Reflection on Class

Some of the most interesting things I've learned about food culture in this class are food trends seen among our society and how the language of packaging and advertisements has a strong influence on what we eat. I found analyzing the advertisements interesting because it opened up my eyes to little details I hadn't noticed before, like how the way packaging is written can even target a specific class or income level. I also enjoyed talking a lot about the battle between meat and vegetarian diets because it is something that applies specifically to my life and is something I see both sides of every day as a "cheating" vegetarian.
Analyzing the way the food market has adapted to the needs of society (like the desire to be healthy) is informative and will reflect the way I choose to eat in the future. For example, when I see "zero fat" written on a bag of potato chips, I will now think back to this class and can now understand some of the connotations of this simple statement. I plan to build upon this knowledge by learning more about how eating trends affect nutrition and how other values are incorporated into eating and selling food.

A Vegetarian's Eating Manifesto

Like many Americans, my goal is to eat healthy without having to sacrifice convenience or taste. However, our society’s thought towards how to consume food has become so stressful and anxious that eating healthy has become more confusing and difficult than anyone would have expected. The balance between good food for you and good tasting food is one that is hard to establish, but I believe this equilibrium is possible. The key to success is learning how to detect faulty “health” foods advertised by companies, knowing where and from whom to buy products, and how to eat these foods. One way I have personally tried to tackle this battle is by being vegetarian. Not only is it said to be a healthier lifestyle, the environment and the animals themselves benefit from my choices, which is my primary goal as a consumer.

These may be the secrets to health, but what about those sugar infused treats, juicy steaks, and rich creamy sauces everyone enjoys? Can we have our cake and eat it too? While being vegetarian may have benefits, it also involves a lot of personal sacrifice. Even as a vegetarian, I thoroughly enjoy the contents of an all American burger, and the burger is a staple food item offered at many restaurants and dining halls. This is where I hit my crossroads: what is more important to me? The above average real-meat burger with zest and flavor in every bite or the slightly below average Bocca burger that lacks taste but symbolizes my personal food morality? Being vegetarian, you pay the price of convenience and finding alternate sources of protein and a “full stomach” can be difficult. Although there are many substitutes, eating the healthy alternative is difficult. As a vegetarian, I mostly suffer with substituting my protein meal of meat with too many grains like bread and pasta. Also, many menus lack a wide enough variety of vegetarian meals to choose from and some cost extra. Instead of joining in on a feast of turkey at Thanksgiving, an entirely different, delicately prepared meal must be made in order to serve my dietary needs. But a choice must be made, and sometimes I must choose not eating meat over the flavor it provides.

Therefore, as a consumer of the food our country provides, my goal is to try to eat healthy, treat oneself in moderation, and eat meals that benefit my health and downplay the importance of the meat industry in my life. So to answer the question of whether of not we can have our cake and eat it too, I say: Yes. We can have our cake and eat it too, I personally will just eat a slice of cake one or twice a week and substitute my filet entrée with rice, beans, and tofu.

Health is one of the predominant reasons why vegetarianism is supported by nutritionists and health experts. Today, approximately 2.3% of the population engages in a vegetarian diet, and participation is increasing with a larger interest in vegetarianism due to the awareness of the health benefits it provides (“Vegetarian Diets”). Although vegetarianism may lead to deficiencies in micronutrients like Vitamin B12, zinc, and iron (nutrients mainly received only through animal products), eating less red meat and more plant substances is linked with lower rates of coronary heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. In addition, by skipping on red meat portions and instead being open to an even larger diversity of foods, vegetarian diets have less saturated fat, higher fiber, abundant amounts of vitamin C, and even a potential for increased life longevity. Statistics state cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer are what cause deaths in 60% of people in the United States. Therefore, by eating less meat, one can directly or indirectly avoid some of the symptoms and health strains involved in the correlation between red meat and human disease (“Vegetarian Diets”).

As I said earlier, one of the constant problems I have as a vegetarian is overindulging in carbohydrates instead of protein infused meals. However, although an all carb diet is not encouraged, high carb meals may actually speed up metabolism more than high fat diets involving heavy meats (“Vegetarian Diets”). The additional foods consumed instead of meat all provide their own separate defense mechanisms, thus further promoting the health and stability of one’s body. A typical vegetarian diet includes different types of foods in order to replace meats as shown on the vegetarian food pyramid. Instead of meats, my diet substitutes meat with nuts and more whole grains in larger portions. While whole grains provide cardiovascular benefits, vegetables are high in arginine and antioxidants used to fight diseases commonly seen in a carnivore’s diet (“Vegetarian Diets”).

Through my science background in school, I have also learned how being vegetarian can actually increase the energy you receive from eating. Our Earth and its species consist of trophic levels, which are levels designating where one resides in the food chain. The ground level consists of plants, the next level are herbivores, and the remaining tiers at the highest trophic levels are carnivores. Plants, as most of us know, receive their energy through photosynthesis, so they directly receive the most sunlight for use and convert this into usable energy for themselves and for other species. These plants are known as primary producers. By eating plants directly instead of the animals that consume them, one receives more energy because approximately 90% of energy is lost between trophic levels, and carnivores stand highest on the trophic level pyramid. Thus, by the time a human is consuming a cow, not much usable energy is left because parts of the cow are not digestible and simply do not contain as much energy as a plant. Therefore, another reason to be a vegetarian is to consume products that have higher energy so one is consuming a higher energy diet.

Not only does being vegetarian produce direct health benefits, some vegetarians are also said to have healthier lifestyles overall, often using less substance abuse and exercising more often. This may be because vegetarians are already somewhat health conscious, leading to other healthy decisions.

One could say as a vegetarian, I am following the typical, Americanized health trend, but being vegetarian is more than the health benefits it provides. My personal call against the meat industry is not eating the meat they produce in order to take a stand against the way animals are treated before they are splashed onto our dinner plates. Meat companies are becoming more concentrated and larger, while other smaller companies are put out of business (Barkema et al 33). Although free-range livestock and visible slaughterhouse practices are favored, many of these industries are too small-scale and receive less profit than large scale companies and they go out of business. In order to mass-produce these livestock, food prices are increasing and livestock prices are decreasing, thus further devaluing animals and their consumption. The Food Inc. documentary cover has a picture of a cow with a price tag on it, showing the only value livestock have to large companies.  Profit overrides the importance of consumer health, livelihood of American farmers, and safety of workers in that environment (Food Inc.). As seen in Cook’s article “Fowl Trouble”, laborers endure labor-intensive conditions and many workers receive low pay, experience more infections and diseases, and half have some sort of upper-body disorder from the manual labor that goes into preparing dead chickens (79). Not only do poor conditions affect workers, about 73,000 ecoli and bacteria illnesses occur in Americans each year (Food Inc.).

People want ready to eat food choices because they are convenient, and the meat industry does a superb job of being efficient and producing meat in a short amount of time. This faster maturation of animals is unhealthy for them and for people, and growth development is harshly affected when mass production becomes important. Many companies control almost all of the meat industry. Unfortunately, mass production and mass efficiency inevitably lead to unfair treatment of animals. As seen in the documentary, dozens of chickens die daily due to hazardous conditions and many companies like Tyson refused to be interviewed or allow cameras inside their facilities. This lack of trust between producers and consumers is a reason I choose not to consume the meat produced by these types of companies.

Not eating meat also provides many unknown cost and environmental benefits. I guess I could be considered an environmental vegetarian because my relationship with meat is determined by political and social issues involving the environment. More than half of the world’s crops are used to feed livestock and 30% of our land is devoted to raising this livestock, not to mention the costs of transportation, water use, and greenhouse emissions (Carus). Thus, being vegetarian produces yet another advantage in promoting sustainability and less land destruction.

As one can see, in my perspective, the benefits of being vegetarian outweigh its downfalls. As an individual, I personally don’t believe health is the right reason for me to become vegetarian because that is not a strong enough motive for me to give up some of my favorite entrees and take a back seat in social eating situations. However, the other advantages like making a statement against the corruption of the meat industry means more to me. Every single day, I must override the temptation of a hot dog, chicken in a salad, or a steak burrito from Chipotle. By doing this, my goal is to not contribute to the success of these large, domineering corporations and instead give my money to a company that promotes a healthy lifestyle and does its best to consider consumer’s health. Although some of the class had strong opposition against Whole Foods, I do a majority of my shopping there when I have the freedom to make my own meals because they make stronger attempts than any large-scale grocery store to be sustainable and provide healthier foods for consumers. Another thing they also do successfully is providing for vegetarians, which is why I support their business.

            I have only been vegetarian for over a year, and I always question if I should switch back to the omnivore’s diet. But even by writing this manifesto, I have learned more about the vegetarian lifestyle and will continue to support what it stands for, whether that be social, economic, or environmental reasons, for health, or for the cows. My relationship with food will become even more intimate as I leave the dining halls and begin to make more solid choices at grocery stores. When I’m at the grocery store and I see the ground up meat for tacos, the steak to cook on the grill, or the grilled chicken sandwich, I will choose to look away and hold my head high and feast instead on my black bean burger, leaving one more cow happily grazing in the fields.

Work Cited

Barkema, Alan, Mark Drabenstott, and Nancy Novack. "The New U.S. Meat Industry."

Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Web. 21 May 2012.

<https://www.kc.frb.org/publicat/econrev/PDF/2Q01Bark.pdf>.

Carus, Felicity. "UN Urges Global Move to Meat and Dairy-free Diet." The Guardian.

Guardian News and Media, 02 June 2010. Web. 22 May 2012.

<http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jun/02/un-report-meat-

free-diet>.

Cook, Christopher. "Fowl Trouble." Harper's Magazine, 1999. Web. 22 May 2012.

<http://blackboard.du.edu/bbcswebdav/courses/2009.201230/Fowl%20Trouble%20-%20Cook.pdf>.

Food Inc. Dir. Robert Kenner. Magnolia Home Entertainment, 2009. DVD.

"Vegetarian Diets." Encyclopedia of Lifestyle Medicine and Health. Thousand Oaks:

Sage Publications, 2012. Credo Reference. Web. 21 May 2012.

http://0www.credoreference.com.bianca.penlib.du.edu/entry/sagehm/vegetarian_diets#f133.

            

A Vegetarian's Eating Manifesto draft

            Like many Americans, my goal is to eat healthy without having to sacrifice convenience or taste. However, our society’s thought towards how to consume food has become so stressful and anxious that eating healthy has become more confusing and difficult than anyone would have expected. The balance between good food for you and good tasting food is one that is hard to establish, but I believe this equilibrium is possible. The key to success is learning how to detect faulty “health” foods advertised by companies, knowing where and from whom to buy products, and how to eat these foods. One way I have personally tried to tackle this battle is by being vegetarian. Not only is it said to be a healthier lifestyle, the environment and the animals themselves benefit from my choices, which is my primary goal as a consumer.

These may be the secrets to health, but what about those sugar infused treats, juicy steaks, and rich creamy sauces everyone enjoys? Can we have our cake and eat it too? While being vegetarian may have benefits, it also involves a lot of personal sacrifice. Even as a vegetarian, I thoroughly enjoy the contents of an all American burger, and the burger is a staple food item offered at many restaurants and dining halls. This is where I hit my crossroads: what is more important to me? The above average real-meat burger with zest and flavor in every bite or the slightly below average Bocca burger that lacks taste but symbolizes my personal food morality? Being vegetarian, you pay the price of convenience and finding alternate sources of protein and a “full stomach” can be difficult. Although there are many substitutes, eating the healthy alternative is difficult. As a vegetarian, I mostly suffer with substituting my protein meal of meat with too many grains like bread and pasta. Also, many menus lack a wide enough variety of vegetarian meals to choose from and some cost extra. Instead of joining in on a feast of turkey at Thanksgiving, an entirely different, delicately prepared meal must be made in order to serve my dietary needs. But a choice must be made, and sometimes I must choose not eating meat over the flavor it provides.

Therefore, as a consumer of the food our country provides, my goal is to try to eat healthy, treat oneself in moderation, and eat meals that benefit my health and downplay the importance of the meat industry in my life. So to answer the question of whether of not we can have our cake and eat it too, I say: Yes. We can have our cake and eat it too, I personally will just eat a slice of cake one or twice a week and substitute my filet entrée with rice, beans, and tofu.

Health is one of the predominant reasons why vegetarianism is supported by nutritionists and health experts. Today, approximately 2.3% of the population engages in a vegetarian diet, and participation is increasing with a larger interest in vegetarianism due to the awareness of the health benefits it provides (Credo Reference). Although vegetarianism may lead to deficiencies in micronutrients like Vitamin B12, zinc, and iron (nutrients mainly received only through animal products), eating less red meat and more plant substances is linked with lower rates of coronary heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. In addition, by skipping on red meat portions and instead being open to an even larger diversity of foods, vegetarian diets have less saturated fat, higher fiber, abundant amounts of vitamin C, and even a potential for increased life longevity. Statistics state cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer are what cause deaths in 60% of people in the United States. Therefore, by eating less meat, one can directly or indirectly avoid some of the symptoms and health strains involved in the correlation between red meat and human disease (Credo Reference).

As I said earlier, one of the constant problems I have as a vegetarian is overindulging in carbohydrates instead of protein infused meals. However, although an all carb diet is not encouraged, high carb meals may actually speed up metabolism more than high fat diets involving heavy meats (Credo Reference). The additional foods consumed instead of meat all provide their own separate defense mechanisms, thus further promoting the health and stability of one’s body. A typical vegetarian diet includes different types of foods in order to replace meats as shown on the vegetarian food pyramid. Instead of meats, my diet substitutes meat with nuts and more whole grains in larger portions. While whole grains provide cardiovascular benefits, vegetables are high in arginine and antioxidants used to fight diseases commonly seen in a carnivore’s diet (Credo Reference).

Through my science background in school, I have also learned how being vegetarian can actually increase the energy you receive from eating. Our Earth consists of trophic levels, which consists of groups of plants, herbivores, and carnivores. Plants as most of us know receive their energy through photosynthesis, so they directly receive the most energy. These plants are known as primary producers. By eating plants directly instead of the animals that consume them, one receives more energy because approximately 90% of energy is lost between trophic levels, and carnivores stand highest on the trophic level pyramid. Not only does being vegetarian produce direct health benefits, some vegetarians are also said to have healthier lifestyles overall, often using less substance abuse and exercising more often. This may be because vegetarians are already somewhat health conscious, leading to other healthy decisions.

One could say as a vegetarian, I am following the typical, Americanized health trend, but being vegetarian is more than the health benefits it provides. My personal call against the meat industry is not eating the meat they produce in order to take a stand against the way animals are treated before they are splashed onto our dinner plates. Meat companies are becoming more concentrated and larger, while other smaller companies are put out of business (Borkema, Drabenstott, Novack 33). Although free-range livestock and visible slaughterhouse practices are favored, many of these industries are too small-scale and receive less profit than large scale companies and they go out of business. In order to mass-produce these livestock, food prices are increasing and livestock prices are decreasing, thus further devaluing animals and their consumption. The Food Inc. documentary cover has a picture of a cow with a price tag on it, showing the only value livestock have to large companies.  Profit overrides the importance of consumer health, livelihood of American farmers, and safety of workers in that environment (Food Inc.). As seen in Cook’s article “Fowl Trouble”, laborers endure labor-intensive conditions and many workers receive low pay, experience more infections and diseases, and half have some sort of upper-body disorder from the manual labor that goes into preparing dead chickens (79). Not only do poor conditions affect workers, about 73,000 ecoli and bacteria illnesses occur in Americans each year (Food Inc.).

People want ready to eat food choices because they are convenient, and the meat industry does a superb job of being efficient and producing meat in a short amount of time. This faster maturation of animals is unhealthy for them and for people, and growth development is harshly affected when mass production becomes important. Many companies control almost all of the meat industry. Unfortunately, mass production and mass efficiency inevitably lead to unfair treatment of animals. As seen in the documentary, dozens of chickens die daily due to hazardous conditions and many companies like Tyson refused to be interviewed or allow cameras inside their facilities. This lack of trust between producers and consumers is a reason I choose not to consume the meat produced by these types of companies.

Not eating meat also provides many unknown cost and environmental benefits. I guess I could be considered an environmental vegetarian because my relationship with meat is determined by political and social issues involving the environment. More than half of the world’s crops are used to feed livestock and 30% of our land is devoted to raising this livestock, not to mention the costs of transportation, water use, and greenhouse emissions (Carus). Thus, being vegetarian produces yet another advantage in promoting sustainability and less land destruction.

As one can see, in my perspective, the benefits of being vegetarian outweigh its downfalls. As an individual, I personally don’t believe health is the right reason for me to become vegetarian because that is not a strong enough motive for me to give up some of my favorite entrees and take a back seat in social eating situations. However, the other advantages like making a statement against the corruption of the meat industry means more to me. Every single day, I must override the temptation of a hot dog, chicken in a salad, or a steak burrito from Chipotle. By doing this, my goal is to not contribute to the success of these large, domineering corporations and instead give my money to a company that promotes a healthy lifestyle and does its best to consider consumer’s health. Although some of the class had strong opposition against Whole Foods, I do a majority of my shopping there when I have the freedom to make my own meals because they make stronger attempts than any large-scale grocery store to be sustainable and provide healthier foods for consumers. Another thing they also do successfully is providing for vegetarians, which is why I support their business.

            I have only been vegetarian for over a year, and I always question if I should switch back to the omnivore’s diet. But even by writing this manifesto, I have learned more about the vegetarian lifestyle and will continue to support what it stands for, whether that be social, economic, or environmental reasons, for health, or for the cows. My relationship with food will become even more intimate as I leave the dining halls and begin to make more solid choices at grocery stores. When I’m at the grocery store and I see the ground up meat for tacos, the steak to cook on the grill, or the grilled chicken sandwich, I will choose to look away and hold my head high and feast instead on my black bean burger, leaving one more cow happily grazing in the fields.

Work Cited

Barkema, Alan, Mark Drabenstott, and Nancy Novack. "The New U.S. Meat Industry."

Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Web. 21 May 2012.

<https://www.kc.frb.org/publicat/econrev/PDF/2Q01Bark.pdf>.

Carus, Felicity. "UN Urges Global Move to Meat and Dairy-free Diet." The Guardian.

Guardian News and Media, 02 June 2010. Web. 22 May 2012.

<http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jun/02/un-report-meat-

free-diet>.

Cook, Christopher. "Fowl Trouble." Harper's Magazine, 1999. Web. 22 May 2012.

<http://blackboard.du.edu/bbcswebdav/courses/2009.201230/Fowl%20Trouble%20-%20Cook.pdf>.

Food Inc. Dir. Robert Kenner. Magnolia Home Entertainment, 2009. DVD.

"Vegetarian Diets." Encyclopedia of Lifestyle Medicine and Health. Thousand Oaks:

Sage Publications, 2012. Credo Reference. Web. 21 May 2012.

http://0www.credoreference.com.bianca.penlib.du.edu/entry/sagehm/vegetarian_diets#f133.

Eating: A Moral Choice

One idea both of these pieces of writing stress is America’s emphasis on health and how our health relates to our morality. In today’s society, we consistently ask ourselves what is the right thing to eat for our bodies and our heath, focusing on the nutrition of foods rather than foods as a means of taste. One point Pollan stresses is that our definition of health has changed over time. Through scientifically engineering food in order to implant the most important nutrients, this process has actually reduced health in people because the nutrients are not working in their natural way. One food issue today America struggles with is being deceived by the language on the packaging of foods. The foods titled low-fat, unsaturated fat, and low cholesterol are actually the foods we need to avoid. Instead of eating “silent” foods that thoughtfully sit in the produce section we become confused by the health restrictions we have put on ourselves and how language affects this interpretation. By choosing to follow the leads of food companies, we choose to eat the more “healthy” option in the same proportions versus choosing the diet involving “avoiding something our great-great grandmother wouldn’t recognize.”

            Dupois piece of writing takes Pollan’s piece a step further in analyzing how our desire for a good diet reflects on our social reforms and personal morality. Since early history in America, the idea of self-control and self-betterment have been emphasized, and these ideals have eventually even been applied to our diets of choice. Dupois implies that eating healthy is similar to a cleansing of the soul. In addition, another fact both Pollan and Dupuis focus on is how our food culture is specifically Americanized and specifically targeted towards the middle class. This is where the preliminary problem exists. America’s middle class is the prime example of how our vision of health has become so skewed that we are now unsure of how to handle our diets and health decisions. 

Observations Concerning Particular Foods and Dietary Habits

When looking through other’s journals concerning nutrition and dietary habits, I found it really interesting what Aaron said about eggs and their contribution to health. Being a vegetarian, I rely heavily on eggs in my diet for their protein and for their taste, so hearing all these facts made me less concerned about how many eggs I decide to eat a day because I know I’m getting proper protein and amino acids, which can be difficult when eating meat is not an option.

Another food I found interesting was Dani’s observation of many students at DU eating yogurt on a daily basis. This is also something I personally do in order to make my meals look more healthy and to put food in my stomach. What I found interesting was how yogurt has more benefits than things like milk because it is better fitted for those who are lactose intolerant and it has microorganisms which benefit the digestive system.