Roughly

Roughly

Undeniably, obesity and the struggle to find healthy food for low-income families has been a difficulty for United States since the beginning of the 1950’s with the revolution of the freezer and fast food industry (Ross). This dichotomy between finding reasonably priced foods and ones which are palpable provide an intimidating challenge for people leading busy lives to find the balance between these two temptations.  Cookbooks have been a product and resource for avid cooking fans for ages, providing recipes and appropriate cooking challenges (Hamilton). However, within some of these most popular cookbooks, there maintains to be a loss in finding a practical instrument for busy families which cannot afford a poached duck or fresh scallops. //This balance is possible, and can be created by dedicating time to finding produce which satisfies peoples’ basic nutritional needs, complimentary flavors, with prices and portions which are realistic for a 21st-century families in urban cities.//  The average American family of four spends around $342 a week on groceries (Hamilton). With all the food products readily available, this is not surprising and can be assumed that many families spend well over that amount. In controlling diet it is important to acknowledge the four primary food groups and incorporate fruit, vegetables, starch, dairy products, and meats (Rozin). Fulfilling the daily diet with all the necessary vitamins (Lappe, Rozin, Logue) is the key to creating a healthy filling dish. This isn’t to say that vegetarians cannot be healthy because they lack one of these food groups. Different foods allow for more variation, but it is their nutrients that are most important. Therefore, of the nutritional value of one is compensated in the other, there is no need for concern. For example...  Only by being aware of their desires and the reason behind them will consumers be consciously aware(Logue) of the dietary decisions they make, and therefore not fall into the trap placed by corporations and mass media(Pollan). The other day I went out to grab some coffee with friends today, and in the restaurant we witnessed a mother taking a group of children out to Starbucks. Several thoughts went through my head: a) Why are children drinking coffee, are you crazy? (b) How can you afford this? You're paying for 8 huge drinks... and (c) How can you support children drinking 30 oz. of sugar and coffee?  Starting kids on this sort of diet at a young age gives them the idea that portions like these are normal and healthy, and that they should not be conscious of what is in them. If you let your child drink it, tell them that with these pleasures come responsibilities, such as working out. Get the idea in their head at a young age; keep balance.   It is also this sort of development that has caused for the evolution of the junkfood industry, where candy is made of increasingly more and more artificial ingredients to make them sweeter. For people who grew up on older sweets, it’s difficult to enjoy candy, since all of the lollipops and Starbursts are too sweet for the developed tastebuds. I can hardly imagine how older generations might feel. This also jarringly quickly reminded me of the Pixar animation "Walle" where people became obese without even noticing any change. I feel this is where America is headed, especially after having worked that evening, and served a 13 year-old boy a four scoop dish of ice cream, with fudge, caramel, whipped cream and chocolate bits (I know it sounds delicious) for him to finish alone. His mother said nothing. We must be more aware of the direction we're headed. However, healthier options do not necessarily mean substantially more expensive or sacrificing the good taste. In controlling their diets consumers will simultaneously improve the environmental repercussions which the food industry strongly has on our planet (Pollan). Although it might seem unrealistic, personal healthy decisions improve life in the long run(Lappe).  With the agricultural advances made in the past decades, it is possible to procure any product at any point in the year. Consideration and careful selection of the brands people choose to support greatly effects the quality of the food; cheap food and healthy food are not mutually exclusive, so it encouraged to purchase legumes and other organics during their season, to ensure best purchase time and least genetically altered food (Lappe). The American fast food industry is unique to its culture, and in many foreign countries providing families with enough food is more of a struggle(Romieu). In Nicaragua, since resources and currency is scarce, much of the food consists of rice, beans, and plantain, providing relatively small portions which allow for hours of energy in a labor-intensive country(Romieu). What they do have, however, is a lot of variations of plantains. Like potato chips are incredibly cheap here since the potato agriculture is so cheap, so is the plantain market down in central America. Needless to say, their junk-food is also addictingly delicious. All the warnings for our diet in Central America as were well received, and the expectation for rice, beans, and few vegetables made for little disappointment. Occasionally we'll get some strange form of zucchini, and it's really a big day when there's meat. Also, the breakfast plate is disappointingly under-nutritious with a regular selection of fruit; them being watermelon, bananas, and pineapple (which I'm mildly allergic to). There is hardly anything filling about this "most important meal" rather than a hint of potassium and sugar. What is most gleaned from this experience in Nicaragua is not only the balance people have in their portions - only three meals a day, and a set portion on each plate - and a way they manage to fill themselves with the little selection of food they can afford. What Americans must get past is temptation. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There is no better way than sharing the insight gleaned from this research than formatting it into a practical cookbook form, which families can use. Creating the cookbook must be formatted so it is easy to navigate, enjoyable to skim through, and plentiful enough to provide sufficient variety. In looking at renowned cookbooks in history, one can understand what readers look for and what makes for a successful book (Rhulman).