Science & Society Benchmark 2011

Recipe
Hot 3 Bean Casserole
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 cup of chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can of about 15 ounces of chickpeas
1 can of about 15 ounces of kidney beans
1 cup coarsely chopped tomato
1 can of about 8 ounces of tomato sauce
1 cup of water
1 to 2 jalapeño peppers
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons of sugar
1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 dried oregano.25 teaspoon of black pepper
2.5 cups of about 10 ounces of frozen green beans

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery and garlic; cook and stir 5 minutes or unit tender. 

2. Add chickpeas, kidney beans, tomato, tomato sauce, water, jalapeño pepper, chili, powder, sugar, cumin, salt, oregano and black pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low;, summer, uncover, 20 minutes. Add green beans; simmer 10 minutes, or until tender
Analysis
I would say that all of the food is whole food, only because my mother and I primarily shop organic, but if I had to take a guess with the consideration that most of the foods others buy isn't organic, I'd say about 40% of the food is processed. Those things would be things like the beans, and the spices. That doesn't mean these foods were genetically engineered, it just means they were processed in an industrial factory somewhere.

Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)provide an excellent source of molybdenum. They are a very good source of folic acid, fiber,and manganese. They are also a good source of protein, as well as minerals such as iron, copper,zinc, and magnesium. As a good source of fiber, garbanzo beans can help lower cholesterol and improve blood sugar levels. This makes them a great food especially for diabetics and insulin-resistant individuals.When served with high quality grains, garbanzo beans are an extremely-low-fat, complete protein food. Green beans have a lot of antioxidant mineral manganese. Many of these antioxidants reduce the chance of type 2 diabetes. It also improves blood fats and better protection of these fats from oxygen damage, which increase card. Kidney beans can lower cholesterol and can prevent blood sugar levels from rising too high too quickly after finishing a meal, which is great for those with diabetes or resistance to insulin. Other then providing protein, they have a lot of fiber, lower the risk of getting a heart attack, balance blood sugar levels, and can increase your energy by helping to restore iron. 

Off hand, someone who is not used to eating food like this, will have an interesting time used the restroom. Many of the people who've come over my home and have had meals similar always do, it never fails, and that's because these types of foods are not only whole foods, but they are healthy foods without meat. It passes through the body differently then meats, and is also softer and less rough then meats too, allowing digestion to be a lot easier then it would be for meats. If you ate these meals everyday, all of the health benefits would eventually be health risks seeing as though food intake needs to be balanced in all areas of one's health.

Most of the food bought I'd have to say was organic, seeing as though my mom and I every so often shop for cooking food from Trader Joe's and Whole Foods rather then places like Giant and Shop Rite. This way, we can talk to other shoppers and get ideas for dishes and guidance on what foods taste good. Even though Whole Foods and Trader Joe's are somewhat commercial grocery food stores because they're franchised, I'd still consider it organic because it's organically grown. I don't know specifically where the foods I got for the project, but some of the things around my house have come from places like Horsham PA, Jeffersonville PA, and places outside of the country like Guatemala and Mexico.

The meal overall costed around $40 to prepare. Considering that this meal was 12 servings total, it can be counted as $3.34 each serving. Shop Rite and Giant profited from the little things like the peppers, onions, and celery, and Whole Foods and Trader Joe's profited from the actual beans peppers. Because of that, both smaller and larger corporations benefited from this.

Personal Reflection
This unit, I really learned more about what it means to eat animal products even as a vegetarian (dairy and eggs) in regard to cancer. I also learned new information about that the food world is trying to, or is currently doing to make the food of America even more fake. I learned just how freaked up this government is and can be, and through my own personal involvement, I learned about many movements against fracking. In terms of food, I will remain to be vegetarian and read the back of just about everything I purchase. I will always recommend healthy food options to my friends and generally all those around me as I've done, and I will support my local and healthy restaurants and food markets. THe largest issue is that food is becoming fake, or genetically engineered specifically for profit and without regard for the people actually eating the food which are the citizens, which in my opinion leads to long term sickness, cancer, deformities and death.
Food Slide
Food Slide

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