Cultural Eating

According to Sizer & Whitney (2017) sharing ethnic foods can be symbolic, meaning people offering foods are expressing a willingness to share cherished values with other. One example that I know for a fact I my family does is on the 1st day of the new year that black eye peas and collard greens are prepared in celebration of the new year to bring luck and prosperity to the family that year. Another experience is definitely Sunday dinners; one of my aunt’s cooks every Sunday religiously.

Almerico (2014) states that: Food has symbolic meanings based on association with other meaningful experiences. An example of the symbolic meanings including food references can be found in many of our common expressions. Bread is a good example of the symbolism found in foods. When people sit together with friends at a meal they are said to break bread with one another. This expression symbolizes a setting where friends come together in a warm, inviting and jovial manner to eat. Bread has been called the staff of life.

Three factors that I can pinpoint that effect my food choices would be a physical factor in regards to I’m currently in what’s called a “leaning out” phase of my fitness journey in which I’m eliminating fat from my body and creating more lean muscle mass. Another factor would be a psychological factor, after doing various research on adapting a plant based diet I solely believe that a plant based diet is the most efficient way to live the healthiest life in my personal opinion and the final factor of my dietary decisions are based of my environment. Growing up in Georgia I’ve seen diseases take the lives of various people around me that I believe could have been prevented from proper diet and exercise. Seeing those around me suffer gave me the motivation needed to not suffer the same ailments.

References:

Almerico, G. M. (2014, June). Food and identity: Food studies, cultural, and personal identity. Retrieved from http://www.aabri.com/manuscripts/141797.pdf

Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2017). Nutrition: Concepts and controversies (14th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning