HW #4 - Your Families Foodways

  Although some of the foods that my family eats remain the same, most of the food that is eaten between me and my family has changed over the years. My grandmother’s food consisted of mainly Caribbean food and vegetables like plantain, chicken, eggs, fish (bacalao), maduro, legume, conch, eggplant, and tons of rice some of which she grew. My mother’s diet is exactly similar to my grandmothers except that the only difference between them is that my mom will eat some West Indian food like curry and maybe Chinese food and although she eats some different food this is rare because like my grandmother, she prefers the Caribbean food. My dad on the other hand, coming from Ireland, has a different view on what should be eaten. He loves potatoes (boiled or mashed), steak, corn, string beans, pizza, and any kind of pasta. Funny thing is they would rather die than to eat each other’s meal. My diet unlike my parents and due to them is very diversified. My diet consists of pretty much anything under the sun, American, Indian, Caribbean, Spanish, etc… I don’t think I've ever run into a food I don’t like, I mean I have my preferences but if it’s on a table I'll eat it. Possibly from the variety of flavors I ate starting from childhood (Guess growing up in a multicultural house has it benefits).
Here is what a typical meal from my mom and dad would look like:

Dad                                                                                                                  Mom

                                       

   Time is a huge factor in how generational food ways are changed. In my grandmother situation she had to grow her food and was affected by that, my parents were affected directly by what their parents ate and due to a combination of culture my diet has been spread abroad.

   I believe another main cause that diversifies the generational food way is the environment. The area I live in is very diversified and so are my neighborhood friends which come from India, China, England, and D.R. When we go to each other’s houses the meals are always different thus affecting how they and I are diverse when it comes to food not to mention other things. I totally agree with a quote from New York Times' Natasha Singer:

"The real problem is a landscape littered with inexpensive fast-food meals; saturation advertising for fatty, sugary products..... In other words: it’s the environment, stupid." Along with family culture, the environment that one lives in also plays a large role in ones food ways. My mom and dad where exposed in their own environments and ate accordingly and so and so do I. Most people when surrounded by expensive healthy foods and inexpensive junk most people, including myself, will head for the inexpensive junk. Due to the fact that my parents do not believe in steady allowance, and in fact think that all chores are a way of the child paying back the parents for living under their roof, when it comes to eating outside the best choice would be to to eat off of "dollar menu's".

Fast Food Insights and Green Market Realizations

 
While getting insight on both place, a McDonalds and a Green Market, I realized some important things. Of these things would be the differences between a fast food place and a green market. Firstly McDonalds was very adult oriented although McDonalds used to be child oriented. It has a modern look to it and it plays Light F.M radio, like a Starbucks that sells burgers. The people buying food here were obviously in no rush even though it was working hours. They workers looked miserable, like if someone ordered another burger they would hop over the front counter and drop kick them. Which is in contrast to what they said when I spoke to them. I asked if the work place was upbeat and friendly and the lady I asked said yes although you could see she was lying.

  This was very different from the Green Market. In the Green Market for the most part it was a very happy environment. People where smiling and enjoyed selling the products they had and when I spoke the vendors of a milk stand there was no rush for me to buy anything and our conversation was one of that between a friend. Its outside which is a pro or con, pro because on nice days (Like the day I went) just like an upbeat painting makes the viewer feel upbeat so does a good sunny day. The con is on a rainy day or snowy day I don’t think business would flourish. Although it was mostly filled with adults there were parents with their kids. In conclusion most stands had a good vibe.

  Although the McDonalds was not as impressive as the green market it still made more business. The reasons for this though is clear, most people when faced with a choice between quantity or quality for food most people will pick quantity. Due to the fact that McDonalds can give you more for your dollar people would pick this place over the green market. Which make me wonder if the green market had a dollar menu would it make more business?...

Food-Initial Thoughts

  Food is an important topic because it is part of daily life and has its own effects entirely and although it can be thought of as simple there is a lot going on when people think about food. One example effect of food would be how it can bring happiness, I mean I’ve never seen someone angry while they are eating (yet obviously is someone yelled at them or punched them thought it would be a different case). My view on food would be that although I don’t agree that people should just eat anything and get obese I don’t think people should stress eating healthy as much as they do, like spending $15 dollars on a vegetable wrap. This leads to an interesting aspect on today and food. An aspect of food that I find interesting is how people eat according to what is popular. People buy food that makes them skinny. People generally want to be nice and skinny and eat accordingly to get this way. People also eat a little even if they are still hungry which makes no sense. I like to get full when I eat. What I mean by this is I won’t be happy with the meal I got and would feel ripped off if by the time I’m done eating I’m still hungry. This view showing how some foods are looked down on and how looking really slim is dominant can be found in media all over the place. I don’t ever think I’ve seen a commercial of a fat guy going to a party and having a great time unless he was fist pumping with one hand and had a burger in the other.

  There are different priorities that come to mind when i think about food. First taste is a very important role in food. Plain and simple if I don’t like the way it taste I’m done with it but because I’m not a picky eater I don’t run into that problem often and if it taste good that makes me want to eat it and lots of it. Next would be my hunger status. What I mean by this is whether I’m starving, or I could go for a bite, or I’m just not hungry. Lastly money and convenience, frankly sometimes food is just too expensive and it just makes sense to go to a McDonalds or pizza shop because it doesn’t cost that much money and they are usually located everywhere. To paraphrase what I heard on the Man vs. Wild show "Never put in more energy in getting food then what the food will actually give you" I say this because if my allowance is but so much and a food cost a lot and its not close its just not worth it besides skipping a meal or two wont kill me.

  My typical home meal does not meet the standard ideal food meal because it would be considered too heavy.  A dinner for me can consist of mashed potatoes, string beans and steak to rice, beans and chicken, also there is occasionally pasta. Although I’m very athletic I don’t force myself to eat extremely healthy. When I’m not at home on the other hand  I tend to go for cheaper meals like Chinese or pizza. Now a days though its all about the salad and other low fat foods but these things fail to meet my standard of what i like to call "tasty food" so I tend to stick with my pizza. You can say your $6 salad tastes as good as my $1 pizza, but who are you fooling you or me?