I had Lemon Chicken, Sweet Potatoes, and Snap Peas for Dinner
I had lemon chicken, sweet potatoes, and snap peas for dinner last Sunday, and it was both healthful and delectable. I made a commitment to eat healthily this year and keep a healthy weight, so I have been very careful about what I eat. As a result, I have been experimenting with numerous recipes that I have received from friends, relatives, and the internet. I was told to eat the dinner mentioned above by a buddy.
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Nutritional Information
I purchased the frozen chicken and peas from the grocery store and read the food's nutritional labels to find out how many calories and nutrients it contained. The snap peas had 15 calories per serving with nutrients such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, and Iron. The chicken provided 80 calories with lots of protein per serving. I bought the sweet potatoes from the farmers market, and they did not have a nutritional label. I had purchased my herbs, spices, and vegetables in bulk from the grocery store earlier in the week.
Preparing and Serving the Meal
I made the dinner myself at my place. It took me slightly more than an hour to prepare, bake, and serve the meal. I had dinner with my roommate, and I was able to freeze some of the leftover food for the next day's lunch. It was an enjoyable meal which I enjoyed and ate at a slow pace.
Considering the Price of Food
The price of the food I eat is important to me. I plan my meals weekly to ensure that I do not exceed my budget and that I buy food in bulk to reduce the cost. Planning meals also has other advantages such as I can ensure that what I eat is healthy for me, I can save time by cooking enough food for several meals, and I avoid decision fatigue when selecting my meals.
Sociological Analysis
The food we eat and how we eat is a factor of our society and our culture through different aspects. Even though we make the decisions on what to consume, we are still within the framework of the community we live in and therefore subject to some situations that are out of our control. Aspects such as political policies, labor regulations, socio-economic status, etc., determine our habits. In this essay, I seek to analyze my meal in the light of some of these aspects.
Impact of Casual Laborers on American Large-Scale Farms
Most of the casual laborers on American large-scale farms are immigrants from countries such as Mexico. They come to America due to poverty in their home countries but face many problems when they arrive here. They have insecure jobs with poor working conditions and low or no access to healthcare and social services, are at risk of being deported, and face discrimination. Buying products from big farms who have been exposed as mistreating and oppressing their workers propagate a culture of conjugated oppression. I, therefore, strive to buy food from the local farmer's market whenever possible.
Food Insecurity and Wasted Food
Food insecurity is the state of lacking access to affordable and nutritional meals. It is still a problem in many parts of the United States despite the fact that at least one-third of all the food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted. According to a 2016 survey, 12.3% of American households are food insecure meaning that they have gone without a meal or lost weight since they could not afford food. In addition to government programs such as food stamps, non-profits, and faith-based organizations are on the front line to feed the hungry. As I have explained, I buy my food in bulk and plan my meals to ensure that I do not throw away any food.
Influence of Popular Culture on Food Choices
Popular culture is also a vital influence on our choices of food. Food shows and celebrity chefs have a significant impact on the diets we choose. We take their word as truth even though they may be paid to endorse particular brands. I am guilty of this, having made several recipes from The Food Network. However, I always ensure to do my research regarding the nutritional value and the calories in the meals I prepare. I believe that celebrity chefs should use their power and influence to teach people with poor diets to choose healthier lifestyles.
Genetic Modification of Food
The genetic modification of food has always been a controversial topic. As the world population grows but natural resources remain constant, we have had to make sure that there is enough food to feed everyone. One of them genetically modifying plants to make them more resistant to disease and extreme weather conditions, produce larger harvests, and taste better. Even though the chicken I had was not genetically modified, they are selectively bred, and most of their feed comes from genetically modified corn and soybeans.
In Conclusion
In conclusion, food and nutrition are a complicated process which is affected by an array of different factors. Food is an integral part of our life and one of the major determinants of our health. We should always strive to make the most optimal choices available to us depending on our circumstances. We should also be careful not to let media advertising and unachievable standard affect how we make our choices.
