HW#6: Food Diary

I didn't take photos for Tuesday, September 28th, but I plan to do so for tomorrow's meals. For lunch I ate a slice of pizza from Bravo's. For dinner I ate pickled cucumbers with chinese cabbage, curry flavored fried rice, sauteed white eggplants with sauce, and gumbo soup with shrimp. I tried calculating the general calories for the day using one of the websites: 1,268.21 calories. For my age and body structure (weight and height) 1377 Calories/day was the typical amount of calorie intake.
(http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm) I guess I was a little under the amount of calories intake I should be having.

Wednesday, September 29 lunch: Leftover curry flavored fried rice.


Wednesday, September 29, dinner meal:
last night's leftovers and sauteed potatoes with seasoning.


For september 29 meals, my calories ended up being about 1,472.165 calories. This is a little above the average intake I should be having, which just shows that the amount of calories I intake varies from day to day.

For this particular day, I ate leftovers from last night. The rice was very soft and I like the smell of curry. The gumbo soup was something my mom bought to make something quick, so it tasted stronger than the other foods on the dinner table. My mother's home cooked meals have a certain taste I love, but it isn't necessarily too salty or strong in taste. (That's probably why I usually never get tired of her meals). I love cucumbers, I like the crunchy sounds it makes when I bite into it. The eggplants were very wet and soft, since I like it a bit overcooked in a way. The potatoes were very soft and cut into bitable pieces.

Analysis:
Looking at the food I ate over these two days, I have realized that I eat more healthier than I thought. I'm only a few calories over or below the amount I should intake. I think its because my mother cares about our health and the nutrients we take in. Also, when I was looking up the calories, I had to just choose general foods since obviously these sites would not have Japanese cuisine or specific meals listed. I think its important to log how many calories we intake like this assignment, and check in once in a while if we are eating "healthy enough." But, I also think people should not over stress about what they eat, because enjoying the food we eat is a positive thing in itself-as long as we don't eat too unhealthy our health will be fine.

In these two days, I enjoyed eating last night's dinner the most. Like usual, my mom cooked a little bit of everything to be both healthy and delicious at the same time. She always cooks what I enjoy, whether it be soup, rice, or potatoes. I think I also enjoy my dinner meals most because I know my mother puts a lot of effort in her meals and that makes me very thankful for her cooking. I enjoy lunch, but for different reasons-its only because I'm eating with friends I love and enjoy being with. The food itself is usually pizza or deli food, and can get boring for a set period of time. That's why lately I decide to take leftovers from dinner for lunch, because I really do love my mother's cooking.

In general, I do feel good about the food I eat. I don't stress myself or think about "eating healthy" and I'm simply just enjoying the taste of everything I eat. For dinner, I don't necessarily choose what to eat-I leave that to my mother. For lunch, when I don't bring home lunch, I just go along with what my friends want to eat, or where they want to go. I don't consider myself a very picky person, so I'm cool with whatever food as long as we don't eat the same foods so many times in a row.

HW 5: Dominant Discourses Regarding Contemporary Foodways in the U.S.

In class, we discusssed dominant discourses on food. We spoke about the two major discourses: food as poison, and food as medicine. The most frequent discussions revolved around eating healthy and loosing weight. The media and health professionals are the two main participants within this discourse. Dominant discourse is a debate or talk in society about a sepcific topic. I also thought it was an 'assumed' idea, not only because of the boundaries of discourses discussed in class, but also because of a specific part of Fouault's definition from one of the links: "Discourses tend to be invisible--taken for granted as part of the fabric of reality." (Link D) I googled 'food,' and the first site that came up was about eating healthy. This already reflects the dominant discourse of food as a medicine and health.

I found an article that grabbed my attention on CNN.com: "The Superfoods you need now." This article was completely within the dominant discourse of food as a medicine. It wrote what I expected: what to eat to be healthy. And, like expected, the only people quoted were people who were experts in this area like: "Elizabeth Somer, R.D., author of "Eat Your Way to Happiness," and "Frances Largeman-Roth, R.D., Health's Senior Food and Nutrition Editor and author of "Feed the Belly." These people wrote recommendations about what to eat basically to stay healthy. The aritcle mentioned, "Yet according to government research, more than half of women in their 20s get less than the 1,000mg of calcium they need daily to do that." (The superfood you need) This articles (like any other health article) then wrote specific ways to solve these problems. But, what certain readers would not realize is that the voice of the actual eaters are not quoted at all. Certain readers wouldn't realize that this article pushes people to eat a certain way, but changing one's diet is not an easy thing.
Below is the link to the article I found these quotes from:
(http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/09/24/health.superfoods.you.need/index.html?npt=NP1)

Honestly, I don't think people really think of food as a type of 'reform.' I also didn't think much of the idea, until it was discussed in class. It seems as though most people do not recognize the dominant discourses about food because its not an idea most people think about deeply. Most people are brainwashed without realizing the dominant discourse of food as either poison or medicine. When I think of reform, I think about fighting for equality and rights...not about food. I think the writers of these articles notices the alarming obesity rates and the health problems people face because of their diets, but don't consider the whole 'we need to eat more healthier' idea as a reform. Some articles even mention that people cannot control others about their food decisions, so the obesity crisis is unstoppable. I also agree with those ideas, because changing people's diets aren't an easy thing to do, and the government definitly does not have the right to take away certain foods just because they are unhealthy. News and the media just state we are in a 'food crisis' but there's no real movement toward improving it-and I agree. I think it is just a potential reform, that will never make much change because people do not take it as seriously as the news and health professionals say.


I am unsure, but I guess a person whose ideas gets shaped by "mass-media-propagated dominant discourse," would be moved by the health articles about diets and eating organic foods. I'd imagine this person would go to organic restaurants or whole foods to eat their meals. This person may end up getting wrapped up in this whole idea of 'eating healthy' and force themselves to avoid anything considered 'unhealthy.' (Examples would be McDonalds and other fast food places.)

Hw#4: Your Family's Food ways

A typical meal at the table:
Pickled cucumbers, sauteed beef with Japanese BBQ sauce,egg soup,rice(ofcourse),and korean noodles.


While interviewing my mother, I felt as though perhaps the way my parents and I approach food is similar to an extent. My mother said that she values a balanced meal no matter how busy her day is. There has to be vegetables,protein,and carbohydrates somewhere in the meal. Ofcourse I don't think as deeply as her about eating healthy, but I do agree that its important. I always approach food from their taste, but I also think my mother's balance diet approach affects my decisions on what I eat at the same time. I tend to avoid food that is too oily or greasy. Our approaches and priorities differ when it comes to food, but I think I make healthier decisions compared to certain teenagers because I am so used to my mother's cooking.

I then asked causally about my grandparent's approaches to food. I assumed in my mind that their meals has affected my mother's approach to food-but the answer I received was unexpected. Yes, my grandparents were very healthy people indeed. My grandpa owns a garden where he grows fresh fruits and vegetables to bring on the dinner table. He has the habit to buy meals for the day, so that leftovers can be avoided. But, my mother shook her head at my simple assumptions.

According to my mother-it wasn't really my grandparents who affected her approach to food; it was her school. Unlike schools in the U.S, there are mandatory cooking classes in Japanese school. In these classes, students would be taught the importance of a balanced diet. Students would also help out in making the cafeteria food (which tastes so much better than the cafetaria food here). This is probably why both generations (my grandparents and my parents) value so much on eating healthy. I thought parental teachings affected our approaches to food, but my mother's ideas changed my opinion: its the culture and teachings that affects out approaches.

After the interview, I came to the conclusion that the culture around us is the major factor to generational differences in foodways. My mother believes that some parents from the U.S lack in teaching their children about health and food diets. She thinks that if parents were to be more educating to their children about food, our views toward it would alter. I understand where my mother is coming from, but I also think these parents she refers to lack the food education
to provide to their children. Why are people so obsessive with whole foods and organic food? This is unnecessary use of money in my opinion. There is no point in eating all these organic food if its not eaten correctly-which goes back to the idea of a balanced diet. Both my mother and I believe that most humans cannot live solely from vegetables. Yes, my mother always provides the veggies in the meals, but she also mentioned how poultry and protein provides energy to our bodies-which makes sense.

I posted above a photo of a typical meal at the dinner table. This photo supports my mother's point about trying to provide a balanced diet-a little bit of everything. The photo in a way, reflects our culture of Japanese cuisine and the way we eat. I lack knowledge about other family's meals and origins for food, but I'm sure its quite different from my parent's. I think the main reason why my parent's food ways are so different than mines, is because of my mother's theory: Most schools in the U.S lack the classes that Japanese schools provide. Perhaps I would make even more healthier decisions if there were deep classes involving food and our health.

HW#3: Fast Food Insights & Green Market Realizations

At first, I didn't give much thought about McDonalds: its all unhealthy food. But, when we actually went, observed our surroundings, and asked questions-my thoughts toward this fast food chain changed slightly. It's still unhealthy with high calories and preservatives-but it seems that McDonalds is putting some effort into changing these negative ideas. I'm curious to see if they would come up with new 'healthy' menus, like the recent smoothies. I think McDonalds is heavily affected and pressured by health-consciousness like the Green Market. They know by now, that people don't have much trust on McDonalds-and the only reason why they still have customers is because of the taste. But, prehaps, even fast food chains would worry of losing customers due to health problems and concerns like obesity.

While interviewing the Green Market, I realized negative reactions toward the word 'McDonalds'. Hearing how these people put down McDonalds and the way they made their food made me feel that perhaps these kind of harsh comments would pressure fast food chains to put more effort in making healthy choices. I got to listen to a farmer who stood at a stand for burgers, and told interesting differences between how they raise their cows, and how McDonalds does. It sounded more convincing.

I think the pressure toward fast food chains like McDonalds is a good thing though. I personally like the foods there, but I try to avoid eating too much fast foods because of the health problems they can cause. I think it would be great if McDonalds ended up tasting just as good-but just healthier.

HW#2: Initial thoughts on food

My first priority on food is the taste: it has to taste good. But, to me, "good" food is different to me depending on my mood and sometimes even the weather. Ice cream and smoothies are what I love to eat in the summer (something cold and refreshing)or when I'm exhausted from a long day. In the winter I love food that warms me up. I tend to eat lots of snacks-especially chips- when I'm irritated or stressed. I think my priorities on food can confuse people sometimes, but I think it makes a lot of sense to eat foods that meet your current moods. I think my typical meals meet the standards of my ideal meal most of the time. It seems like my mother can tell what I feel like eating each day.

My second priority on food is the people I eat with- a priority that is only met on special occasions. Even dull foods can taste good to me, when I'm eating with groups of friends or with a reunion from school. At those times, food is just an accessory-all I think about in those times is the stories I hear and the memories of that day. I think this priority is a good aspect of myself, because it shows that who I eat with is at times, more important than what I actually eat. (unless it tastes really bad.)

I believe food is sacred. It's sacred because its a necessity that is natural. We take advantage of the food we eat, because we don't think too deeply about areas of high poverty and illness rates. We also don't think much about the fact that animals are killed in the process of the meaty foods we eat(except for vegetarians). I think food is sacred mainly because they are natural and we cannot survive without food.