Science and Society - Best Public Feed
Ronald and Mabintu's Attieke and Grilled Chicken
Ingredients (for two
servings):
1 Onion
1 Green pepper
1 Tomato
2 African hot peppers
5 Maggi cubes
1 Package Chicken tray
⅕ cup
of vegetable oil
Instructions:
1.) Pour 5 oz. of dehydrated attieke into a large pot.
2.) Heat 5 oz. of water until warm. Pour the water in the pot with the attieke
while stirring gently. Allow the attieke to soak for 5 to 10 minutes.
3.) Place the pot on the stove and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir the attieke
continuously. Use a fork to prevent the grains from sticking together.
4.) Turn off the heat and remove the pot from the stove.
5.) Place the attieke in a large bowl and wait for it to cool down.
6.) For the second part of the dish, place the chicken in a large Ziploc bag.
Then, place the 3 maggi cubes in the Ziploc bag with the chicken. Keep the
chicken in there for 30-60 minutes.
7.) Take the Ziploc bag with the chicken and put it in a refrigerator. You can
refrigerate the chicken for up to four hour. The chicken will absorb the flavors.
8.) Take the chicken out of the fridge. Allow the chicken to come to room
temperature before grilling it.
9.) Grill the chicken in a grill pan till both sides of the chicken turn brown
and crispy.
10.) Place the grilled chicken in a plate and put the attieke next to it.
11.) Cut up the onion, tomato, African hot pepper, and green pepper and put
them in a Ziploc bag. Put one maggi cube and ⅕ of vegetable oil in
the Ziploc bag. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
12.) Put the mixture that is in the Ziploc bag on top of the grilled chicken
and the attieke.
Analysis:
Our meal consists entirely
of processed foods. The total amount of calories in our meal is 851.4. Since
there are so many calories in our dish, if eaten often, the human body would
gain weight and grow to be less healthy. The amount of fat in our dish is 18.1
grams. Since our dish is fairly low in fat, the human body is more likely to
work more proficiently. It is also less prone to get diseases associated with a
fatty diet. These include diabetes, heart disease, and cancer of the lower
digestive system. However, if you ate this meal everyday, since it is low in
fat, it can lead to problems like overeating, depression, and hormonal
imbalances.
All of our ingredients were
harvested in the United States. However, some of them are native to West Africa
(African hot pepper, etc.). On average, our ingredients travelled 600 miles to
get to Philadelphia. According to research, the manufactures of the ingredients
to not harvest it organically.
The chemicals used can have
a negative impact on the planet in many ways. One of these is pollution. As the
chemicals get washed away, they end up in rivers. This ultimately decreases the
quality of the affected river. Given each ingredient, the meal cost five ten
dollars to make. This is about the same cost as a fast food meal.
One ingredient of
particular interest to us was the African hot pepper. To grow it, a seed was
placed in the ground. It was watered once everyday and sprayed with pesticides.
After growing, it was picked, packaged, and sent to the store to be sold. After
being purchased, it ended up in our dish.
Personal Reflections:
Ronald: One of
the main problems with America’s food system is that people are lazy. In this
unit, we have learned that people simply do what is most convenient when it
comes to obtaining food. For instance, I remember one of the graphs that we
looked at showed how far away the average person is from a supermarket. I
realized that this distance often determines whether or not a person has access
to healthy organic foods, as if unhealthy foods are closer, that is probably
what the consumer will choose.
If I could make changes to
my food choices, I would I would eat more vegetables. The reason is because I
sometimes go days without eating them. I feel that if I ate more vegetables, I
would become a healthier person. One impact that eating more vegetables would
have is that I would have more lasting energy. Although eating foods that are
high in sugar gives me energy, it burns out quickly. As a sprinter, this can
lead to me tiring out in the middle of a race.
After realizing that I need
to eat more vegetables, I am prepared to make a change. Now, I make sure that I
eat vegetables at least once a day. I plan to increase my intake even further.
Mabintu: I have learned a lot about foods this unit; food that is good for you and food that is bad for you. We also learned about why some foods are the way they are and what the government has to do with the kind of food we eat. When we looked at the health/food maps we came to an understanding that most of the overweight/Obese people are in the poor areas of Philadelphia. We talked about how food companies be lying about in the food and the labels. We talked about organic food and how it is more expensive and you have less of a variety to choose from. That is why people spend most of their money on presses food because they cause less. I do not need to change anything about my diet because I usually eat homemade food. When I eat outside I do not eat health because it’s they only time I can eat something that I think is good. I do not eat unhealthy most of the time I eat unhealthy like twice a week or so. I guess I need to make a little change to my diet, as to what times I eat. Right now I eat any time I hungry and sometimes I eat even when I’m not hungry. That will have to change.
Final Benchmark
Malik's Barilla Pasta
“White pasta”
Ingredients
- 2 oz of Barilla Mostaccioli pasta
- 4-6 quarts of water
- Pot
- Strainer
- One stick of Land O Lakes Butter
- 2-5 teaspoons of Spice Classics ground Black Pepper
- 3-6 teaspoons of salt.
Steps to making “White Pasta”
- Pour 4-6 quarts of water into a pot and bring to a boil.
- Place 2 oz of Barilla pasta into the pot.
- Stir and add 3-6 teaspoons of salt for flavor.
- Once the pasta is tender, strain the water from the pot.
- Place one stick of butter into the pot and mix.
- Add 2-5 teaspoons of black pepper for additional flavor.
- Done!
Analysis
Barilla Pasta: Barilla Pasta derives from the Montebello Food Corp Located in the New York Metropolitan area (Brooklyn). Assuming the products used to make the pasta is made gathered from an agricultural plane (Wheat, flower, eggs etc), Barilla’s product travels a long way. The processed pasta is sent to the food corp. in New York and is then sent 100 miles by bus/plane (burning more energy than it costs to produce to product) to Philadelphia. Barilla pasta contains 200 calories, 2 percent fat, 14 percent total carbohydrate, 8 percent dietary fiber and 7g of protein per serving.
$1.78http://www.montebellofoods.com/
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
http://www.landolakes.com/Products/Butter/$2.73
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.
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.
Alex's Vegan Cupcakes!
VEGAN CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup vegan margarine (80% fat is best)
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
Steps
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Cream margarine until fluffy.
- Add to organic unbleached sugar and blend.
- Sift together dry ingredients.
- Add to margarine mixture alternately with applesauce, mixing well after each addition.
- Stir in vanilla and nuts.
- Spoon into 12 cupcake pans sprayed with vegetable pan spray or use paper baking cups.
- Bake 15-20 min.
VEGAN BUTTER CREAM ICING
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa poweder
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons of warm-hot water
Steps
- Mix cocoa and powdered sugar
- Blend in vanilla.
- Add in water gradually
Recipe Analysis
This recipe doesn't really tie in culturally to me. However, it does tie in slightly to my family. My family has a small history of having lots of health issues so to have recipes that are as healthy and wholesome as possible is often preferred. This recipe is vegan, which means that it does not rely on the use of animals. Soy milk is a very popular milk alternative for vegans. Margarine is also a popular butter substitute.
The cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt are the most whole foods used in my recipe. Some of the stuff is processed. REAL soy milk is fairly unprocessed and because of this it generally would last only a few days in the refrigerator. Processed soy milk is designed to last about 2 weeks or more.
I chose this recipe mainly because after seeing how terribly we treat animals in the production of meats, I thought against using meat for a dish. Instead, I decided that since it’s a Friday, why not celebrate with some awesome vegan cupcakes! Doing something like this is good to bring attention to issues like animal cruelty.
One of the main things that I learned during the course of this unit is that the American food system is fucked. The American food culture revolves around the 'need' (which is more of a want) for convenience. However, when we take a deep analysis of our own behaviors, we realize that our diet is very unhealthy for both ourselves and our environment. If we could take a step back from all of the regulations and red tape and see the system for what it is. We as a country should reevaluate what good food is and what food is actually good for you. I'm sure that if every person in America knew their meat was 90% likely to be washed by ammonia, they wouldn't eat meat and would boycott it. It all begins at home with making conscious choices to eat healthy, wholesome food, and preparing good meals. I'm willing to make these changes but I'm sure a good chunk of America is too stuck in its ways. I could personally begin to make healthier choices when buying food. Yeah, it is easy and cheaper to buy the unhealthy food but it will cost me more in the long run to eat many unhealthy meals as opposed to one or two healthy meals. Although I’m in a lower SES, I do try my best to eat healthy and wholesome food. After watching Food Inc., I’m not even entirely sure if I want to eat meat, knowing how it is processed.
Science & Society Benchmark: Food Project.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes (or so)
Servings: 13
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons of pure olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped fine
2 cherry tomatoes, cut into small chucks
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 yellow squash, peeled and cubed
1 zucchini, peeled and cubed
10 mushrooms, washed and cut into thin slices
8 baby carrots, washed and cut lengthwise
1/2 red bell pepper, washed and cut into thin slices
1/2 green bell pepper, washed and cut into thin slices
All the stalks of broccoli, washed and cut into chucks
5 cups of water, preferably from the kitchen faucet
A box of Barilla Whole Wheat Rotini
A tablespoon of bubbarai
Salt, pepper and cumin to taste
Chopped Italian Parsley as garnish
Recipe:
1.) Heat up oil in a wok under medium heat.
2.) Add in onion and stir occasionally for five minutes.
3.) Toss in tomatoes and garlic and continue to stir.
4.)
Combine the yellow squash and garlic, the mushrooms and carrots and
bubbarai, the salt and pepper and cumin and half of the Italian Parsley,
the red and green bell peppers, and the broccoli with five minute
intervals in between.
5.) Turn the flame down to low. Splash water into a standard pot and turn the heat on high.
6.) When water is boiled, gentle spill rotini.
7.) Stir when needed.
8.) Drain off almost of the water; leave roughly two cups left.
6.) Finish by tossing the vegetables and the rotini (with water) together. Top off with the remainder of the Italian Parsley.
Analysis:
The olive
oil, water, pasta and two of our seasonings are probably the only pieces
of this dish that are processed. If I am not mistaken, many of the
vegetables in our household come from a farmers’ market in New Jersey
and the rest hail from a store that exclusively sells fruits and
veggies. Yes, the drive does release harmful gases into the air, but at
the very least, we know where our food is coming from. As for the
spices, we have a community garden that grows herbs, like the parsley,
and we keep them handy until the time comes.
Although
they are considerably low in protein and fat, veggies have varying
proportions of vitamins, minerals, fiber and carbs throughout. It makes
for a pretty well-balanced meal, even so eating this all day would not
be very smart. As a remedy to where it is lacking, adding some well done
meat or nuts of some kind to mix would beneficent to one’s health.
Having it once a day is okay move for it does not necessarily hold
everything a human body requires.
We
know that the pasta was manufactured in the United States and the olive
oil was imported from Italy, but there is one other thing that has
traveled a far distance to end up on this plate. My grandfather is
visiting from Ethiopia and the bubbarai that was used is a
combination of spices that is a homegrown concoction. He made it with
his bare hands, I swear. The trip over took him roughly a day, though
and no matter how I look at it, that has to take away from the overall
environmental impacts because yeah, the taste literally had to fly via
airplane, the ecologist deathtrap.
Price
has never been my strong point, still if I had to guess, I would say
that a portion reaches into the nine dollar and seventy-six cents
category. The actual price of each could not have been exceedingly
expensive, but there was a bucketload to incorporate. On the bright
side, dividing it between that many people should be about enough to
cover the cost.
Thankfully,
this was a flavorful vegetarian dish sans any type of meat, in other
words, no corn for us. This project really delved deep into our food
system and the phrase”made from scratch” is given an entirely different
meaning. The ingredients that allow for it all to come together are not
conveniently placed in our backyards. The distance traveled probably
outweighs the health benefits, but now, we know.
PERSONAL REFLECTION::
I am the
daughter of a consumer. While I do eat out with my friends on our weekly
excursions, the grand majority of my meals are eaten in the dining room
/ kitchen area. Shoveling down whatever is available is considered okay
for there are very few stomach-turning products make it past my mother.
She is a critical human being and her judgement is adequate by my
standards because my not-dying-yet is a testament to her choices.
However
just because she gives into her motherly duty of combing through
whatever she places on the table does mean the rest of country can. The
way foods are labeled confuses, the practice in which they are
introduced to the public is wholly disgusting, but more importantly, the
American government allows multinational companies to carry on with
their operations scott free. The healthy is far more expensive than the
fast and all of this is playing on my wry humor more than it should.
Maybe
it is just our mindset, because we are too young to have been corrupted
with the temptations of the big bucks that we are able to think
clearly. The food system is a cutthroat business where only the rich and
cunning can rule and the ones trying to fight for the betterment of
humanity are left to perish. Ah, and suddenly, this nation seems more
like the land of the exorbitant and the home of the convenient.
Personally,
this unit has entitled me with of the facts and figures to make the
correct assumptions altogether. I have noticed that I look more
critically at the soft drinks than the bottles of water, that I pass
over the deep fried for the whole grain. Hopefully, there is something
to be said here.
Tucker Bartholomew's Lemony Pasta with Wilted Arugula
Lemony pasta with wilted arugula
Ingredients: (4 servings)
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3/4 pound short tubular pasta
• 3 ounces wild or baby arugula (3 cups)
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup grated pecorino cheese, plus more for serving
Steps:
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. In a large bowl, compbine arugula with lemon zest and juice; season with salt and pepper. Drain pasta and immediately add to arugula along with oil and cheese. Toss and season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with more cheese (if desired).
Analysis:
While the specificity behind its name would insinuate a unique history and background, "Lemony pasta with wilted arugula" is simply an alternative to both salad, and pasta. The ingredients are simple, and incorporate whole foods and processed foods. The pasta is a toss-up. Normally, pasta is considered a "whole food", yet many genetically modified strains of pasta are sold in supermarkets and local delis. The arugula is typically bought local, so it is almost definitely a "whole food." The lemons used for juice and zest are also whole foods. The only other potentially GMO besides the pasta is the olive oil (the cheese is also bought 'organically').
Overall, the meal is fairly healthy, albeit one or two exceptions. In one serving, you consume 443 calories, approximately 13 grams of fat (4 of which are saturated), 18 grams of protein, 65 grams in carbohydrates, and 3.1 grams of fiber. The meal would be great after a long run, or extended break in a day's meal. While 443 calories for one serving is a lot, the standard calorie count for a main dish at a meal is 510 cal.
The environmental impact is very low. While the liquids may have been processed, the other foods are purchased locally at delis or farmers markets that sell food from local farms. I can proudly say that the meal is entirely American, and the majority of the meal only traveled approximately 100 miles (excuse the liquids).
Depending on the quality of pasta, cheese, lemons, and other ingredients, the meals price varies. This dish costs approximately $22, however broken down over four people it only comes to around $5.50 per person (assuming only four people are eating. When you double the amount of people, you double the ingredients).
The social ramifications are not steep. The farm that the arugula comes from is in Lancaster County, PA, and was purchased at a local farmers' market at Clark Park in West Philadelphia. The majority of the food that my family buys is from local farmers' markets, so Supreme Shop n' Bag would not be gaining profit.
Personal Reflection:
Over the course of this unit, I’ve learned a great deal about the production and consumption of food. Furthermore, we have studied the cause and effect behind everyday foods - going into depth about the effects of sugars, carbohydrates, and fats. Placing myself into the larger food system, I realize that my footprint in the food market directly aligns with the footprint of other consumers - whether I like it or not. This is one of the biggest problems in our food market: while we can choose what to buy at the store, we do not choose where it comes from. The simplest solution to these problems would be to buy things locally, and support non-industrialized farming. For me, this would mean supporting the local farmers market, and purchasing food grown in Lancaster Country or other rural parts of Pennsylvania. Preferably non-genetically modified foods as well. While the impact would be small, I would hope these trends transcend my own food-footprint and into other communities.
Unfortunately, it’s not easy to make these changes. Local food is often more expensive than industrial food because its price is based on quality, and the time it took to make. However, I am willing to try to make these changes.
Food!!!!!! A Benchmark Targeting Health and Society
Part 1: Food Slide
Part 2: Personal Reflection
I can definitely say that this has been a very relevant and engaging unit in more ways than one. While the point of this class is to merge the relevance of science within everyday society, I feel like this unit really touches more on the role of the individual, and makes everyone accountable- in a way. Firstly, I've always been aware of the disparities in our world among food, access, resources, and other things. Yet, this unit has made me see these disparities a bit differently- I now see everything as more interconnected. For example, I learned the roles that physicians and health care play in and the national debt from Doctor Brenner. It presented the idea of a very minute group controlling the system of out healthcare; furthermore, the idea of a very small group controlling an entire system, in general. That is the way that the world works. This also ties into the very few, powerful companies controlling our entire food systems. The degradation of food quality, and even how we obtain out food has been corrupted. Yet the furthest corner of my mind, I can see no other way.
Firstly, there are over 7 billion people on this planet; of course, we don’t have the adequate resources to feed, clothe, and house them all. It’s just impossible. That being said, how exactly is it supposed to be that everyone is “entitled” or “should” have access to the better quality food. Regardless, there’s someone out there that doesn’t have access to food in general. While our system isn’t just in some aspects, it is adequate to feed people, in the moment. It can still be improved in the long run- maybe. I say “maybe” because we have no idea how we’ll be in the next 50 years, let alone 20, so what sort of substantial promises to better access and quality to basic resources can we make, when we cannot sufficiently supply all right now? I believe it is that problem that must be tackled, in the most practical of senses. What are to do with an ever growing population, and continuously decreasing supply of land and resources- the Earth is not ever-expendable.
In all, it’ll take years to re-work system so firmly established- when there’s money being made, it’s hard to fight against it. Food/health is just another thing that has been turned into a product of capital gain, and for that reason, the system- while wrong and corrupt- will remain. Considering the socio-economic factors that dictate health and lifestyles only solidify that. I suppose my point overall is that in a grander scheme of things, its impractical to put the importance of “good food” over food at all- though I realize that we only have this argument in the first place because we are in a country that has the luxury to do so (please don’t mind, my thoughts are sort of rambling). It's not that I don’t care about having good quality foods, I just think that looking outside- and even still within, this country- having food in general is the more important problem to be tackled. America and other nations that are developed can afford to say, “people need better food!”. Though, a ridiculous amount of other countries do not have that luxury. I think we need to look beyond ourselves as a nation, just for a bit, and see that on a grander scheme of things, having food at all will be the questions for the next generations.
Part 3: Recipe and Analysis
Chicken Fried Rice
Serve 8:
Calories Per Serving: approximately 400
Preparation time: Around 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Boneless Chicken Breast (family pack)- (140 calories per slab)
White Rice (5 cups)- (242 calories per cup)
Onion (1) (44 calories)-
Green Pepper (1)(33 calories)--
Habanero Pepper (1)-
Pepper (1)-
Season Salt (1)-
Onion Salt (1)-
Chicken broth (1 can) 94.55 calories-
Recipe:
- On a cutting board, slice the chicken slabs into assorted chunk sizes. Also, slice the onions and peppers.
- Setting the stove to high, bring a skillet to a low simmer with butter.
- Once the butter is thoroughly melted, toss the chicken into the skillet and turn the burner low. Add the sliced peppers and onions as well as a few dashes of each seasoning.
- Turn the pilot very low and sauté the chicken for 60 minutes (the low simmer allows for a well-marinated taste). At the same time, as the chicken broth for extra flavor.
- 40 minutes through the sautéing the chicken, fill a crocpot with water and add the 5 cups of rice to the water. Let the rice cook for 20 minutes
- When the 60 minutes are through, combine the chicken and the rice. Eat and enjoy!
Analysis:
My meal as a whole is mostly healthy, and ecenomically sound, but it is mostly socially impactful.
Processed vs. Whole: The majority of the foods in this meals are whole foods, other than the white rice and the chicken broth. The white rice would be is bleached to the make it look white- it would've been healthier to use brown rice. As the for the chicken broth, it is only a compilation of chicken extract and other flavors, therefore it is not a whole food. The peppers and onions, however, are whole foods.
Health/Nutrition: As stated above, the most unhealthy part of my meal would be the white rice and the chicken broth. While I wouldn't recommend eating white rice everyday, it is one of the most- if not the most- consumed product in the world. Most people in Asia eat rice with everything, and they are very healthy. The onions provide some Vitamin C and Fiber, and peppers are very high in Vitamin C. The peppers are very high in various vitamins and minerals but contribute no cholesterol. As for the seasoning salt they are low in calories, but high in sodium. This part of the recipe, you'd like to consume in moderation. But overall, the recipe has a lot more nutritional benefits than setbacks.Environmental: Just about all of the ingredients are harvested on US soils, so any effects that we see occur here. The production off the peppers can be taken into question, as the peppers that I bought were grown commercially. The peppers are sprayed with Ethephon, which is used to promote early ripening. However, the toxicity of the Ethephon is quite low, so the environmental impact isn't as bad as it could be.
Political/Economic: This meal cost a little over 8 dollars, which really isn't so bad at all especially compared to fast food. For this price, you could get around two small meals at a fats food place, but my meal was enough to bring into class, and still have enough at home. It's a great and tasty meal for families on a budget. On another note, the main company that gets my money in this case would be Perdue. Perdue is one of the largest producers of poultry in the nation and as we've learned in this unit, big companies control the food system.Social: I can the most impactful purchase of all of my ingredients would be the chicken. The impact of the "The Chicken Market" is heavily controversial because of the treatment and conditions of the chickens. This is a reason that some people turn into vegetarians, because they've been informed of the conditions of the animals. Also, all of these purchases came from a supermarket.
Food, Food and more Food =)
Meat Sauce and Spaghetti Recipe:
1.5 lbs of ground beef
2 packets of onion soup mix (one box usually contains two packets)
2 cloves of garlic
2 twenty-six oz bottles of traditional tomato sauce
1/4 cup of sugar
6 Italian sausages (approx. 12 oz)
1 tsp of worcestershire or A1
bay leafs
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground peppercorn
1/4 cup of sugar
1 medium-sized bell pepper (green or red)
1 medium-sized yellow onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp basil
1. Begin to brown the ground beef in a skillet on medium high heat
2. While browning the meat, add one packet of onion soup mix and 1 tsp of Worcestershire or A1 sauce.
3. Add two bottles of 26 oz traditional tomato sauce to a slow cooker (crockpot), set on low heat.
4. Mince two cloves (or as much as desired) of fresh garlic
5. Once the beef is browned, drain the meat, then add it to the crockpot with the sauce, stir well
6. Remove the casing on the Italian sausage.
7. Separate the sausage meat the best you can and put the sausage into the skillet on medium-high heat and brown the sausage while chopping it with the spatula.
8. Add a few bay leaves, the salt, pepper and sugar to the sauce and stir well.
9. Cut 1/2 of a medium-sized pepper into fine cubes and add it to the crockpot
10. Cut 1/2 of a medium-sized onion and add this to the crockpot also, stir well
11. Add the second packet of onion soup mix to the sauce, stir
12. Add garlic powder and basil to the sauce
13. Let the sauce simmer on low heat for about an hour while stirring occasionally.
Spaghetti
2 boxes (any kind desired)
Pot
Water
Strainer
Spoon
1. Fill a big pot mostly with water and let it boil
2. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, gradually add the spaghetti noodles
3. Stir occasionally to make sure that the noodles do not stick to the bottom or the sides of the pot
4. Remove the pot from the heat once the noodles are soft and drain the water
5. Top with warm sauce
Because some people in the class do not it pork, we make two bowls of the sauce. One bowl we poured right in from the crock pot and the other bowl we put the rest of the sauce into another bowl and we added the sausage to eat for those of whom that can eat pork and want some. Then we put the rest of the onion soup mix into the bowl with the sauce and sausage. So when making this dish you might want to fix it based on who will be eating it.
Analysis:
The reason why I wanted to make this meal is because first of course I love, love love Spaghetti. But, it is a family thing, we eat it all the time. When my granddad was younger he use to eat it all the time with his family and he still eats it with his family now. So Sabrina and I wanted to combined. We used all fresh things to make this to try and help keep a good diet.
Personal Reflection:
During this unit I have learned a lot about what I “thought” I knew about food. Before it seems as if as students were not taught the “truth” about things because we were younger. But now the truth comes out it seems a bit not normal. I say that because of the food unit we just had. I use to think that some of the foods that we ate we some what healthy, but it turns out that nothing we eat is really “healthy”. If man made it then it is not good for the human body and man makes EVERYTHING. I feel like I do not really have a “role” in a larger food system because in a sense there is nothing that just one individual can do to change the way we eat as a whole. The biggest problem is our food system that nothing is purely organic and basically everything is GMO. Some changes I can make to make food choices is to not eat as much or drink as much soda as I would like to all the time. Most of the time I like to drink water but once I have a taste of soda I always want to drink more of it. I can just tell myself that I don’t need it and that it is not healthy for me to drink it as much. My family has changed the way we eat as a whole and I just have to make sure I stick to that way of eating. These changes would really have an “impact” per say It’s just a healthier way of living. Well, I guess you can say a healthier way of living would be the “impact”. Yes, I am willing to make these changes after seeing the video of how our meat/food is made. It just makes me want to change some of the things that I put into my body.
Food Benchmark
Potato Salad Recipe
Step 1:
Clean 6 potatoes
Step 2:
Peal the 6 potatoes
Step 3:
Boil the 6 potatoes
Step 4:
After boiling the potatoes, cut the potatoes anyway you like
Step 5:
Get a big size bowl, perfect size for your servings.
Step 6:
Jar of light mayo (of your choice)
Step7:
Boil 5 eggs
Step 8:
Peal shell off of eggs
Step 9:
Cut eggs (or put into grinder)
Step 10:
Pour the cut potatoes and cut boiled eggs in to bowl
Step 11:
Scoop hole jar of mayo, or half jar of mayo into the bowl then stir
Step 12:
After have two onions cut and pour into bowl
Step 13:
Stir ingredients together
Step 14:
Your choice of seasoning but if not add salt and pepper
Step 15:
Put in refrigerators for and 1 hour then ready to serveReflection
I believe that there are a lot of problems with our country's food system. Our country consists of so much unhealthy variety of foods. Also how people can get their foods that people have. A lot of our cities are obese because there aren't a lot of markets available for people to get real food from. Instead we have a lot of corner stores that have unhealthy snacks for people to eat. If those stores consist of a lot of market food in there, then people would have a reason to buy healthy snacks. I see the biggest problem with our food system is, how food is advertised. If places advertise healthier food, and create more markets, instead of prisons, and disciplinary schools. Having more markets benefit better living. In my neighborhood, I have a market 3 blocks from my house. Within those 3 blocks, there are about 10 corner stores that I encounter. I think that eliminating the problem will result in a better solution. This unit has made me think about what I eat and where my foods came from. Since out unit I have changed my eating habits. I have been eating better then before for 3 weeks. I feel a lot better and I think that it impacts my life because it has made me feel better and helped me.
Analysis
Our potato salad is very simple; 6 potatoes, 12 boiled eggs, a jar of mayonnaise, an onion, some salt and pepper. The potatoes were most likely grown in Idaho or Washington which are two of the biggest potatoes growing states. They are then put on a truck and driven to Pennsylvania and put on the supermarket shelves. Potatoes are a wonderful food because they are almost fat free, cholesterol free, and sodium free. They are also an excellent source of nutrients, high in potassium, fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, and protein. In addition, they are low calorie. As for the eggs, they were most likely grown on a farm somewhere in Pennsylvania then shipped to the supermarket. Most likely, the farm was a chicken farm which specialized in the mass production of eggs. Different growth hormones were probably given to the chickens to make the eggs produce quicker. Eggs are a good source of Riboflavin, Vitamin B12 and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Protein and Selenium. However, they are high in saturated Fat, and very high in cholesterol. The mayonnaise originates from Spain but now it’s created all over the world with a simple mix of oil, egg yolk, and vinegar or lemon juice depending on your taste. For this recipe we used Hellmann's light mayo which has half the calories, only 35, and uses cage-free eggs. Onions are mainly grown in Idaho and Washington but some are grown in Pennsylvania. Little growth hormones are used in growing onions because they grown very easily. They are low in calorie and fat yet high in fiber. The salt comes from a salt mine or is made from sea water and the pepper is made from a tropical plant grown native to India. Salt and pepper is low in calorie but obviously high in sodium. The total calorie count of a serving of potato salad is about 350 calories per cup. They only part of the meal that is processed is the mayonnaise because we chose to use Hellman’s mayo instead of homemade. The meal was very cheap, the most expensive part was the mayonnaise which was about $6. This could be because the mayo traveled the farthest or it takes the most to produce. Unfortunately, we could not find a listing for where Hellman’s mayo is produced so we do not know how far it traveled to get to the supermarket. As for the other ingredients, they could all be home grown expect for the salt and pepper. This would be safer because there would be no growth hormones or pesticides but the process would take so long that it would just be easier to buy the products from the store. Most of the products were probably grown in Pennsylvania or a nearby state anyway, so it doesn’t take much to ship them to the supermarket.