Reflection Paper On Whole Food

To address what distinguishes the food of a western diet, Pollan compares whole foods and processed foods. He quotes Gyorgy Scrinis and concludes to himself “instead of worrying about nutrients, we should simply avoid any food that has been processed to such an extent that it is more the product of industry than nature (Pollan, 438). Pollan agrees with Scrinis for avoiding processed foods, but he complicates it by mentioning that all whole foods are taken over by industrial processes. Again Pollan reminds the reader that escaping the western diet will not be simple,

When it comes to food in today's day and age it correlates with being convenient, fast, and budgeting because people are usually on the go. Generally, people are used to a grab and go routine between work, school, and a family life. Government regulations such as the FDA and other laws given to factories and supermarkets are being trusted to keep the population safe from any food dangerous; therefore, people don’t do their own research on the foods they’re serving. Authors Pollan and Schlosser in Food Matters, allows individuals to analyze and think about the intake of foods used in their daily life. Pollan shares some rules to be considered when shopping for foods in the supermarket. If people read in detail the theories and information given

A balanced diet means eating a variety of foods in the right proportion, and consuming the right amount of food and drink to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. A balanced diet consists of vitamins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, fats (lipids) and fibre which is also known as roughage.

Food politics, one of the most complicated discussions of all. Four authors, four articles, and four opinions. The first article is “The Pleasures of Eating”, by Wendell Berry, is about health. His article is not only about our health, but our foods health. Berry speaks of blind eating and clueless purchasing, that we don’t know what we are eating. Some questions asked by Wendell Berry were “How fresh is it? How pure or clean is it, how free of dangerous chemicals? How far was it transported, and what did transportation add to the cost? How much did manufacturing or packaging or advertising add to the cost? When the food product has been manufactured or "processed" or "precooked," how has that affected its quality or price or nutritional value?”

People’s ignorance is leading the society to a period where obesity will be the norm and healthy living an unwanted lifestyle. Therefore, it is high time when people realized their mistakes and started living a healthy life. Healthy feeding is one’s responsibility despite the factors that may force one to turn to fast foods. In addition, it is the parent’s responsibility to encourage their children to lead a healthy lifestyle and help them embrace the fact that eating fast foods regularly is unhealthy and may cause obesity.

A possible explanation for why food production has changed so much can be that its consumers have also evolved as a society--the commercialization of agriculture has culminated this alteration within the industry. The consumer's desire to connect back with their ancestors can be easily ascertained by going to “healthier” markets like Wholefoods, among others. Pollan compares Wholefoods to a good-quality "bookstore," filled with extensive nutritional vocabulary on their packaging. However, much of it is not

I once fell victim to the almost trancelike state that the food industry casts upon its consumers. I was more than content to eat the things that tasted delicious. Gluttony sets in fast when that’s all you want to eat. After realizing I had a problem, eating nothing but garbage on a daily basis and gaining copious amounts of weight for someone my age, I decided to take better control over the things that I put on my plate. There was a year of nonstop fruits and veggies from the farmer’s market because it still had a quality taste while being substantially healthier than any food that was readily available for my convenience at the store. My story was one of trial and error. It was a deep gouge in my confidence that was necessary to break me away from society’s cornucopia of health

So, have you ever taste the difference between a homemade meal that’s cooked with whole foods for a meal that been processed in a factory. Michael Pollan, a food journalist and professor, argues how processed food companies only care about the profit their brand are made and not caring about the nutrient that is in the product. In “Escape from the Western Diet”, Pollan argues that there is no kind relationship between them to decide the types of nutrient and whole foods are in it. Some other people like Gyrory Scrinis, who in the article just says that he coined the term “nutritionism”, which he considers that the industry and homemade meal with whole foods are two different types of groups. Michael Pollan ideas that there is no connection between the process food industry and nutrient will be something that I will agree with him because nowadays industry only care about their profits so it is harder to separate our bodily health and the health of the environment you live and eat in.

Americans love to eat, but do we actually understand how to eat healthy? In today’s world, everyone wants to be healthy, nonetheless, it seems no one knows how. With the nutritional knowledge of present-day, society’s health should be getting better instead of worse. However, there are so many different ideas regarding food that the public may feel confused. Michael Pollan points out many worthy causes in his book In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto; he tends to overuse quotes and research and uses unseemly portrayals, but he also implements excellent information to make a valid argument.

While most the food products that are out in the market today can barely be considered food to some people, in my opinion, the majority of the people don’t know what is in the food products they buy but purchase these food products anyhow. I, myself being one of the people that don’t always know what is in the food products I purchase. After listening to the TED Talks and reading articles from Food Matters, my opinion of what can be considered “real food” has drastically changed. Although I already spend most of my time in the peripheries of the market, I do not spend all of my time there so I would like to challenge myself to following one of Michael Pollan’s rules and plan to “shop the peripheries of the supermarket and stay out of the middle” (15).

Should food background be important to us? The article The Pleasures of Eating by Wendell Berry states that for us to eat responsibly, we need to be free, and for us to be free we must know about our food. He says that you should not let anybody control your food and its sources or at least know where your food comes from and know what you are eating. I agree with Wendell Berry because I feel that we cannot be manipulated by the big food companies and just look at food as just food. Many food consumers buy their food without knowing about it.

Major labor-saving technological changes of the 20th century gave rise to the industrial processing of food. In the 1950’s and 60’s we saw a rise of supermarkets and the spread of fast-food eateries. The growth of supermarkets and fast-food eateries gave way to a new method of consumption. No longer was food’s route from the local farm or ranch to the

Since going public in 1991, Whole Foods has focused on acquiring other small owner-managed natural and organic food stores as well as opening new stores of their own. However in 2002-2006, they decided that instead of making acquisitions, Whole Foods growth strategy would be based on opening new stores. Whole Foods chooses upscale, urban metropolitan areas to place their stores. These locations are high traffic shopping locations, some are freestanding, some are in strip centers, and some are in high-density mixed-use projects. By the end of 1991 fiscal year Whole Foods had 10 stores and by the end of 2007 they had 276 stores. By 2008, Whole Foods had stores in 36 states.

Many kids shy away from eating the healthier foods provided at school because they do not think that it does not look inviting but, “if [Valencia High School creates] a product that is more appealing to the students. . . the numbers [of students eating the healthy foods will go up” ( Boss-Bicak). When students start to notice that the food served at school looks enjoyable, they will start to take an interest in trying new things. Valencia High School should work to, “reformulate items such as pizza and chicken nuggets to reduce fat and sodium” in order to provide students with healthier options of some of their favorite foods (Boss-Bicak). Students will become motivated to change their eating habits once they realize that foods can be both healthy and

The food that we consume is well assimilated in our body and is used for the growth and maintenance of body tissues. Life cannot exist without food, and it is for this reason that every living organism strives to obtain its food requirements. It has been seen that the satisfaction of hunger is usually the main factor for a satisfactory food intake. It is very important that for sustaining a healthy and normal life, diets should be planned with the scientific knowledge of nutrition. It is very essential to learn the general principles and considerations that govern the planning of balanced diets.