UPDATED Final Food Paper...

Food. This is what we Americans think about 24/7 but do we really know what is behind it? I must say I earned a lot during this unit. I never really thought about food and learning about this definitely gave me insight as to what I'm eating. I always used eating as a way out. My friends and I would use that to have a reason to get to together and hang out or even just to use our time up. When I am eating i never think about what i am eating or if it is healthy for me or what's in it. But after this lesson I am paying attention carefully. So you can say I am a "Andy victim". Many people don't know what is really going on behind the food industry and we need to know.

I started to think about what I was eating and if it was really healthy for me. So I recorded what I ate for the day and didn't really notice my eating habits until I began to write the journal. My usual routine which I have to break out of is skipping breakfast. I don't eat breakfast every morning like I should. Today I skipped breakfast and for lunch I had a salami and cheese sandwich with a few pirate booties that Esther shared with me. I didn't feel a certain way because that was not want I really wanted for lunch but that was the ideal lunch due to the amount of money I had that day. With my friends our conversation was as usual. We usually talk about school, volleyball or what we are going to do later. But later in the day I was treated by Wexler to what was supposed to "the best pizza in the city". I had one slice, which cost $3.50 which I thought was insane for a slice. When I first tasted the slice it made me want to finish it quick because it was so good but after the first half of the slice I began to get full. It was a very good slice but the price was high. You can say I had a typical meal because I was with people talking about random things that are going on in life. Since I was so full from the pizza I didn't have dinner but late in the night I had two oreo's. Having oreo's before bed is like the best thing in the world to me. I might sound a little greedy and fat but that was the highlight of this day besides the "best pizza in the city". The oreo's made me feel good and want more but I know I have to limit myself. When I have oreo's I have milk with them and milk is like a big part of my life. I love milk and don't think I can live without it. Compared to the other people in my house I drink the most milk, which I need to limit myself on. Today was an overall good day. What I notice is that people use food as an activity,for conversation and to even hang out. Personally I know when I haven't seen someone in a long time I like to go out to dinner with them and that shows that we use food as a type of getaway and activity.

What kills me or annoys me the most is when I go to the doctor for a physical and I see my weight. Sometimes I think about what I should cut out but its really hard hearing that you have to cut down on the cookies and sugary drinks and drink water. They tell you to eat all these healthy foods but I find it hard to make something healthy for myself and watch my family eat something so delicious but yet harmful for them. Which one do I choose? I don't go healthy when I should be. Maybe we can make changes and see if it will help. So far the only really big change for me was I stopped eating pork. What influenced me not to eat pork was all the films we watched about the pigs. It kills me how they are treating the pigs. It makes me want to just give up meat in general.

In the films we watched such as the Meatrix and our daily bread they showed how the meat is made and what they do with the animals. The movie that had the most influence on me was Our Daily bread. I couldn't bare seeing what they do to these pigs and all I could think about was how great pernil taste which is like a Spanish classic on any occasion. But after seeing a few minutes of the movie I have not eaten pork. As of right now I don't really think about it but I know I will be faced with the temptation when it comes to getting together. In my household food is a big deal. We are a family that likes to eat which can be bad at times.I don't really know if there are any differences in what we eat compared to "Americans" because I feel like we all generally eat the same thing. In my house we use, seasonings such as adobo and sazon which gives the food extra favor and spice. As a Hispanic family we usually have our rice,beans,and a type of meat.But other than that we usually try and have different meals so that we don't get tired of the "typical" rice beans and meat. My mom will make spaghetti and chicken parmagen one night,maybe tacos another and so on to just mix things up a bit. Sometimes because of my softball or volleyball schedule we might eat out but its generally the same stuff my mom would cook at home.We usually don't eat fast food such as Mc Donald's or Burger King but more restaurant food such as applebee's and what not. When my mom cooks at home she makes food for herself,my dad and sister because I am a very picky eater. I don't eat seafood so when they have fish or shrimp my mom usually makes me something different such as steak which is really kind of her. I feel like the "American" way of food is more of on the go and eat whatever as long as there is a budget.Mc Donalds is your typical fast food restaurant that is known to be all over the country. Many Americans eat it such as families that can not afford a good meal so would have to settle for dollar menu. As for high class rich Americans I think they prefer to have a nice wealthy restaurant that will serve them. There are many different places and foods that "Americans" eat at but I think Mc Donald's is the main place.

Another thing that caught my attention was the trip to the grocery store. I never noticed how many brands of each item there was. There were about 75 different cereals and about 64 different pasta sauces. It amazed me how everything was neatly placed and in the right order and how they advertise certain things such as beer. Right when we walked in the beer was next to the salad like in the middle of the isle which makes you wonder should you get it. I saw alot of healthy foods and organic products that I never knew existed. But all I could think about was a little girl that I see on the train every morning. As they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day but why are so many people not eating it or just eating junk? I don't eat breakfast every morning like I should be. But this little girl for breakfast has different kinds of chips. As I sit on the train I just think about how unhealthy it is and what will happen to the little girl when she grows up. This must be a normal thing she eats for breakfast because she seems fine with it. As I watch her I began to think about how ungrateful I am for what I have when there are many people that don't have much. It really makes me sad to see her eating chips while I choose to blow off my moms breakfast. When all this little girl has is chips for breakfast. It makes me wonder what she has the rest of the day. Moving on, during class we did and activity were we divided into small groups and listed vegetables, fruits, and beans. My group was vegetables and I must say it was hard to think what exactly is considered a vegetable. We then looked at all the lists and wrote down the things we eat weekly. My list was very small but that didn't surprise me. On my list was corn,green beans,rice,red beans, black beans, avocado and grapes. Before this I knew my list was going to be short because I am a picky eater. Now that I see this list I think I should eat more greens and try my best to eat more fruit daily. My doctor tells me all the time that I need to eat more greens but they just don't appeal to me. It is hard to change my ways now. Growing up I was picky and my mom would make a different plate for me. Now that I'm older I realized that it is not what I want to eat but rather what I should be eating and that is greens.

In conclusion, throughout this course I was challenged with the thoughts of what I am eating and becoming a "vegetarian". I never thought I would consider not eating meat because that is the main food always in my plate. I still am struggling with my decision because I fear the outcome. I fear that I will stop but then cave into it again. This unit has taught me a lot and showed me what I am putting in my body every day. It made me think twice about eating pork and what I am going to eat during meals. I find myself more aware of what I am eating instead of just stuffing my face.