations with one another besides maybe a simple “How are you?’ and other small talk phrases. In fact, even making eye contact with one another can be seen as strange simply because we have become used to a very predictable experience of grocery shopping- that is, coming in, picking up the necessities, and leaving without so much as smiling at one another. This may not apply to grocery stores nationwide, but it is something I have noticed heavily since growing up in suburban Michigan. Everyone seems to be on the go and therefore have no time to connect with one another, especially strangers.
I decided to go out and disrupt the McDonaldization of grocery shopping during my most recent trip to Meijer. I was rather uncomfortable at first because even I follow the social norms of antisocial behavior while grocery shopping. Despite my discomfort with the situation, I decided to seek out individuals that looked as though they may be willing to share in a conversation with myself. Keeping in mind the article “How to Be Your Own Italian Grandmother” written by Chelsea Fagan, I thought asking people in the store for advice on new and exciting recipes may be a way to get people comfortable talking to me, especially they truly enjoy cooking. Most people enjoy talking about themselves and their talents so I figured I could find someone that had a lot of various ingredients in their cart that were less processed overall and ask them for some advice. As Fagan points out, “Much of our generation regards home cooking as simultaneously scary and far too much of a hassle” which is exactly how I feel about cooking. I decided to ask a woman with 2 kids in the pasta isle how I could make pasta more interesting beyond simply just cooking noodles and pouring some jarred tomato sauce on top. I was taken back because she responded so politely and seemed genuinely interested in helping me come up with new pasta ideas. She actually ended up giving me an idea of how to make shrimp scampi where you only use one pan. She said her kids loved that dish and it is quite healthy because all the ingredients are made at home. It was so nice to hear from a mother with kids that cooking does not always have to seem as this daunting and time consuming task. I even got to say hi to her two younger children, both girls. I was nervous at first when I initially asked my question but she answered in such a warm and receiving way I forgot that I was doing this for an assignment in class. McDonaldization does not allow for these spur of the moment conversations that could actually have a lot of meaning in the end for all participants involved. Sometimes it is nice to break out of our homogenized social constructs and do something that is a little more daring. One could argue that McDonaldizing the grocery shopping experience makes it more efficient because you are able to get in and out relatively easy; however, I personally saw this experience as being quite enriching because not only was I able to make a social connection while doing a rather boring task, I also walked away from the experience having new knowledge I may not otherwise have been able to get.
Vegetarian Debate
Question: Do we have an ethical obligation to be vegetarians?
Point of view I will be debating: We do not have an ethical obligation to be vegetarians.
Debate Points:
Question: Do we have an ethical obligation to be vegetarians?
Point of view I will be debating: We do not have an ethical obligation to be vegetarians.
Debate Points:
- If we go back to pasture-based animal raising (having animals eat grass and other products they normally would in the wild) we can reduce our need to grow as much corn and soybeans. We can also be less dependent on chemicals and machinery.
- Pasture-raised animals have better lives and are more environmentally sustainable.
- Meat eating is a part of the American value system but many people believe that every animal should be provided a decent life and a humane death.
- Meat eating is natural because a vast number of animals in nature eat the flesh of other animals.
- Meat has been the basis for survival. From an evolutionary standpoint meat provided a more calorie dense nutrients with less chewing and the taste was easier to digest than root vegetables (which also offer more calorie dense nutrients than some other plant-based foods). By eating meat humans spent less time chewing so they had more time to do other activities and their brain could spend more time developing. We can easily have a nutrient dense diet but from an evolutionary standpoint, our genes have evolved based on meat, so we cannot be sure where the future will go. Our brains require large amounts of energy to sustain it.
- Kluger, J. (2016.) Sorry Vegans: Here’s How Meat Eating Made Us Human. Retrieved from http://time.com/4252373/meat-eating-veganism-evolution/
- Carbon farming can be a good way to allow people to eat beef while offsetting the large carbon footprint beef production has on the environment. These pasture systems combine trees, livestock and grazing. The trees provide shade, timber and food for the livestock. Carbon can be captured in the trees and soil which will help offset the greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere.
- A study in Columbia found that the emissions from the livestock were equal to a quarter to a half of the carbon sequestered in the soils and trees.
- Shade reduces the stress on livestock which can allow them to be more productive.
- This combined with people demanding less meat could have a positive impact on the climate.
- Grass also prevents erosion which is commonly found on conventional farming systems.
- Toensmeier, E. (2018). How Can We Make Beef Less Terrible for the Environment. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/theworldpost/wp/2018/05/30/carbon-farming/?utm_term=.1b6c4cb90c8a
- Agriculture contributes only 9% of greenhouse gas emissions in the US where transportation and electricity contribute 56% of greenhouse gas emissions (burning fossil fuels).
- Management of agriculture soils accounts for over half of the emissions from the agriculture economic sector. Specific activities that contribute to N2O emissions from agricultural lands include the application of synthetic and organic fertilizers, the growth of nitrogen-fixing crops like soybeans, the drainage of organic soil, and irrigation practices.
- Both of the above sources come the Environmental Protection Agency.
- Eating animals can remind ourselves of our animal nature. We, just like animals are made of flesh and bones and will eventually one day die. When we kill other animals for sustenance it can reinforce our interconnectedness within the planet- as long as it is done humanely. It can in turn allow us to appreciate our planet more than we do now if we believe that our successes come from the consumption of eating plants and animals. You cannot prevent suffering in this world.
- There can be a harmonious balance in the food chain.
- We see sacrifice in many contexts as being highly honorable. If we treat killing animals as a sacrifice on their part for us, it can actually lead to greater appreciation of that animal.
- Mark, J. (2017). Toward a Moral Case for Eating Meat. Retrieved from https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/green-life/toward-moral-case-for-meat-eating
- No animal deserves to live forever which includes humans. If our remains can go back to the earth and continue to nourish generations to come than there is some social good to eating meat. Our dead bodies will one day nourish the organisms that break us down and then the soil. It is all a part of the circle of life.
- This come from the same source as above.