Vegetable oil spray
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 large egg whites
5 cups (5 ounces) Kellogg's Corn Flakes cereal, finely crushed
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of all visible fat, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 2/3 cups water
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup apricot jam
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons canola oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, top with wire rack, and spray rack with oil spray. Spread flour into shallow dish. Whisk egg whites until foamy in second shallow dish. Spread Corn Flakes crumbs into third shallow dish. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Working in batches, dredge chicken in flour, dip in egg whites, then coat with Corn Flakes, pressing gently to adhere; lay on prepared wire rack.

2. Spray chicken with oil spray. Bake until chicken registers 160 degrees and coating is brown and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, whisk water, soy sauce, apricot jam, hoisin, cornstarch, and vinegar together in bowl. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in soy sauce mixture, bring to simmer, and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and keep warm.

4. When chicken is cooked, return sauce to simmer over medium-low heat. Add cooked chicken and toss to coat. Serve.

Recipe Analysis

•Approximately what percent of the meal is processed vs. whole food?

all-purpose flour - processed

vegetable oil spray - processed

egg whites - whole

cornflakes - processed

chicken - whole

water - whole

soy sauce - processed

apricot jam - processed

cornstarch - processed

balsamic vinegar - processed

canola oil - processed

garlic - whole

ginger - whole

red pepper flakes - processed

broccoli - whole

Processed - 9/15 ingredients 

Whole - 6/15 ingredients 

About 60% of this meal is processed.

Health/nutrition:

Approximate calories per serving: 490

" carbohydrates per serving: 62g

" fat per serving: 8g

" saturated fat per serving: 1.5g

" protein per serving: 44g

This meal is high in protein in comparison to it's commercially produced counterpart. This protein in the body will be broken down into amino acids and used in necessary chemical reactions within the body. 

The majority of the fat in this meal is good fat, which will be processed by the body and turned into acids. These acids will travel through the blood stream and be collected by cells that need to replenish their energy. 

This meal, compared to the meal available for $11.99 at your local chances food store, has fewer carbs than this homemade alternative. These carbs will be used for energy but if they're not used immediately they will be converted into glucose. That, in turn, will be stored in fat cells. 

If one were to eat this everyday, I would imagine they would have some vitamin deficiencies because every vitamin and mineral needed in day to day life is not present in this meal. 

Environmental:

I believe many of the ingredients were manufactured in the US, but there is still a considerable amount of traveling to food had to do to get from it's manufacturer to my local supermarket. Collectively, I'd estimate the total miles all the food had traveled would be about 5000 miles. With the cost of fuel today, the total money used to get it here is probably quite considerable. Not to mention the toll the fuel emissions most have had on the environment. Some of the cheapest ways to ship any cargo are also the most detrimental to the earth. 

Political/economic:

Purchasing all the ingredients for this meal coasted about $35, but to get the price per serving, it has to be divided by by 12. Which means that the cost per plate of food was approximately $3. This is significantly cheaper than going to a chinese restaurant where General Tso's chicken would cost about $12. 

There were profits made at every step of the preparation of this meal. Money was made by the people selling ingredients, shipping ingredients, making the products, shipping the products, and then down to the consumer, who buys the final product. The people made the most money out of this process were the people who own portions of the monopolizing corporations. In my meal this would be companies like Perdue, General Mills, and Nabisco. 

Social:

The chicken in my meal came from the Perdue Corporation. This means that it started at their farms, went to their processing plant, was shipped to my local super market, Super Fresh, and then I bought it. Since it's illegal to have chickens within city limits, I would never be able to personally raise a chicken to cook. 

Broccoli was another major part of my meal. Most broccoli production happens in China. Assuming that is where mine originated, that means that my broccoli was produced on a farm in china, it is then harvested, and shipped to the US. Where is was once and again shipped to my local market. To grow, broccoli needs a cool weather climate, which would make it possible to grow during certain seasons in Philadelphia. It takes about 100 days to grow and 200 seeds costs about $4. This packet would produce more than one head of broccoli and considering the price of broccoli at the market, I would save a lot of money in the long run. 

This unit has taught me a lot about food and how we, both as individuals and as a species, interact with it. I've learned that obesity and type 2 diabetes have only become epidemics in the past few decades. This is because of the widespread availability of processed food as opposed to whole food products. This is the probably the biggest issue with food in western society. Food that has been highly processed and contains many refines carbohydrates are the ones that are heavily advertised and are the cheapest and most available. 

Personally, before this unit I believed I ate mostly healthy and even after learning from this unit, I've retained this stance. One thing I could definitely improve upon is the attention I pay to the actual ingredients in my food. It was mentioned that foods with more than 5 ingredient are to be avoided and I've definitely disregarded this rule on a daily basis. In the future, I hope to be more aware of it and improve my health. Making these changes would hopefully resolve some little issues I tend to have like lethargy and the urge to constantly shovel doritos into my mouth. If I take care to learn about what I'm eating before I actually do it, it will most likely impact my health in a positive way. 

*1 cup water

*2 1/2 cups bread flour

*1 tablespoon white sugar

*1 teaspoon salt

*1 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

*1 egg yolk

*1 tablespoon water

1. Place 1 cup water, bread flour, sugar, salt and yeast into bread machine pan. This is recommened for the best possible baguette at the end. 
2. When the cycle has completed, place dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in bulk. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.
3. Punch down dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll into a 16x12 inch rectangle. Cut dough in half, creating two 8x12 inch rectangles. Roll up each half of dough tightly, beginning at 12 inch side, pounding out any air bubbles as you go. Roll gently back and forth to taper end. Place 3 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Make deep diagonal slashes across loaves every 2 inches, or make one lengthwise slash on each loaf. Cover, and let rise in a warm place for 30 to 40 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water; brush over tops of loaves.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.
   
   
   

   This is a traditional meal for the French and Francophiles alike. This is meant to be a treat, as well as a supplement to a diet, or a meal, and they are a staple in French society. Though my family is not French, we do eat baguettes frequently, and it is a big part of our diet, and we eat baguettes nearly everyday.

   Most of the ingredients within the baguette are whole foods, and because of this, the baguette is relatively healthy. Baguettes are a great source of grain and carbohydrates, and are a hearty addition to any meal. Roughly, each whole baguette, which is about 3-feet long, is roughly 200 calories.

   Baguettes require a great deal of harvested products, such as yeast and flour. These things are not findings in nature, and would require additional processes in order to make it accesible to the consumer. After tracking down the manfucaturing company who made my flour and yeast, I discovered that they were both made in Minnestona, over 1,000 miles away. This plant of flour manfuracting is one of the largest in the country, because of this, the enviromental impacts are great.

   Whole baguettes can usually retail for about $2.50 each. The greatest profiteers on baguettes are the large manufacturers who create the ingredients. Also, a great reason why the cost of baguettes are relatively cheap is because all of its ingredients are staple foods; necessiaties in every person's pantry.

   
   Personal Reflection-
   
   

   Throughout this food unit, the lessons I have learned were vast and varied.

   Firstly, I have learned the various corruptions of the system of the food industry. It was shocking to see how these things have been allowed to happen.

   In addition, we’ve gone over foods that are healthy for us and the foods that aren’t, as well as what our food is truly made of. This, to me, was one of the most shocking revelations; the dependecy of various staples, such as corn or soy, which come across in nearly all the foods we eat. It shows, once again that the food problem within the USA will require great work to rectify.

   One of the greatest lessons I've learned throughout the course of Food Inc. was the fact that modern day food production isn't so much natural as it is an artifical science expermiment. Various chemicals and formulas come together to create the foods that we feed ourselves and our children, and the indregient lists for our foods are littered with unpronouncable words and phrases which don't often warrented a second thought in our minds.

   Ultimately, the sheer size of this problem makes it difficult for myself, and I think, in large, the country, to try to fix it. At every turn, the people who we believe have our best interests at heart have allowed their greed and love of profit and power to overcome their duty to keep us safe as harm. The corrupt system of food in America is nothing short of our country's most difficult problem, and the only solution will require much work and perspective into the thing that our society should truly value as importmant: American lives.

Yields 30 triangles

Preparation/cook time: 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours

Ingredients:

- 1/4 cup olive oil

- 1/2 pound spinach

- 1 bunch scallions

-1/8 cup chopped parsley

- pinch of salt and ground black pepper

• 1/4 cup feta cheese

- 1/4 cup Ricotta cheese

- 1 egg, beaten

-1/2 cup butter

- 1/2 pound filo dough

Directions:

Heat half of oil and half of the spinach in a saute pan and saute until the spinach becomes soft. Do this for about 2 minutes. When done, take the spinach, drain it, and squeeze out excess liquid, then chop it (does not need to be fine). Repeat this again with the remaining oil and spinach, then add scallions and saute till soft (which should take 2-4 minutes). Add parsley, salt, and pepper, cook this for 2 minutes, then remove from heat and put everything you've made so far into a bowl and refrigerate till room temperature. 

Preheat the oven to 350. Put some butter or olive oil on a baking sheet. Beat eggs and stir feta together in a small bowl, then add to the cooled spinach mixture, and mix it all together. 

Unroll the filo dough, but make sure the dough doesn’t dry. At this point you can decide whether to make a pie or triangles, cut the dough in the shape you want. Dabble some melted butter over the filo dough, make sure it’s as even as possible though. If you’re making triangles, cut the filo dough into squares, and put a table spoon of the spinach in the middle of each square, then fold the dough to make a triangle. 

Place all the triangles on a baking sheet and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the dough on top is golden. 

Analysis:

All of the food that I got was from Whole Foods or a specialty store. My parents an I, for the most part, only shop at Whole Foods or specialty stores, because we feel like food from there is just over all better for you and more trustworthy. Making my own guess, a serving size is five of those triangles. In each serving there’s about 230 calories and 14.3 total grams of fat. Because of the spinach, there’s 15% Vitamin A. I’d consider this to be a pretty healthy food, since there’s a lot of spinach and scallions. But to others, I can see how this could be fattening, since there’s so much cheese and butter. 

The filo dough is definitely made in the US, since the lady that works at the Greek store makes all the baked goods. I’m pretty sure the ingredients in the filo dough are probably also from the Greek market, which would mean it’s either from Italy or Greece. Everything else came from Cali or New Jersey. 

The supplies for this meal costed about $25. The most expensive ingredient was the filo dough, since it takes a lot of time to make and prepare. It’s  basically bread that’s extremely thinly sliced and then frozen, so it doesn’t break. 

Reflection:

Throughout this food unit, our class has learned about the food that we eat, health statistics, and how the human body processes certain foods. Before this unit started, I had some knowledge on the food that I ate and an overall general understanding of what we talked about. For my personal role in the food system, I'm a pretty big believer in organic and fresh foods. For the most part, I eat very healthy, except when I eat candy. My parents and I both shop at either Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, mainly because we know that the food they have don't have excessive amounts of preservatives and every fresh food is restocked every day. Although, I realize that organic food isn't always better, it always makes me feel better knowing it's fresh. To go along with organic, the animals they use for meat are not given steroids or chemicals and are not tortured before being killed.

I see fast food as being out biggest problem in the food system. I say this for multiple reasons. Fast food isn't just McDonalds or Burger King, it can also be frozen foods you find at the grocery store, such as Smart One's or LeanCuisine. Fast food is not only made with a lot of chemicals, but people are very uneducated about the amount of calories they take it. Also, not to mention that because fast foods are usually the cheapest, people tend to forget the importance of cooking their own food and then later on have no idea how to cook, and since so many people are lazy, they will continue to buy fast foods.

I personally like the food that I eat now and wouldn't change it. Sometimes I miss eating red meat, but since I've been eating only white meat for so long, it doesn't seem like that big of a thing. I get a fair share of vegetables, fruits, and protein. Although I believe I should eat less candy, it's probably not the best for my teeth. I'm definitely willing to make that change, and I think that I could be on an even healthier regiment if I did so. But life is short, why not eat candy?

 Ingredients:

Whole grain spaghetti

Olive oil

Tomato sauce

Chicken breast

Steps:

1. Ready and boil water with olive oil in pot
2. Cut chicken breast and put in pan
3. Apply seasonings to chicken and turn on low- medium heat
4. Ready sauce
5. Mix ingredients
6. ENJOY!

Analysis:

            Having spaghetti has become a really common meal in the United States and you can mix it with tons of things. A common mix at my house is the use of spaghetti and chicken. While some people look at spaghetti as an unhealthy meal, it depends on the kind and how much you eat. You see, there is whole grain spaghetti and plain white spaghetti. The white spaghetti is a processed form where the outer layers of the grain are removed so that you are left with white grains. The outer layers contain a lot of nutritional benefits, they contain fiber, which will help to prevent an insulin spike and keep you fuller longer. It also has a lot of vitamins.

            Carbohydrates are a really important macronutrient for the body because it is the bodies preferred energy source. There should be a large percentage of your daily calories that should come from carbs. The problem is, people tend to eat too much of the processed stuff. In whole grain spaghetti not only do you gain the benefits of having the fiber and vitamins, but you also have less ingredients. There are several ingredients in processed spaghetti but very little in whole grain.

            Protein is another really important calorie source and the recommended intake in grams of protein, is one gram per body pound. For instance if you weigh 150 pounds, the rule of thumb should be that you consume 150 grams of protein in that day. Protein is another energy source but it’s main objective is repairing destroyed muscle tissue.

            Fats are the last really important macronutrient left. Fats are sometimes thought to make you fat when you eat them but this is false. Perhaps from eating trans fats you’ll run into some problems, or eating nuts all day. The problem with fats is that they have 9 calories per gram so foods with fat have a lot of calories and when they are over consumed, people gain weight. Fats are actually really essential to the bodies functional. You should consume about 50 grams of healthy fats a day depending on your needs.

            This meal above has it all; it has the complex carbohydrates with vitamins and fiber from the spaghetti. It has the lean meats that give essential amino acids and provide proteins. Then you have the olive oil that has healthy fats and is rich in antioxidants which helps to rid the body of harmful free radicals (cause cancers).

Over the course of this course we’ve gone over foods that are healthy for us and the foods that aren’t so healthy for us. We’ve talked about reasons why people with lower income tend to be more obese then people with higher income and also when the accessibility to better food is scarce there are more obese people. There is currently more access to sugar, which was not as prominent in the past. Now that there is more access to sugar our bodies aren’t meant to process as much sugar as we’re consuming which is why diabetes is so prominent today.

Ways to better your eating is just watching how many calories you are eating every day. Make sure you’re not drinking your calories. One of the biggest reasons diabetes is so common today, is because of soft drinks. Soft drinks have three times the amount of sugar that you’re supposed to consume in a day. With fruits they have fiber and so the sugar does not spike your insulin.

I think the lesson to learn here is to make sure you’re not eating foods that are really processed. Shoot for foods with less than five ingredients and eat more whole grains. Eat things that come from the ground and shoot for more organically made foods. They do not hold many more nutritional properties but at least you’ll know your food was not processed. 

Commercially grown carrots and Walnuts follow the same pros and cons of other commercially grown food; nuts specifically. 

Since lettuce is a vegetable, it is obviously first grown at a farm. Farmers produce crops to sell to big companies for packaging and distributing. There are a lot of steps to take for farmers to get their yield to the supermarket. From tending the soil to sowing the seeds and finally harvesting their crops, there are many steps to take to yield a successful harvest. As they stock up on vegetables, big companies either hire or make deals with them to produce their harvest at supermarkets for the general public. The vegetables go through a cleansing process to preserve its condition. Then, they are packaged up by machines or workers to sell.

Similar to Lettuce, walnuts must first be grown (from trees) to harvest later on in August. By using complex tree shaking machines, they are able to harvest walnuts by the thousands in a matter of a few hours. Most walnuts go through a quick and easy processing phase. The husk is removed since it is not edible and the nuts are dehydrated to optimum 8% moisture level. This is also to protect and preserve the quality of the nuts. Finally, they are packaged and sent to whatever food retailer.

I think my role in the larger food system involves educating myself and the people around me to make healthier food choices.  I've learned to question the foods that are labeled to appear healthy.  Just because it says "100%" doesn't mean that there is all natural juice.  Some labels have vitman c or another vitamin in smaller print.   One thing I foiund particularly interesting is the fact that in America, the people of the lower economic statuses are more often obeses.  The opposite is true of people in other countries as well. Also, whole wheat bread may have bread that contains whole weat grains mixed in with the grains of regular bread. I also learned that corn of some type exists in almost everything we eat, solids and liquids.      I beleive the biggest problems with our food system is the way that crops like corn and soy have monopolized the food industry.  Instead of trying to find the root of problems and fixing them, they come up with more high tech was of temporarily dealing with the problems at hand.  There isn't much that we can do as individuals , but we would have to come together in the support of smaller companies and farmers that are invested in healthier foods and better treatment of animals.  I think that I could choose to eat less meat per day, and choose to eat less processed food , which in the long run would benefit my own health.

During this unit I learned how most of the labels on food products don't mean anything, like "access" to the outdoors. This could mean that the doors to their barn or holding cell, whatever, is open for a few minute maybe an hour a day. In most cases the animals are to fat because of all the antibiotics that is given to them. Also how organic doesn't really mean that it is a 100% organic. 

I think that whatever I buy at a supermarket affects the larger food system. So what I buy can cause the item's price to be raised if many people but it. It would made in mass qualities due to demand. I do eat healthier than I did before but after this unit I question whether the food I eat is actually healthily. Like I ate an apple yesterday that said it was organic but that only means that only a small portion of the process to make that apple was organic. Just about all the apples that are sold have a wax coating on it. It is said to not be harmful but some people argue that. This makes the apple look appealing and deceivingly good. If people knew what the labels really meant, they may stop buying the products. 

If people were more aware of what they were eating and what the companies are hiding, there's a chance that better food can be produced. But not everyone seems to care. The chance that the prices may go up worries people. Especially in this bad economy. 

Recipes

White Rice

Ingredients:

- 3 cups of long grain Rice

- 5 cups of Water

- Salt

Directions: White Rice

1) Wash the rice to out any impurities that could be left in it

2) Bring the 5 cups of water to a boil with a pinch of salt in a large saucepan with a lid that fits.

3) Add rice and stir

4) Put lid on and turn down to low. There should be a little steam coming out. If too mush is coming out, the heat was not lowered down enough. 

5) Cook for about 20-30 minutes but DO NOT UNCOVER. The steam aids in he cooking.

6) Remove from heat then fluff the rice with a fork. 

7) Serve.

Green Plantains

Ingredients: 

- Green Plantains

- water 

Direction: Green Plantains

1) Bring a large pot filled with enough water so that there is two inches left from the the surface of the water to the rim. 

2) Wash the plantains and cut in half. Maybe quarters if it is too large.

3) Grab a knife and cut along one of the ridges so that there is a slit in the peel.

4) Carefully place the plantains into the water. 

5) Boil for about 15 minutes then using tongs, carefully remove the peels. 

5) Cook for another 10 minutes. 

6) Remove from heat. 

7) Serve.

Analysis:

There aren't many ingredients so it is fairly simple to find "organic" or "natural" items that are healthier. The only salt is in the rice but that could be optional if the person doesn't want flavor. Just about everything is a whole food. The rice is the only processed food. The meal is rather cheap. The rice cost about $10 and the green plantains were about 6 for a $1.50. When compared to how much fast food would need to be brought when compared to the amount that you have with these ingredients, this meal is cheaper. I don't know where any of the ingredients came from but I know that the rice is not made in the U.S. Farmers made money off of the selling of the plantains because they are "natural", so there is minimal factory involvement. I wouldn't be able to grow rice myself but I have grown plantains myself and they don't taste much different then the ones I brought. 

Food Graphic

For this project I will be talking about myself and the cooking world around me. I will also be sharing a family recipe of a healthy meal.

Me & Our Food Society

I have the tendency to either eat more on the healthy side or more on the unhealthy side sometimes. It really depends. I have a good diet but I am very picky with everything that I eat. When I go to certain stores depending on there I might not or I might feed into the healthy or unhealthy ways. 

The larger food system I guess I am sometimes helping it and other times hurting it. Every now and then( not often) I tend to eat what’s faster rather then what would be easier for me to get. The larger food system is more unhealthy but I feel as if a lot of people are worrying more about what they consume everyday. Also the whole thing with income matters towards what people can afford. 

The biggest problem within our food system is what is available and what is not. Most people do not have a place around them that is surrounded by markets or healthy places to eat. Therefore A lot of people eat really unhealthy foods because it’s available and its cheaper for them and their family. Then on the other side some people chose not to eat unhealthy. Exhibit A are those people who grow their own plants and food. Like people on farms. 

Personally cutting out the junk food completely would be a good change for me. Also worrying about where my food comes from would also help a lot. These changes might make a lot of people perhaps follow my steps. Also it would be helpful towards the Earth. Everything doesn’t have to effect the society that you live in, if it just helped the Earth or personal improvements. I am more then willing to help out, and also more willing to make a change to the things I eat also. 

Spaghetti 

What You Will Need: 

1/4 Cup of Olive Oil, Extra Virgin

8 Cloves of Garlic, Peeled 

28 oz or 35 oz of San Marzano peeled plum tomatoes, Crush them by hand in a bowl, then set aside. 

1 tbs salt 

1 tbs pepper

3 shakes Red Crushed Pepper 

6 Fresh Basil Leaves 

2 strings fresh Parsley 

_____________________

Directions :

Heat Oil in a pot on medium heat for 4 minutes. Take the already peeled garlic and with the flat side of a knife whack the garlic so that it becomes flat. Cook garlic until it is a light brown color.  The add in the tomatoes. Bring everything to a boil and season lightly with salt, pepper, and red pepper. Then lower the heat so that the sauce is at a lively simmer. Using a wooden spoon or whisk stir the sauce, which will break down some of the tomatoes, about 25 minutes until the sauce is thick. Stir in basil and parsley for about 4 1/2 minutes. Taste the sauce and season with salt, pepper, and red crushed pepper as needed.  

The World & The Meal 

•Approximately: About 90% of this meal is whole food.

•Health/nutrition:  Believe it or not but there is only 526 calories in the whole batch of sauce, which means when adding noodles and such there won't be that many health problems. Also the healthy whole food will process through your body well because it is fresh. Also it is really good for your insides, especially since it is fresh! I feel as if someone ate this meal every day, They won't really have much protein in their diet but everything else, except what type of pasta they use should keep them pretty good feeling. 

•Environmental:  Tomatoes- Italy   The tomatoes traveled the farthest, everything else was produced in America. Nope commercially grown. 

•Political/economic: Not that much both of the cans were 8 dollars the olive oil was 7 dollars for a bottle and the garlic was like a dollar so everything was pretty cheap. Fast food is cheaper, but fast food is a quick filling meal, but the sauce will have you eating for more then a day. Cento

•Social:  Nothing really, someone can't really complain except for the fact that the tomatoes garlic ad such weren't organic. 

Tomatoes- Grown in Italy, picked fresh, canned 

Garlic- California from out of a plant which also makes potatoes. In the Garlic capitol. 

Since the beginning of time we as humans have been looking for things to give us less work to do. Also it is always easier and more available 

2 cups Grated Raw Potatoes with skin (round white or red)

2 T Whole Wheat Flour

2 Well Beaten Eggs

1 t Salt

1 t Sugar

Pre-heat oven to 425˚ F. Pour off dark water accumulated on top of grated potatoes. Add the ingredients and beat well. Heat pan with one tablespoon of olive oil. Spread oil thinly and spoon drop batter onto pan. Spread as thin as possibly and fry each side until nearly golden. Remove from pan and soak extra oil off cake with paper towels. Bake in oven for 10 minutes.

For this project, I chose to make potato pancakes, also called Latkes. They’re traditionally eaten during the Jewish holiday, Hanukkah. Because latkes are a little different depending on the country, I chose to use the Polish version. In my efforts to make a healthier version of that latke recipe, I made sure to keep my ingredients as whole as possible, like the potatoes, red instead of russet, and eggs. The cooking oil, salt, and sugar is processed. The whole wheat flour, which is substituting bleached while flour. is only a little processed, since it’s not shelled and bleached. When selecting the ingredients at the store, I went for the organics, especially the eggs. The salt, oil, sugar, flour, and potatoes were produced by lager manufacturers, like the Acme brand where the ingredients were purchased. If a person were to eat nothing but the latkes, health problems would certainly arise. It has all of the basic vitamins, proteins and fiber that the human body needs. The main problem is that one batch doesn’t have enough of everything to stave off malnutrition. In order to get all the essentials, one would then have to deal with obesity. Luckily, the ingredients aren’t all that regulated. Everything found in latkes are common staples of the Western Diet. The one ingredient that is a little special would be the eggs. They require special processing, shipping, and storage. They also need to be cooked in a certain way to prevent food-borne illnesses or food poisoning.

The problem with our food choices is related to a few things. The amount of money we have. Groceries needed to make fresh, healthy meals all week can cost $100 or more. Fast food is cheaper, especially with their dollar menus. Another issue is availability. While the nearest grocery store is about a mile or more away, fast food can be found right around the corner, especially in poor-income areas. Unhealthy food is everywhere, in corner and dollar stores, and much closer and cheaper then healthy foods. Yet another issue is motivation. Americans these days as a whole are lazy. Electronic addiction overrules the body’s basic needs, like exercise and nutrition. I would know, I am one of those people. 

Like many people in America, I find it easier to go out and grab some chicken, fries, and soda than cook for myself. If I want to make the food myself, which I have done before, it can eat up over an hour that I could be using to browse the internet, make progress in my favorite games, or chat with friends. While cooking for myself can be fun once in a while, it gets tiring and boring. Exercise is the same. It take time and dedication. It’s hard work. 

The worst part is that the only people who can fix this are the people themselves. Instead of driving to the nearest fast food restaurant they can walk there. Try cooking once or twice a week. Pick stairs over elevators. Get some friends together and go out. The government can’t make people to do so, and even if laws were made they’d be difficult to enforce. The only thing they can do to help is make healthy alternatives more readily available. This is what I learned this semester.