I've learned a lot about food and research writing throughout this course. Some of the most interesting things we covered included reading about the food industry and discovering where our food comes from. It was interesting to hear other people's view points on what is ethical and what is not and their reasoning. I really enjoyed reading articles out of Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture. It made me really think about my personal relationship with food, which I had never really taken the time to do before. Due to this course, I am reevaluating my personal food values and thinking more about the significance of my food choices.

                Both Michael Pollan’s “Unhappy Meals” and Melanie Dupuis’s “Angels and Vegetables: A Brief History of Food Advice in America” address the shift that has been made from simply eating food to survive to the current omnivore’s “moral” choice of what they should eat. Pollan explains that people no longer eat “food”; we eat “nutrients”. In the grocery store, people used to see words such as “cookies”, “cereal”, and “eggs”. Now we mostly see things like “cholesterol” and “low-fat”. People today are consuming a lot of “food-like” items instead of natural food. Pollan gives some good advice by telling his readers that in order to be as healthy as possible, they should “eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” Food has become a source of pleasure and entertainment in today’s culture, which has led to consuming large amounts of tasty, unhealthy foods.

Where people find information about what they should and should not eat has also changed over the past several decades.  People used to look to religion for answers when deciding what to eat. Then people began listening to scientists when it came to dietary advice. Dupuis claims that people no longer ask religion or science what they should eat, but “rely on popular writers to steer [them] through a welter of confusing and contradictory information.”

Both of these articles have made me think about my own food choices—what I eat and why I decide to eat them. I’ve never really thought much about what I eat and have, along with most Americans, probably tend to eat what Pollan calls “food-like” products. Some of my diet includes fruits and vegetables, but a lot of it is snack foods that probably aren’t very natural. I think these type of eating habits have become an issue in today’s food culture. Eating these processed “nutrients” is neither natural nor healthy. In order for the food culture to make the shift back to eating “food”, we must reevaluate what we eat, why we eat, and how we make dietary decisions. 

Eggsellent for your health

            Keeping track of what I ate for three days really got me thinking about my eating habits. I looked over what I had eaten and looked for trends in my diet. One thing I noticed is that I eat eggs almost every morning with breakfast. Typically I will enjoy one or two scrambled eggs, seasoned with salt and pepper or with a bit of hot sauce. Because I eat them every day, I started wondering about the health implications of consuming eggs on a regular basis.

            Over time, advice about the dietary role of eggs has changed several times. I’ve heard many of these different things regarding the nutritional value of eggs. People have told me that eggs are very healthy for you; however, I have heard from others that they are not very healthy to eat on a daily basis. Starting in 1957, the Egg Marketing Board advertised eggs as being a good source of protein and was successful in increasing sales. By the 1960s, egg consumption in the US “peaked to nearly five eggs per person per week” (Derbyshire et al). However, within a few years people began to worry about the cholesterol content of eggs, with “research studies suggesting that cholesterol-rich foods may elevate blood cholesterol and, hence, increase the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD)” (Derbyshire et al). It is true that eggs contain protein and cholesterol, which leaves me wondering if the health benefits outweigh the concerns or vice versa.

 Research shows that “eggs are a rich source of protein and several essential nutrients, particularly vitamin D, vitamin B12, selenium and choline” (Derbyshire et al). It is well established that the egg is a very important source of nutrients. It contains all the “proteins, lipids, vitamins, minerals, and growth factors required by the developing embryo” (Kovacs-Nolan et al). It is logical to conclude that an egg is healthy for us to eat because it contains everything needed to nurture a chicken embryo. It has all the elements necessary for healthy growth and development of a chicken, which are all things that would also contribute to the healthy growth and development of us.

            Eggs not only contain all of these important nutrients, but also have “a number of defense factors to protect against bacterial and viral infection” (Kovacs-Nolan et al). In order to defend a developing chicken from disease and infection, the egg contains antioxidants. By consuming eggs, we consume these antioxidants and they give us certain health benefits. Emerging evidence suggest that the egg could become important in “human health and in disease prevention and treatment” (Kovacs-Nolan et al). The health benefits of eggs go beyond being a good source of protein and other nutrients—they have potential to play a role in the treatment and prevention of infectious disease.

            Concerns that people have voiced about the cholesterol content of eggs have also been investigated. Within the last 15 years, the majority of key studies done “do not support the contention that egg consumption is a risk factor for heart disease or stroke” (Derbyshire et al). It has been calculated by using the risk apportionment model that “eating one egg per day accounted for 1% of CHD risk. In contrast, 40% of risk was attributed to lifestyle factors” such as smoking, alcohol intake, lack of exercise, or unhealthy diet (Derbyshire et al). While eggs do have a somewhat high cholesterol content, they have much less of an impact on health than other risk factors. Researchers have concluded that “for most individuals, egg consumption will have little or no influence on cholesterol levels or CHD risk” (Derbyshire et al).

            There are clear dietary benefits to eating eggs on a regular basis. Emerging evidence shows that eggs have potential to be used in therapy and prevention of infectious disease. The nutritional value of eggs goes far beyond being a good source of protein. While eggs do contain cholesterol, they do not have near the impact of other factors, such as consuming foods with high levels of saturated fat, a lack of exercise, or smoking cigarettes. People who consume eggs on a regular basis are unlikely to be affected by CHD or have a stroke as a result of cholesterol levels in the eggs. Conclusions have been made making it very clear that the health benefits of eating eggs outweigh the concerns. With this in mind, I will be enjoying eggs for breakfast for many mornings to come.

References

Derbyshire, E.; Gibson, S.; Ruxton, C.H.S. “The nutritional properties and health benefits of eggs.”

Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 40 Iss: 3, pp. 263 – 279. 2010.

Kovacs-Nolan, Jennifer; Mine, Yoshinori; Phillips, Marshall. “Advances in the Value of Eggs and Egg

                Components for Human Health.” Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, Vol. 53 Iss: 22, pp.

    8421 – 8431. Department of Food Science, University of Guelph. 

Food Journal Observations:

Reading through some of my classmates' food journals from the weekend, I noticed a few trends. A lot of people ate pretty light for breakfast--there was a lot of yogurt and granola. Pizza was also a pretty popular meal; probably due to lack of appealing options in the cafeteria. Another thing I noticed was the time of day that people ate at. The times were not always typical meal times, but scattered throughout afternoons and late at night.

What I have been eating for the past three days...


Friday:
9:30 am -- Two pieces of whole wheat toast, lightly buttered. Blueberry yogurt with granola and raisins. A couple scrambled eggs with salt and pepper. Half a glass of orange juice.
2:00 pm -- A panini made with whole wheat bread, ham, provolone cheese, pickles, mayonnaise, and spicy mustard.
7:00 pm -- A taco with beef, salsa, sour cream, jalapenos, and lettuce; all on a whole wheat tortilla. Small side of about eight or so chips with guacamole. Water to drink.

Saturday:
9:45 am -- One cup of coffee, black.
11:00 am -- One scoop of an egg dish with eggs, cheese, chorizo, and jalapenos. One scoop of an egg dish with eggs, cheese, asparagus, spinach, mushrooms and Italian sausages. Put Cholula hot sauce generously on both egg dishes. A cinnamon roll. Scoop of fruit salad with watermelon, honeydew, grapes, strawberries, and pineapple. Half a glass of orange juice.
5:30 pm -- Three baby back ribs smothered in barbecue sauce. Scoop of fruit salad with watermelon, honeydew, grapes, strawberries, and pineapple. A dinner roll, buttered. A small scoop of potato salad. A small scoop of macaroni salad. A cream soda to drink.
7:45 pm -- A piece of marbled cake (chocolate and vanilla) with vanilla frosting and a scoop of chocolate ice cream.  

Sunday:
11:00 am -- A waffle, buttered with syrup. A couple of eggs, scrambled with salt and pepper. A sausage patty. A cup of coffee, with a little milk. A scoop of fruit salad with watermelon, honeydew, grapes, strawberries, and pineapple.
3:00 pm -- A chocolate peanut butter Cliff bar.
5:30 pm -- A piece of marbled cake with vanilla frosting.
7:30 pm -- A couple scoops of penne pasta in a light tomato sauce. A piece of garlic bread. Water to drink.

                        The other day, I was chowing down on some tacos and realized that they just wouldn’t be complete without one ingredient—guacamole. In fact, it got me thinking about how much I love avocados in general. Avocados have grown to be a favorite of many people around the globe, appealing to Americans in particular. I started wondering about where the avocado in my taco came from and how it ended up being eaten by me.

            The avocado is a tree fruit, and is “thought to have originated in Mexico and Central and South America” (Boriss et al, 1). In 1833, they were first planted in Florida, and then in California in 1856. Today, avocados are commercially grown in California, Florida, and Hawaii; however, America is still the “largest importer of avocados…accounting for 26 percent of world imports” (Boriss et al, 2). The world’s largest exporters include Mexico, Chile, and Spain, which are where we get our imported avocados. Mexico is responsible for about a third of the world’s avocado production. Over half of the imports we bring in from Mexico are processed avocado products (Boriss et al, 2). We import millions of dollars’ worth of avocados, yet we produce over 6.5 percent of the world’s avocados ourselves (Boriss et al, 2). We have no choice but to import if we want to eat as many avocados as we like. The avocado industry in the United States has grown tremendously over the past couple decades in an attempt to keep up with the demand of its citizens.

            Many people in America, including myself, enjoy avocados often, and the number of avocado lovers in the U.S. is increasing every day. The annual per-capita consumption of avocados “has risen 10 percent in the United States over the past decade, and if that trend continues, coupled with population growth, avocado demand will top 2.8 billion pounds by 2020” (Linden). Per capita consumption of this tasty fruit has “followed a variable but generally increasing trend since 1970, increasing significantly in recent years from 1.5 pounds per capita in 1999 to a record 2.5 pounds in 2003” (Boriss et al, 1). Reasons for this recent increase in avocado popularity in America could be due to a couple of factors. Avocados have been marketed as “a healthy dietary choice and as a good source of beneficial monounsaturated oil” (Boriss et al, 1). An increasing awareness of healthier foods and the acceptance of monounsaturated fats, along with a growing Hispanic population in the U.S., have contributed to the recent increase in demand (Boriss et al, 2).

The value of avocado production has been steadily increasing along with the rise in the fruit’s popularity. The value of the avocado industry in the Unites States has been “increasing since the early 1990s, from $118.1 million in 1992 to nearly $400 million in 2003” (Boriss et al, 3). In the most recent years, it has been over $400 million, and is continuing to increase. The goal of farmers is to have this “lofty figure” continue to be reached on an annual basis for many years to come (Linden).   The avocado industry may be nowhere near reaching the same number as seen in the production of tomatoes, apples, and other produce, but they are well on their way. In 2011, California avocado growers produced 300 million pounds, “while the 2012 crop has been projected at 400 million pounds” (Linden). Increasing yields is currently a top priority for American avocado farmers. They are looking into expanding the industry by increasing “tree density per acre and possibly expanding more production to other areas” (Linden). The majority of avocado farms are in the valleys along the western coast of California. There is a “high cost of water and competition for that prime coastal land [which] means there are not a lot of new groves being developed” (linden). While it is more difficult to grow avocados in other climates, it is necessary for farmers to attempt growing crops more inland in order to increase production (Linden).

            It is safe to say that the avocado is a food considered tasty and nutritious by many Americans. It is rapidly growing in popularity and the U.S. avocado industry is trying to expand as much as it can as quickly as it can to satisfy the growing demand, but it seems that this might not be possible due to limited land and water supplies in the areas of America that provide the proper climate for growing avocados. It is safe to say the already massive amounts of avocados we import will continue to grow in coming years and Americans like myself will continue to enjoy guacamole on their tacos.

References

 Boriss, Hayley; Brunke, Henrich; Kreith, Marcia. “Commodity Profile: Avocados.” Agricultural

            Marketing Resource Center. Agricultural Issues Center: University of California.

            February 2006. http://aic.ucdavis.edu/profiles/Avocados-2006.pdf May 8, 2012.

Linden, Tim. “California avocado industry bullish about its future.” The Produce News. April 4,

2012. http://theproducenews.com/index.php/category-list/9-story-cat/7313-california-avocado-industry-bullish-about-its-future May 8, 2012. 

                In America, we are very separated from our food. The production of common foods, such as tomatoes or chicken, is something the average American doesn’t know much about. The market has lowered the cost of high demand foods at the expense of the workers and by lowering the quality of the products.

Barry Estabrook, in his book Tomatoland, addresses some of the issues seen in food production today. He discusses how the standards that the country has for tomatoes in our supermarkets all have to do with looks. If the tomatoes are not the right color, shape, or size, they are not allowed to be shipped. A company could grow the most delicious tomatoes in the world, but if their appearance does not meet the market’s regulations, it cannot be sold. Estabrook explains that tomato production these days “has everything to do with marketing and nothing to do with biology.” The industry is sacrificing quality and defying nature in order to mass produce “perfect”, tasteless tomatoes.

Christopher Cook, in his infographic “Fowl Trouble”, discusses similar problems seen in the chicken industry. He points out how, due to the increase in demand, the amount of meat processed per minute has gone up from 40 pounds to 91 pounds in the last forty years. The industry is producing meat as fast as they can—which is probably leading to lower quality of not only product, but also working conditions for the laborers.

Cook and Estabrook both address the issue of poor working conditions throughout the food industry. Workers are often immigrants, which allows companies to pay them close to nothing and give them no benefits whatsoever. The pieces both describe the horrific conditions that these workers deal with every day.

  While we may enjoy our flawless, inexpensive food at the grocery store, we must take a step back and think about what this convenience is actually costing our country. We should eat according to our own standards, not the standards of corporate agriculture. 

Low carb diets really go against the grain

In his article “Our National Eating Disorder,” Michael Pollan addresses the recent low-carb diet craze in America.  He describes the obsession with cutting carbohydrates as “carbophobia” and identifies it as something distinctly American that came about in the early 20^th century.  U.S. citizens had been “happily chomping” on bread, noodles, and potatoes for years, but the minute a scientist declared that cutting carbs would burn body fat, the sales on these items when down drastically.

Pollan mentions the French people and how their population consists of “wine-swilling cheese eaters” who seem to be overall healthier than the majority of Americans. He writes that the true paradox here is that of the American health movement—our population is made up of “notably unhealthy people obsessed by the idea of eating healthily.” Pollan describes the American people as willing to try any new diet “as long as it doesn’t actually involve eating less food.” This is why the low-carb diet has become a food fad in the U.S.

These food trends determine what people choose to eat—hence why donut shops, bakeries, and pasta companies are not making as much money as they once did. When I think about how I choose what to eat, I realize that I don’t really think very much at all about what I eat. I eat whenever I’m hungry, and I eat whatever I have available. I typically try to maintain a somewhat balanced diet that includes protein, carbohydrates, calcium, etc., but I usually just grab whatever sounds good.