Food Reflection

            I would have never thought that I would have this big of a concern on food, but this unit of human geography class has made a big effect on me and my diet. After watching the movie, Food Inc., and doing this project, I will think twice about what I eat and be more aware of it. I did not know I ate that unhealthily. I will probably maintain a healthier diet and add organic food to it. I will also go to the local farmer’s market to buy fruits and vegetables. I was surprised with the way the world produces food nowadays. It is shocking to know what they do to animals at factories. I do not feel very safe with the foods I eat.

            I think factories should not feed cows corn. It is a shame that corn can make cows meatier but also make them contain E. coli. Even though there is a mass production of corn, cows should maintain their normal diet, and the factories should be in green areas with a lot of grass. Cows shouldn’t even be on factories in the first place. They should be on farms. They should not be living in their wastes, which can contain deadly bacteria. After all, it is better to be safe, rather than sorry. If I worked at a factory like that, I would feel really guilty about having people die by eating that food.  I especially feel sorry for the mother in the movie that we watched because her young son died by E. coli. Kevin’s Law should be passed because consumers should know if their food is containing E. coli. I would like the satisfaction of knowing that my food is safe to eat. It is disturbing to find out the truth about where our food comes from.

Cows are not the only animal being affected by our food economy. There are many others, too. One of the other animals that are affected is chicken. It is appalling to know that they drug chickens to make them fatter faster just for their benefits. The families do not even get to see each other. Their lives are like humans being a science experiment. They do not get to live their lives. They are being taken and manhandled.  We are making their lives worse for money. It is even worse when we are aware of the situation.

It was also shocking to find out that a lot of food comes from corn. I didn’t know that corn was taking over my diet. While I was in the process of my food journal, I realized that many of the foods that I eat are from the same companies. I do not have a big variety in my diet. I should definitely eat healthier. It is horrible to think that the unhealthy food in the grocery store is less expensive than the healthy food. Even though it’s the truth, it is inconvenient to know. I am lucky to belong to a family that can afford fruits and vegetables. We have the advantage of a healthy diet, but we don’t always use it.

Using hormones to artificially ripen fruits and vegetables is a bad idea. The hormones can actually shrink the food, too. It is healthier to eat food when it is naturally fresh. Farm fresh fruits are the healthiest they can get. You could avoid having issues with food by planting a garden and eating your own, eating fruit that is in season, or going to the local farmer’s market.

            An interesting thought is that I haven’t really thought about where my food came from until now. I am regretting about not thinking about this sooner because I have already picked favorite foods. Many people don’t realize what they are actually eating. They just think it looks and tastes good. Big food companies are advertising their food in a way that is making us crave it. I am one of the fortunate people that don’t like McDonald’s food. It is actually pretty shocking to know that most foods are from the same popular companies. If we realized what we were eating, we probably wouldn’t eat it, and we would be way healthier people. We are increasing the risks of the next generations to get diabetes because of our harmful diets. There are stereotypes of the United States being full of overweight people.

            I am wondering if the United States will be able to sustain its distribution of food. Somehow the United States is the greatest economy in the world, but we are billions of dollars in debt. Our food system has been getting worse over the years. We are getting unhealthier every year. We should be using the local farm markets instead of going to the grocery store and buying food that was imported from a foreign country. It is not just unhealthy for us to be eating factory food; it is also bad for the environment and the animals we eat. When we get food from a foreign country, the gas from the vehicles that were used to transport the food is putting carbon dioxide in the air. Transporting food also accounts for greenhouse gas emissions.

Eating organic food, planting a garden, and going to the farmer’s market will help us become healthier human beings. Step by step, we can make a difference and save people’s lives from E. coli poisoning. I will spread the word to people I know so more and more people will be aware of this situation, so we can stop it. The whole world should know where the food from their supermarket and grocery store came from. Who knew food could be so harmful to us and our planet? I really hope I don’t hear about anymore outbreaks of E. coli poisoning. Somehow, we have to make the healthy foods more inexpensive than the unhealthy foods. We can start to make a difference by growing an organic garden at the John Carroll School.