Malik's Barilla Pasta

Land O Lakes Butter: Land O Lakes butter comes from a farmer-owned cooperative that can be found in Arden Hills, Minnesota. This butter is created on many farms and is shipped over 1,171 miles to reach Philadelphia. The butter is made with milk which can spoil easily if not contained in proper refrigeration. The butter claims to be packaged in a “FlavorProtect” wrapper that keeps the rich flavor in the butter from escaping it’s packaging. Land O’lakes butter contains 100 calories, 17 percent fat, 37 percent saturated fat, 10 percent cholesterol (30mg), and 4 percent sodium

Morton’s Sea Salt: The salt is the highest quality of sea salt and is harvested from the Mediterranean Sea on Spain's Costa Blanca. The product is then distributed from the Morton International, Inc. located in Chicago, IL. This product travels 765 miles to reach the local grocery shops of Philadelphia, PA. Salt is a self-preserving ingredient so “food miles” surely has no effect on it. Morton’s Sea Salt contains a daily value of 0 calories, 0 percent fat, 23 percent sodium, 0 percent total carbohydrate and 0 grams of protein (Percent Daily Values are Based on a 2,000 calorie diet).

http://voices.yingshton.com/reviews-morton-sea-salt-coarse-vs-fine-sea-salt-1625215.html?cat=22 $4.75

Spice Classics Ground Black Pepper: Spice Classics black pepper is freshly ground from peppercorn plants that are grown in agricultural fields all across America. It is manufactured at the Por Han-Dee Pak Inc. in Cockeysville, MD. This product travels 104 miles to be sold in local supermarkets. Pepper is also self-preserving so “food miles” has no effect on it. This product contains 0 calories, 0 grams of Saturated Fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 0 milligrams of sodium, 0 milligrams of Potassium, 0 grams of Carbohydrate, and 0 grams of Dietary Fiber.

http://www.foodfacts.com/NutritionFacts/Spices-Seasonings-Cooking-Products/Spice-Classics-Ground-Black-Pepper--oz/12864 $2.59

Meal Analysis

If this meal were to be prepared with the need of all ingredients, it will cost $11.85 and approximately 20 minutes of your time. The meal is overall healthy for it avoids high use of carbohydrates and salt in comparison to fast food products. But if this meal were to be eaten everyday, ones health will defiantly be in risk of obesity. Pasta has a high amount of carbohydrate and is eaten with many sauces/cheese products that raise blood pressure. Although it may not be healthy to consistently eat this meal, it is wiser to stick to pasta rather than a Big Mac and Fries. This meal is prepared easily but it is not as convenient as to order a meal through drive through. There is no labor behind the stove and no long wait. In conclusion both sums of money will provide a meal for 8 but one is simply more convenient than the other. Unfortunately Americans are willing to risk their health for a faster and easier way to eat a meal. Until the public realizes this lifestyle is threatening to their health, there will be no progression towards a “healthier America.”

The U.S. food system is corrupt in many ways. One of which is the average American’s diet. From personal experience and the research done for this project I tend to notice that the average American diet consists of a lot of salty and sugary foods. Soda is heavily preferred with a meal as apposed to water or other non-chemically carbonated beverages. Also the American diet lacks diversity.  Every meal consists of a type of meat and or bread covered with cheese. The average American diet lacks color, greens, and grains of white rice, fish and or vegetables. It seems to define itself with a restricted type of food that consists of no rich vitamin of minerals that is necessary in a diet.

The U.S. also provides convenient and affordable meals when it comes to “fast-food”.There are now fast food restaurants open 24 hours a day providing large amounts of processed foods for a cheap price. These restaurants not only provide cheap unhealthy food but also quick food. These foods come out of window instead of out of hard work over a stove so why work for food? The issue is that the average American work schedule is intense and the availability of fast food is too convenient to pass up over resting. These issues can all be resolved. I believe that with the simple step of enhancing the quality of food that surround us it will eventually reach the homes of citizens. This will turn the tables and create a culture in which cooking at home will be more convenient than buying fast food. With the first step of introducing alternate access to food (more diners), the U.S. food system will reach the idealistic health level it needs.