Food is an essential part of living. It’s in our daily needs, traditions, and cultures. It has evolved to the point where we are now able to eat foods from other countries and cultures thanks to importation. The tradition of food is still growing through generations as well as in cultures. Food brings a vast majority of people together and that is very well shown in the articles this synthesis discusses. We were asked to read the articles “Unhappy Meals” by Michael Pollan, “Pleasures of Eating” by Wendell Berry, and “We Need to Eat the Whole Food” by Lousie Fresco. These three articles tell the readers to stop getting their food from a supermarket, keep the culture and traditions in foods, and take note of all the industrial part that goes …show more content…
into the food process. In the three articles the authors talk about how Americans get the majority of their food from the supermarket.
One of the authors argues for the supermarket, while the other two are disapproving. In the article “We Need to Eat the Whole Food”, Lousie Fresco states how the bread that we purchase from the store has become available to about everyone because it is so cheap. Our supermarkets have impacted the types of diets we are consuming. They are filled with products that are imported from all over the world. She goes on to discuss through industrial revolutions she hopes we will have the opportunity to help feed everyone in the world. She argues more towards the fact of keeping supermarkets and how mass production and importation of foods can benefit everyone. On the other hand Wendell Berry in the article “Pleasures of Eating”, he believes that consumers should get their food from local farmers. It would eliminate the processing, packaging, and transportation process of the food. He goes on how advertisers thrive on this process that goes into producing food. If we kept it to local farmers we would avoid all of the extra stuff and get non-processed food. Michael Pollan in “Unhappy Meals” says that the foods at supermarkets have “health claims” and isn’t even real food. Boxes today are making claims of lowering cholesterol and helping prevent heart disease when in reality those are the “unhealthy foods”. Americas are getting the food that is easily assessable and full of …show more content…
man-made nutrients that aren’t healthy. Another similarity of the three articles is how they all address the importance of culture and tradition on the foods we eat.
In the article of Lousise Fresco she asked a group of people if they would prefer the wonder bread from the store or homemade bread. As you assume the majority of the crowd chose homemade bread. She then went on and stated how there is still tradition in our food that we should look for. In the article “Pleasures of Eating”, he says that we need to understand the origin of the food we buy; whether it comes from a local farmer, across the country, or even from our own community. He thinks that the idea of locality should be used as much as possible, keeping traditions near in surrounding cultures. In the last article, Michael Pollan talks about culture first hand. He comments on how the French have some of the worst diets but end up being the healthiest. He believes that it is all in how much the culture consumes. In French they don’t eat as much food as we do here in America therefore French appear to be healthier. Culture and tradition play a role on the food choices we make every
day. Lastly the three articles discuss how much the industrial and technological production of food plays a role in our lives. Fresco majorly emphasizes the impact the industrial revolution had on food production. Machines have been created that replaced some labor of people, and with a result of that the production of food has become much quicker and easier. She says yes that there are still local farmers which help to produce food but strongly believes that we will need to increase food production even more to be able to continue to feed the world. Wendell Berry thinks that we need to learn what we can about the economic and technological production of the food we consume. We should know all of the additions that merchants add to food and how much they are costing us. The industrial part of food production (packaging, processing) is what’s costing us the most. In “Unhappy Meals”, Michael Pollan thinks negatively about the impact industries have on food. They re-engineer food to contain more “nutrients” and claim for the food to be healthier. He tells a story of Oat Bran’s, that “food scientists” set a new trend of fake nutrients in our food. Fresco and Berry agree that industrialization of food has and will continue to help the world, while Pollan think that industries are hurting us with false nutrition claims. First off I agree with Fresco that we need supermarkets and Americans need to continue to purchase food from them. In the world today there is no way that people will be able to produce all of their own food, there isn’t time, money, or resources for that. I also agree with Berry and Pollan on the fact that when purchasing food from a supermarket there will be the processed and added nutrients aspect. Americans diets have become so enriched with these kinds of supermarket foods that now the foods don’t have any drastic impact on us. Secondly I agree with all three authors about tradition and culture. Food plays a major role in cultures. Americans like to eat fast food and large amounts, while French like to eat bread with pasta and small amounts. Traditions take place in food consumption as well. Everyone would prefer homemade bread and grandma’s yummy lasagna. I believe that we think this way due to the impact that those traditional foods have had on us. I know that I would prefer to have a home cooked traditional meal rather than a cheap meal from a fast food restaurant. Lastly I agree that that we would not be able to have the food that we so easily access without industrialization. We now have machines that make production of food quicker and easier. Some of my favorite foods come from countries like Australia and Chile, without transportation we wouldn’t be able to have half of the foods in our stores. Berry makes a valid point about how we pay for what others add. Supermarket prices include transportation, packing, and production. If we were to eliminate that process foods would be much cheaper but there wouldn’t be a very good variety. In conclusion, we are able to enjoy foods from all around the world while still being able to go to a farmers market on Saturday mornings. We are able to enjoy the different traditions of foods and the cultures they come from, as well as the production of food. I believe that consumption of food has come a long ways and will continue to grow and improve. These three articles tell the readers to stop getting their food from a supermarket, keep the culture and traditions in foods, and take note of all the industrial part that goes into the food process.
Michael Pollan, an American author, journalist, activist, and professor of journalism at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism (Michael Pollan), writes in his book In Defense of Food, the dangers of nutritionism and how to escape the Western diet and subsequently most of the chronic diseases the diet imparts. In the chapter “Nutritionism Defined” Pollan defines the term nutritionism. Pollan’s main assertion being how the ideology of nutritionism defines food as the sum of its nutrients, and from this viewpoint Pollan goes on to write how nutritionism divides food into two categories, with each macronutrient divided against each other as either bad or good nutrients, in a bid for focus of our food fears and enthusiasms. Finally, Pollan concludes that with the relentless focus nutritionism places on nutrients and their interplay distinctions between foods become irrelevant and abandoned.
While shopping at a local Trader Joe’s, Freedman spots a bag of peas, which have been breaded, deep-fried and then sprinkled with salt. Upon seeing this snack, he is in shock to know that this same store, which is known for their wholesome food, would sell such a thing. With a tone of exasperation, he admits that, “I can’t recall ever seeing anything at any fast-food restaurant that represents as big an obesogenic crime against the vegetable kingdom.” It was such an unexpected situation for him to come across this small snack that represented the opposite of what the wholesome-food movement is for. To settle his own confusion, he clarifies that, “…many of the foods served up and even glorified by the wholesome-food movement are themselves chock full of fat and problem carbs.” This further proves that just because a certain food is promoted by a health fad, it does not validate that it is genuinely better than fast-food itself. A simple cheeseburger and fries from any fast-food restaurant would more than likely contain less calories than a fancy salad from the next hole-in-the-wall cafe. Not only that, but the burger and fries will be tastier and much cheaper
In her essay, “Food’s Class Warfare,” author Tracie McMillan promotes the inclusion of both “individual changes and structural ones” (217), particularly “class consciousness” (217), in the fight for quality diets in America. She reveals the most common sides of the healthy food debate as the inherent “just-buy-better stuff logic” (215) and the opposing “structural challenges of eating well” (215). The main strategies for defeating the American “obesity epidemic” (216) have been reaching out to the individual, as well as changing the structure of the American food system itself. The favorite concept for structuralists is “food deserts - neighborhoods with insufficient grocery stores and thus insufficient supplies of healthy food” (216). She deems the concept insufficient in practice, as it ignores smaller markets and equates large stores with a healthy food source. While the individual viewpoint and structuralists argue with each other, they share common ideals. According to
In the article by Wendell Berry titled “The Pleasures of Eating” he tries to persuade the readers of the necessity and importance of critical thinking and approach to choosing meals and owning responsibility for the quality of the food cooked. He states that people who are not conscious enough while consuming products, and those who do not connect the concept of food with agricultural products, as people whose denial or avoidance prevents them from eating healthy and natural food. Berry tries to make people think about what they eat, and how this food they eat is produced. He points to the aspects, some which may not be recognized by people, of ethical, financial and
In the book The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan challenges his readers to examine their food and question themselves about the things they consume. Have we ever considered where our food comes from or stopped to think about the process that goes into the food that we purchase to eat every day? Do we know whether our meat and vegetables picked out were raised in our local farms or transported from another country? Michael pollen addresses the reality of what really goes beyond the food we intake and how our lives are affected. He does not just compel us to question the food we consume, but also the food our “food” consumes.
There are many different beliefs about the proper way to eat healthy. People are often mislead and live unhealthy lifestyles as a result. Both Mary Maxfield and Michael Pollan explain their own beliefs on what a healthy diet is and how to live a healthy lifestyle. In the essay, “Escape from the Western diet” Michael Pollan writes about the flaws of the western diet and how we can correct these problems to become healthier. In the essay, “Food as Thought: Resisting the Moralization of Eating”, Mary Maxfield criticizes Michael Pollan’s essay about eating healthy, and explains her own theory on how to be healthy. She believes that Pollan is contradicting himself and that what he is stating is false. Mary Maxfield ponders the
“Hungry for Change” is an eye opening documentary made to explore the role that food plays in peoples’ lives. The experts, ranging from authors to medical doctors, address a variety of claims through testimonials, experiments, and statistical evidence. They not only state the flaws in this generation’s diet but also logically explain the reasons behind the downfall in peoples’ diet and offer better ways to approach our health.
Michael Pollan and David Freedman are two reputable authors who have written about different types of food and why they are healthy or why they are damaging to our health. Michael Pollan wrote “Escape from the Western Diet” and David Freedman wrote “How Junk Food Can End Obesity”. Imagine Pollan’s idea of a perfect world. Everything is organic. McDonald’s is serving spinach smoothies and Walmart is supplying consumers with raw milk. The vast majority of food in this world consists of plants grown locally, because almost everyone is a farmer in order to keep up with supply and demand. How much does all this cost? What happened to all the food that is loved just because it tastes good?
When we think of our national health we wonder why Americans end up obese, heart disease filled, and diabetic. Michael Pollan’s “ Escape from the Western Diet” suggest that everything we eat has been processed some food to the point where most of could not tell what went into what we ate. Pollan thinks that if America thought more about our “Western diets” of constantly modified foods and begin to shift away from it to a more home grown of mostly plant based diet it could create a more pleasing eating culture. He calls for us to “Eat food, Not too much, Mostly plants.” However, Mary Maxfield’s “Food as Thought: Resisting the Moralization of Eating”, argues differently she has the point of view that people simply eat in the wrong amounts. She recommends for others to “Trust yourself. Trust your body. Meet your needs.” The skewed perception of eating will cause you all kinds of health issues, while not eating at all and going skinny will mean that you will remain healthy rather than be anorexic. Then, as Maxfield points out, “We hear go out and Cram your face with Twinkies!”(Maxfield 446) when all that was said was eating as much as you need.
Nutrition and health have become more popular in today 's society. Our generation is becoming more and more indebted to the idea of being healthy and eating nutritious meals. However, in “The American Paradox,” by Michael Pollan he argues that our unhealthy population is preoccupied with nutrition and the idea of eating healthy than their actual health. He also mentions the food industry, nutrition science and how culture affects the way we eat and make food choices. While Pollan is right about all these factor that affect our eating habits, there is more to it than that. Convenience, affordability and social influence also affects our food choices making them inadequate.
“Food as thought: Resisting the Moralization of Eating,” is an article written by Mary Maxfield in response or reaction to Michael Pollan’s “Escape from the Western Diet”. Michael Pollan tried to enlighten the readers about what they should eat or not in order to stay healthy by offering and proposing a simple theory: “the elimination of processed foods” (443).
In his essay “The American Paradox”, Michael Pollan illustrates his conclusion that Americans who focus on nutrition have a higher probability of decreasing their well-being. Pollan defines the American paradox as “a notably unhealthy population preoccupied with nutrition and the idea of eating healthily.” For most of our human history, our parents and culture have influenced our diet. However, today the idea of what to eat has been based on the opinions of scientists, food markets, and nutritionists. I agree with Pollan’s argument that being preoccupied with what we eat makes us unhealthy, however, we need a balance and a sense of responsibility in what we eat.
In Michael Pollan’s “The End of Cooking” shares the message of what we are losing something important in this day and age because of all our pre-made and processed foods. This can be compared with Kothari’s “If You Are What You Eat, What Am I?” and her argument that food is part of one’s own identity. By using the examples from these two texts you can analyze the state of food and culture in the United States today. All of the processed and pre-made foods are causing people all across America to lose their sense of Culture. We no longer know what it’s like to make one of our cultures specialty dishes from scratch which can help people identify with their culture. This process helped newer generations see what it was like for those before them to cook on a daily basis and could help them identify your sense of culture.
A major issue that is occurring in America is a phenomena known as “food deserts”, most are located in urban areas and it's difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food. Whereas in the past, food deserts were thought to be solved with just placing a grocery store in the area, but with times it has become an issue that people are not picking the best nutritional option. This issue is not only making grocery store in food deserts are practically useless and not really eliminating the issue of food deserts because even when they are given a better nutritional option, and people are not taking it. In my perspective, it takes more than a grocery store to eliminate ‘food deserts’. It's more about demonstrating the good of picking the nutritional option and how it can help them and their families. For example, “Those who live in these areas are often subject to poor diets as a result and are at a greater risk of becoming obese or developing chronic diseases.”(Corapi, 2014).
Many people in America, from toddlers to the elderly, have shown numerous signs of bad health. People have the desire to keep on eating due to more, new things being merchandised as “new and improved items” from the producers. For example, nowadays, people are eating pure junk that they find satisfying on the grocery food shelf. As, stated by Michael Pollan, in his article, “Eat Food: Food Defined” he affirmed that “real food is the type of things that our