Food Diary

This week I’ve been sick and have been on a homemade chicken broth soup diet to get better, luckily my moms cooking is pretty good, so I don't mind it. But I basically had to eat soup for lunch and dinner, and I rarely eat breakfast in the morning. My body doesn't like eating early in the morning, when I do I feel really bloated as if I stuffed my self purposely. And I personally don't like to feel like that especially when I’m still tired. But when I do ear breakfast it's like a banana or a yogurt, but this week I had neither because I didn't have any bananas and I can't eat pudding or yogurt or anything dairy, because that'll give me more phlegm at least that’s what my mom says. In the past 48 hours I’ve eaten a lot of food sadly, when I was out of my house I couldn't take a picture of it because I do not have a camera phone and my camera is a film, and I had finished my last roll three days ago. But I have a few home pictures of soup, bread, orange juice, and fever food basically. When my cold/fever was a bit more active every time I ate soup I felt the spiciness and heat of the soup in my throat, which had a little sting to it, but the spiciness neutralized the sore throat a bit. I felt a little better because I was a bit hungry, from not wanting to eat all I wanted to do was sleep, in order to make myself feel like I got better each time I woke up. When I ate soup at school I’d buy little saltine cracker boxes to eat with the soup, I like a little crunch when I eat sup, it makes my food taste more satisfying. When I ate soup at home I ate bread with it, pita bread, or a bagget. And after 7:30 8 o’clock I don’t eat after because after I eat a big dinner I don’t normally get hungry unless I stay up really late, and eat a little snack, like make myself a sandwich or something, but because it’s been a school night and I’ve been sick I haven’t done that. Today (Friday, October 1, 2010) because I felt a lot better I did the usual things, I got a small green tea no sugar at this bagel shop on 23rd between 5th and 6th on my way to school, at lunch I went to bravos and ate a spinach roll, which comes with 3 garlic knots, and a fountain drink mine was seltzer, and afterschool when I stopped home I had a bowl of cheerios, nothing is better than breakfast for dinner, and some tamarinds.. And that is basically my 48-hour food experience, here’s a more detailed list that I had written down.

September 29th
Breakfast:
Hibiscus & Green Tea Mixed and orange juice
Brunch:
Some sour patches in Andy’s class
Lunch: Home made chicken broth soup with bagget and water
Dinner: Home made chicken broth soup with pita bread and orange juice

September 30th
Breakfast:
Nothing, but water
Lunch:
Turkey Hero Sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes, mayo, and Swiss cheese and water
Dinner: Home made chicken broth soup with bagget, tamarinds, and orange juice

October 1st
Breakfast:
Small Green tea and water
Lunch:
Spinach roll with garlic knots and seltzer water
Dinner:
Bowl of cheerios, and orange juice, water, half a turkey sandwich, and tamarinds.

Dominant Discourses Regarding Contemporary Foodways in the U.S.

I think that the journalist who write these stories do think we live in a time where food reform is significant, because in almost every article I read based on food, it was as if the writers wanted people to reconsider some thoughts, from vending machines serving healthy food, local farmers growing “fresh foods” and coming to cities, Doctors who’ve been doing studies for years and think that many Americans should change their eating habits for a better lifestyle, and the social impacts food has on people, such as children with allergies being bullied more. What all these articles had in common was that they want Americans to be healthier in the past five years you can see a trend of healthier eating habits. One has to wonder, is it because Americans have always been oblivious about how food is actually cultivated, and always thought it was a happy wonderland process and just want to live the way they’ve bold told food was processed? The other question is “Why now?” I personally think the that the united states is almost the same way it was 10 years ago, but I was 7 than so what do I honestly remember and know well about the world in 2000, but I don’t remember food being a topic in the mass media, is obesity an diabetes that bad in the U.S.?
I think that a person who lives their lives by what the mass media tells them has gone through almost every food stage, from eating fast food to drinking grass, but today I feel like their probably vegan and exercise everyday, and have some sort of schedule or routine, that’s if they’re that dedicated. But I don’t blame them because the media does a good job scaring people with death, obesity, and looks, and I’m not saying that eating unhealthy food doesn’t do that to you, but I feel like many people get brainwashed and scared and are dedicate themselves to live well and long, because people are scared of death. Also this person lives in a city they’d be the type to order food from a farm, yesterday I was at a greenmarket in city hall and the woman in front of me was very interested about where the food is from, the farm, and how the food was grown, and the farmer gave her a brochure with all the information and a map of the farm, and days she can go up there to get food. I thought it was interesting to see someone do that in the United States, because I only saw people get farm ordered from farms in other countries, my grandmother does that, and lives in Haiti. The only thing is that the woman had a Spanish accent, so I think your background makes a difference as well.


Sources: file:///Users/qrion9325/Desktop/Andy/Doctor’s%20Orders%20-%20Eat%20Well%20to%20Be%20Well%20-%20NYTimes.com.webarchive

file:///Users/qrion9325/Desktop/Andy/Food%20allergies%20make%20kids%20a%20target%20of%20bullies%20-%20CNN.com.webarchive

file:///Users/qrion9325/Desktop/Andy/Our%20Towns%20-%20At%20a%20Roosevelt%20Market,%20Produce%20Replaces%20Fast%20Food%20-%20NYTimes.com.webarchive

file:///Users/qrion9325/Desktop/Andy/Told%20to%20Eat%20Its%20Vegetables,%20America%20Orders%20Fries%20-%20NYTimes.com.webarchive

My Families' Foodways

I'm sick so today i'm having home made chicken broth soup.


My mother was born in Haiti, but was raised in the United States, when she hears food she thinks of Haitian food, specifically djon djon (Haitian black mushroom rice), and dinner at her grandmother's house. She believes she has the same eating habits and food values as my great-grandmother, such as everyone eating at the table and spending time together. The typical dinner's my mom used to have was basically a 3 course meal, appetizers, salad, a main meal (rice, chicken, beef, pasta it varied), and than supper which was always something light. When I lived in Haiti that was the same way I ate everyday as well, until I moved back here. When my mom moved to the United States, everything was the same as it was in Haiti. Things only changed when my mother was a teenager and would go straight home instead of my great grandmothers house afterschool. By than my mom knew hot to cook, so her and my aunt (her sister) would make dinner and go watch TV in there rooms or go outside and hang out. My mom thinks my generation eats more junction food and, eat out more and eat less home cooked meals. She believes it's mainly in the United States that people have less family table habits. She also said an interesting comment about how in the united stated states the time to eat is short, unlike other countries where eating is more sacred and eat for longer periods so instead of an hour lunch its maybe 2 hours, so they have a resting period. My mom thinks food is sacred, but doesn’t think in the united state food is seen as being sacred, but people who are less fortunate probably do because they work hard to eat. My mom thinks that I have some of my families table values, because I grew up with those values, because when we have to eat at the table I do. It’s only when I’m home I don't eat at the table wait for people, because it’s my mom and I, but if I’m ever at my grandmothers, or grandaunts, or granduncles house, I always do because there’s more people in their house. My mom thinks the reason many people who become Americanized probably lose their eating habits is because the united states is very diverse people of different cultures start to adapt with the other persons culture, and start using less of their habits.

Fast Food Insights and Green Market Realizations

Looking at the differences of a fast food restaurant such as Mc Donald’s vs. the greenmarket was somewhat entertaining. I pass by both basically everyday, and every now and than get a fruit to eat in the morning from the greenmarket, only because I choose not to eat fast food. But I can see why fast food has become so successful, going inside Mc Donald’s at 9:30am in the morning is a bit weird, because I forgot they served breakfast, and to see people in a fast food restaurant something about it seems a bit sickening, like not a good way to start your day. On the same note I got to see why someone would want to eat pancakes, orange juice, and hash brown for breakfast rather than an apple, especially in a city such as New York. Because I’m used to being satisfied with eating a golden apple, and getting all my morning energy for that it's easy for me to say it satisfied me, but most Americans don't eat lightly in fact, the united states is known for not having simple meals, we always have "extra" things that aren't necessary. So if someone is used to having extra, than that's why they would rather go to Mc Donald’s rather to a greenmarket.

The difference between Mc Donald’s, and the greenmarket is that Mc Donald’s consist of mainly young and middle age people while the green market was more middle age and senior citizens, who happen to be more health-consciousness than a younger person. The other personal difference between the two is that the people who went to Mc Donald’s seem to be the average working class person, a construction worker, a security guard, a nurse, or even retired, while the green market had many people who seemed retired, but probably made more money when they worked. The other difference is that to some degree the green market is more expensive than Mc Donald’s, and seems to give less. But to my opinion I think you get more from the greenmarket, because you're actually getting the natural vitamins you need, and won't feel bloated and disgusted after eating from there. The surprising thing at Mc Donald’s was that there was a bit of a sacred vibe in their, because people sat down and enjoyed their breakfast, read their news paper, and started their day off relaxed, and it wasn't packed in their. While the flea market was packed, and people we're already jumpy, maybe it's because they're actually energized with natural food, and are outside in the sunlight rather than inside in florescent lighting. I personally like to go to the greenmarket, because there seems to have a wider selection of food than Mc Donald’s, and I think it tastes better. Also I get noxious after eating fast food, but what's weird about it 3 years ago before I started to eat healthier again, I used to be able to chow down fast food, and feel fine, in away it's as if my body is weaker, because it can't tolerate fast food, even though I’m getting the "natural nutrients" I need.

Food

When I hear the word "food", many things run in my mind depending on my mood, and whether or not I’m hungry. For instance right now, thinking of food makes me want to throw up, because it's late at night, and I ate dinner 2 hours ago, but 6 hours ago if I heard food, I’d be thinking about dinner, probably my topical and ideal meal, rice with gravy, grilled chicken, and salad with a glass of water, basically any home cooked meal. Food to me is a pretty huge subject because it affects every single living thing, because they all eat and understand what food is. My friend Paris has a dog named Rita who every time see's me she barks in happiness, because whenever I have a snack or something I spoil her, by giving her a bite so to her I play a role to her when it comes to food, same thing for my cats when I open a can of tuna. One question in particular I was stuck on earlier today in class was "is food sacred?" and while on the train I saw a man with a Whole Foods bag, I had an idea to how to respond. The answer to that question is "yes", but not entirely, because we live our lives based on food, the average person who eats everyday, won’t notice. The reason being is that people who eat regularly doesn’t notice because we spoil ourselves. In fact even something, as grocery shopping is a luxury people, because we have a huge variety of things we can buy.

But there is something wrong with not noticing how spoiled we are when it comes to food, even though I do it and whoever is reading this does this as well. Because we’re used to living like this, if something bad we're to happen like you or I suddenly became homeless, it'd be tough because you're whole food cycle is messed up, in fact you're whole cycle is messed up, because we all live our lives, in a constant routine.