Industrial Food Diary 09/19/18
This experience was quite challenging, as I expected. The first day of eating was obviously much easier than the second. Although I did not have to change any of my eating habits on day one, I found that I was much more self-conscious and aware of what I was eating due to having to write it down. The second day was a Saturday, this was difficult. I quickly realized that I had no foods that were unprocessed in my dorm. I had foods that author Laura Shapiro would consider modern day “convenience foods” (Shapiro, p. 46). Eating a meal in the dining hall was particularly difficult because I was unsure where the food had come from. I found that breakfast was the easiest meal to find unprocessed or lightly processed choices. I could choose from a few different kinds of fruit, hard-boiled eggs, black coffee, tea, and even a honey wheat bagel.
After reading Pandora’s Lunchbox I’m starting to wonder if there actually are any foods that are unprocessed. I know that that sounds drastic, but it seems as if every food available to me either is made on an assembly line or has been chemically altered to last longer on the shelf. I am definitely more aware of what goes on before the food gets on my plate. In “The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food,” author Michael Moss discusses “the body’s fragile controls on overeating” and “the hidden power of junk foods to make people feel hungrier still,” (Moss, p. 1). This was extremely apparent in the first day of this challenge. I noticed I ate much larger portions and more food in general. I was less satisfied after each meal and wanted to eat more. I have always known these traits of junk food to be true, but it was eye-opening to see it happen to myself first hand.
I would say that this challenge discouraged me more than anything. It was so difficult to find foods that were unprocessed available in the dining hall, my primary source of food. I think that if I had a kitchen to cook in that this challenge would’ve been a lot more enjoyable. I enjoy eating healthful meals and I do so when I’m at home, but it was such a hassle to do here at school and I was still unsure if the foods that seemed to be/should be unprocessed actually were. Even though it was difficult, I did notice differences in how I felt each day and am going to make a conscious effort to look harder for minimally processed foods in the dining halls.
Day 1 (Regular Eating)
After reading Pandora’s Lunchbox I’m starting to wonder if there actually are any foods that are unprocessed. I know that that sounds drastic, but it seems as if every food available to me either is made on an assembly line or has been chemically altered to last longer on the shelf. I am definitely more aware of what goes on before the food gets on my plate. In “The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food,” author Michael Moss discusses “the body’s fragile controls on overeating” and “the hidden power of junk foods to make people feel hungrier still,” (Moss, p. 1). This was extremely apparent in the first day of this challenge. I noticed I ate much larger portions and more food in general. I was less satisfied after each meal and wanted to eat more. I have always known these traits of junk food to be true, but it was eye-opening to see it happen to myself first hand.
I would say that this challenge discouraged me more than anything. It was so difficult to find foods that were unprocessed available in the dining hall, my primary source of food. I think that if I had a kitchen to cook in that this challenge would’ve been a lot more enjoyable. I enjoy eating healthful meals and I do so when I’m at home, but it was such a hassle to do here at school and I was still unsure if the foods that seemed to be/should be unprocessed actually were. Even though it was difficult, I did notice differences in how I felt each day and am going to make a conscious effort to look harder for minimally processed foods in the dining halls.
Day 1 (Regular Eating)
- dark chocolate almond kind bar
- seasoned potatoes
- garden vegetable quiche
- blueberry muffin
- asiago bagel and cream cheese
- cheese pizza
- garlic breadsticks
- frosted mini wheats
- caramel latte
- water
Day 2 (Avoiding Processed foods)
- fruit salad (strawberries, grapes, pineapple, raspberries)
- black coffee
- whole wheat toast w/ peanut butter
- carrot sticks and ranch
- chicken Caesar salad
- water
- green apple
- dark chocolate almond kind bar
Refrigerator Photograph 10/3/18
What do the contents of their fridge actually reveal about a family? Well, by simply looking at this photograph, it seems as if this family just hit the grocery store. The shelves in both the freezer and fridge are stocked full. The first thing I noticed is the amount of fresh fruit. There are tons of apples in the bottom crisper and some scattered throughout the shelves (I’m assuming the owners of this fridge recently went apple picking since there is an apple orchard not too far from their house), along with grapes and strawberries. The next thing I noticed were the beverages. The three gallons of milk in the door give me the impression that young children live in the house and that whole milk is their drink of choice. There are also two containers of orange juice and coffee creamer. It’s surprising to see no soda or alcoholic drinks on the shelves because it is easy to assume that those are just common contents of the American fridge. It’s quite prominent that this is a family of dairy lovers due to not only the milk, but also the drawer filled with cheese, the containers of yogurt, and the various types of butter. I do not see any fresh vegetables in the fridge but multiple bags of frozen vegetables in the freezer. This could mean that they have busy schedules and frozen vegetables are more practical, or maybe the children prefer fruit instead; getting children to eat vegetables is no easy task. One thing that I cannot seem to find in this photo is any meat, it is possible that they purchase their meat in scarce amounts to prevent waste, but it seems as if they could more possibly be a dairy-loving family of vegetarians.
Since I physically took this photo myself, I am aware of the area that this family lives in. But if I was just simply given this photo to analyze with no background on it, it would be relatively easy to tell that they live close to a supermarket due to the excessive amount of fresh fruit, gallons of milk, and variety of foods inside their refrigerator. In The American Way of Eating, by Tracie McMillan, she discusses food deserts or “a community with insufficient grocery stores for its population” (McMillan, pg. 6). It is obvious that this family does not live in a food desert simply by the contents of their fridge. This photo could also suggest that this family has a sufficient enough income where they can comfortably purchase healthier foods, a luxury that many families do not have. Obviously, it is not possible to know every detail about a family by only looking at the items inside of their fridge. But it is simple to make assumptions about their lifestyle, eating habits, and income level based on the food that they purchase.
Since I physically took this photo myself, I am aware of the area that this family lives in. But if I was just simply given this photo to analyze with no background on it, it would be relatively easy to tell that they live close to a supermarket due to the excessive amount of fresh fruit, gallons of milk, and variety of foods inside their refrigerator. In The American Way of Eating, by Tracie McMillan, she discusses food deserts or “a community with insufficient grocery stores for its population” (McMillan, pg. 6). It is obvious that this family does not live in a food desert simply by the contents of their fridge. This photo could also suggest that this family has a sufficient enough income where they can comfortably purchase healthier foods, a luxury that many families do not have. Obviously, it is not possible to know every detail about a family by only looking at the items inside of their fridge. But it is simple to make assumptions about their lifestyle, eating habits, and income level based on the food that they purchase.
Mcdonaldization Exercise 10/29/18
For this assignment, I went to my favorite McDonaldized department store, Target. Usually when I shop at Target I have no specific items that I need in mind, I just aimlessly wander around the place and buy whatever I like. But this time, I walked straight to the clothing section, found the first employee I saw, a brunette woman named Emily possibly in her late twenties or early thirties, and asked, “excuse me, would you mind helping pick out an outfit for me?”. Emily’s immediate reaction was confusion, she almost looked startled by a shopper asking for her input. But then soon after she smiled and said, “I’d be happy to help, what’s the occasion?” I told her that I was going out to dinner with friends this weekend. We walked around the clothing section and she asked me questions like “is it a fancy dinner or casual?” and “do you like bright colors or darker ones?”. I feel like I hit the employee jackpot because Emily clearly liked fashion. This interaction went on for about fifteen minutes before I felt like I was taking too much time out of her day. Together, we decided on a pair of maroon jeans and a grey sweater. When we were done, I said thank you and we exchanged goodbyes. Before going into the store, I had to give myself a pep-talk in the car because this quest was completely out of my comfort zone. But after the first few minutes, it felt like I was shopping with a friend.
McDonaldization has its pros and cons. One pro being convenience. In “The Tyranny of Convenience”, author Tim Wu states that convenience “has emerged as perhaps the most powerful force shaping our individual lives and our economies” (pg. 1). And it’s true, it seems as if everyone is always on a time crunch and getting in and out of places as fast as possible is more appealing than interacting with others. Target allows customers to do this by having self-checkouts, displays with the week’s popular items to grab quickly, and they even have pharmacies in the store. Another pro to McDonaldization according to George Ritzer, author of The McDonaldization of Society, is that “availability of goods and services depends far less than before on time and geographic location” (pg. 19). Targets are beginning to pop up all over the place, a second one was just recently built in my hometown. This allows shoppers to have easy access to the array of goods that target has to offer. The major con of McDonaldization is lack of human interaction. Most people go in and out of a store without a single interaction and McDonaldization is to blame. I am guilty of this myself, when I go into stores I purposely avoid other people simply to just have that time to myself. I am happy that I stepped out of my comfort zone and did this, Emily made my experience so pleasant. With that being said, I also understand that life is busy and interactions like this with others take the time that some might not have to spare.
McDonaldization has its pros and cons. One pro being convenience. In “The Tyranny of Convenience”, author Tim Wu states that convenience “has emerged as perhaps the most powerful force shaping our individual lives and our economies” (pg. 1). And it’s true, it seems as if everyone is always on a time crunch and getting in and out of places as fast as possible is more appealing than interacting with others. Target allows customers to do this by having self-checkouts, displays with the week’s popular items to grab quickly, and they even have pharmacies in the store. Another pro to McDonaldization according to George Ritzer, author of The McDonaldization of Society, is that “availability of goods and services depends far less than before on time and geographic location” (pg. 19). Targets are beginning to pop up all over the place, a second one was just recently built in my hometown. This allows shoppers to have easy access to the array of goods that target has to offer. The major con of McDonaldization is lack of human interaction. Most people go in and out of a store without a single interaction and McDonaldization is to blame. I am guilty of this myself, when I go into stores I purposely avoid other people simply to just have that time to myself. I am happy that I stepped out of my comfort zone and did this, Emily made my experience so pleasant. With that being said, I also understand that life is busy and interactions like this with others take the time that some might not have to spare.