From a young age, I have always wanted to know how and why the things around me work. Science was one of my more well-liked subjects throughout my schooling years. I am able to excel in these subjects because I have developed a strong interest in them and I enjoy the process of learning new things. I have always wanted to go to university to study a science-based subject. While browsing through the variety of courses available in your university, I came across "Food Science" and it caught my attention. That was when I knew it would be the right course for me.
As a culture and as individuals, we no longer seem to know what we should and should not eat. When the old guides of culture and national cuisine and our mothers’ advice no longer seem to operate, the omnivore’s dilemma returns and you find yourself where we do today—utterly bewildered and conflicted about one of the most basic questions of human life: What should I eat? We’re buffeted by contradictory dietary advice: cut down on fats one decade, cut down on carbs the next. Every day’s newspaper brings news of another ideal diet, wonder-nutrient, or poison in the food chain. Hydrogenated vegetable oils go from being the modern alternatives to butter to a public health threat, just like that. Food marketers bombard us with messages that this or that food is “heart healthy” or is “part of a nutritious meal”. Without a stable culture of food to guide us, the omnivore’s dilemma has returned with a vengeance. We listen to scientists, to government guidelines, to package labels—to anything but our common sense and traditions. The most pleasurable of activities—eating—has become heavy with anxiety. The irony is, the more we worry about what we eat, the less healthy and fatter we seem to become.
Thinking about the importance and significance of food respective to our health, ethnic culture and society can cause cavernous, profound, and even questionable thoughts such as: “Is food taken for granted?”, “Is specialty foods just a fad or a change in lifestyle?”, and even “Is food becoming the enemy.” Mark Bittman, an established food journalist, wrote an article called “Why take food seriously?” In this article, Bittman enlightens the reader with a brief history lesson of America’s appreciation of food over the past decades. This history lesson leads to where the social standing of food is today and how it is affecting not only the people of America, but also the rest of the world.
People’s ability to assess certain courses of action brings about two distinct paths: it either hinders the person’s ability to gauge their surroundings or it enables them to see and act based on a completely new perspective. It is our seemingly competent nature, as generalists, that has led to the rise of the phenomenon known as the “national eating disorder.” Skewing food culture and trend patterns, we have come to trust in our natural aptitude for survival as a way to pave our way through sustaining nourishment while coming into terms with the opportunity costs that accompany all of our decisions. There is something about food that grabs people; it is the individual tastes and textures, the unique stories of each and every ingredient that is used to make food, and the smell of spices that brings familiarity that
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
In chapter thirty-two of the kitchen as laboratory, César Vega and David J. McClements discuss what it means to cook from scratch in the context of modern society. Vega begins the chapter by introducing the topic of the importance of knowing where our food comes from, and how it is modified into the ingredients we know today. Although consumers should know where their food comes from, Vega and McClements claim that the consumers should also educate themselves about the process of how food is transformed to provide a better understanding of their food. The authors cite Michael Pollan, an author who writes primarily about food. Pollan claims that consumers should purchase food with a limited number of ingredients, or ingredients that are easy to identify. The authors disagree with Pollan’s point, citing that some foods are enriched to make people healthier, and if the additives were removed there would be a impact on everyone’s health.
When people ask what Food Studies is about, I tend to refer them to passages from Michael Pollan, because I think he paints such an incredible image of the joy and power of being in touch with one’s food. However, I find the suggestions of Wendell Berry to be of greater importance. His words encompass not only the personal benefits of growing and cooking food at home, but the positive impacts on the land, food workers, environment, and the political “vote” we make through our food choices for the kind of future we envision.
More and more studies have gone into how to eat healthier; and while many believe that they have the best idea to fix the issue there are few who actually know what they are talking about. David Freedman does not particularly have all the answers but he does have a good idea of what he thinks is right. His views may not be the best, but to him and many others the views that are embodied in his article are far superior ways to handle it than many others believe. The author believes that through technology we can create foods that are more appealing and more healthy. The main purpose of this essay is to analyze Freedman’s article and take a deeper look into how his beliefs, like the one stated in the previous sentence, are right or wrong.
Michael Pollan talks about how the food industry on one side and nutritional science on the other side, but both stand to gain much from widespread confusion about what to eat. Pollan, said, "Yet the professionalization of eating has failed to make
The different sections of the book “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” embody the flawed system that America is currently facing, particularly the food industry. There is a limited understanding of what constitute an ideal meal, and process of prepping one. It could be that the information available are not clear and direct, or most consumers are choosing to overlook the lurking dangers behind the accessible food products. Either way, it is evident that most consumers have fell out of touch with knowing what they eat. The book provides a precise, comprehensive, and intuitive summary of the elements on the definition of foods. “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” is written in a direct, clear, and informative manner for the general audience, including farmers, consumers, and those who actively involve with processing foods. Readers will be able to establish a deeper understanding of the evolution of collecting food, and how that has affected the choices of putting together a perfect meal.
Since the beginning of time, food has been a staple in every living, breathing creature’s life. Food is a necessity and is direct fuel for the body, for nourishment. The type of diet a person consumes is crucial in determining overall health and even longevity. We are often told that in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, we must eat a balanced diet, which consists of eating a proportionate amount of a variety of foods. For many people, it becomes difficult to consume all of these right foods on a daily basis. A busy lifestyle often hinders a person from getting this healthy, balanced diet. In many situations, unhealthy food options are just way more convenient. As a college student, I have to fight the urge to ritualistically eat Chick-Fil-A
American poet and Civil rights activist Maya Angelou once said “Eating is so intimate. It 's very sensual. When you invite someone to sit at your table and you want to cook for them, you 're inviting a person into your life.” Throughout the history of humans, food has been a constant in cultures, traditions and everyday life. People have evolutionized to crave food because it gives us the nutrients and minerals that are needed for survival. Interestingly, as things like transportation, shelter, warmth, health and ideology have changed over long periods of time to become more efficient, food has remained close to the same. The food that is given to humans today from the time they are a small child is quite similar to the food eaten hundreds and even thousands of years ago. Food has become such a large part of the human culture that it has not advanced to the degree that other things such as the human home has changed in order to become economical. In the article “The End of Food” by Lizzie Widdicombe, Widdicombe discusses the story of Rob Rhinehart who embellishes the idea of changing food to become more useful and efficient to humans. While working long hart hours, Rhinehart creates Soylent, which is a mixture made up the necessary nutrients and minerals for survival, in order to reduce the amount of time and money he spends on eating everyday. In other words, unlike Maya Angelou, Rhinehart does not view eating as intimate or sensual. He views eating as an inconvenience that
I grew up with my mom and three younger sisters in the very small rural community of Anderson in Northern California. Coming from a large family headed by a single mother, I always knew that I'd have to pay for school on my own. That's why I am so grateful for receiving this culinary scholarship. I'll be able to take out far fewer loans and really focus on my education at OCCI, rather than worry about how I'm going to pay for it.
The food industry has a large impact on individuals and will affect wider communities in the future. The rush of today’s society has pushed food production to become more commercialized with prepackaged/premade based foods. For numerous reasons such as time, work and costs of living, people are wanting meals that are cheap, fast, easy and don’t require much effort. This is due to many obligations and priorities in life that are put above
Culinary art is a momentous part of my life.When I was around the age of nine I was living with both my mom and dad. I was always in the kitchen helping my mom cook dinner. I made baked ziti, empanadas, sweet potato pie, and other foods.When I was in high school, I lived with my father,and after my older siblings grew up it was just me and my little sister so I was responsible for cooking the meals. I was cooking for my family an average of seven days a week and I was never tired or bored, I enjoyed it. I developed a strong passion for culinary arts. I am passionate about it because it excites me, inspires me, and encourages me to open a restaurant.