Adventures in Food

Part I: My Most Important Relationship

I have spent the past couple of weeks experimenting. I am fully aware that when the word experiment falls from the lips of a nineteen-year-old, this can be greeted by some raised eyebrows from the more mature members of our society. Now before you go on speculating, let me assure you that I am not trying to find myself at the bottom of a bottle of liqueur, delving into hard drugs, falling into unconventional relationships, or even contemplating where I would like to tattoo the name of some brief fling onto my body. It is something that is both more personal and rewarding. It is an experiment that I should have undertaken much sooner, for it has in turn opened my eyes to one of the most important, and at times most neglected, relationships I have in my life. I’m taking a hard look at the dynamics between me and one of my closest friends- food.

This relationship has always been a very intimate and cherished one in my life. I LOVE to eat. I come from a family where food is the center of, well, everything. You absolutely cannot have a proper gathering with out a well thought out meal. From casual dinners, to holidays, to celebrations, food is key. And of course, it wouldn’t be a trip to Grandma’s if you didn’t leave feeling as if you had gained ten pounds. As a culture, food is central to all that we feel. How often, after committing a triumph, have you been congratulated with the honor of selecting that evening’s meal? Or, how many times have you discussed important life changes over a cup of coffee? In a society where heartbroken girls find solace in a pint of ice cream, where the loss of a loved one is met with a parade of sympathetic casseroles, and the first thing a college student looks forward to when on break is a home cooked meal, it is more than obvious that food is central not only to all that we do, but all that we feel.

I can attest to this emotional connection. Many of my memories are held in conjunction with food. I may not be able to relay every single detail of a trip I’ve taken, but-even years later- I can remember nearly all of the meals that I have eaten while on a vacation. And of course, I would be the first to assure you that chocolate does indeed hold healing powers. All of this is proof enough that food holds a strong part in all of our lives. It not only fulfills perhaps one of our most basic human needs, it on some level meets a deeper desire. It is more than just something on which we are able to survive, but something that we are able to live for.

Knowing that this is perhaps the most important relationship we share in our life, how is it that we have become so careless? In a nation where we have an entire channel dedicated to food, we in turn have a population where nearly one-third of adults and 17% of children are obese (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) . Is it that we love too ardently, or that we simply don’t think enough?

Let us now return to my experiment. Since about the age of ten, I have toyed with the idea of vegetarianism. What began as a feeling of horror regarding the consumption of what I considered to be loveable barnyard animals later grew into concerns about the environment and curiosity surrounding the health benefits of a meatless diet. On top of this all, I have never especially enjoyed the taste of meat. I can recall an evening eating dinner in the cafeteria at school, when I announced that I was finished with my meal. Sitting upon my plate was a rather hefty serving of chicken, missing only a few bites. A friend jokingly commented in a mock maternal voice, “Zoë, why haven’t you eaten your meat?” Frankly, I thought to myself, I don’t find it especially appetizing. Over the course of the year, I have tried more vegetarian options. Finding that I liked these meals, I decided to take things a step further. As I have been slowly contemplating the removal of meat from my diet, I have been thinking a great deal about what I eat. Does this meal have enough protein? Will I be hungry later? Is this food a good source of iron? Through this experiment, I have actually taken time to stop and think about what exactly it is that I am shoving into my mouth three times a day. It has been eye opening. You hear about people turning their lives upside down with impossible, and often dangerous, diets. In reality, what we really need to do to be healthy is stop and think about what we eat. It is important to consider balance, portion, and nutrition. Even more than this, it is vital to consider how food is making you feel. I can certainly say that I felt exponentially better after eating the fresh peach I selected for a snack a few days ago in comparison to the time that I chose to down nearly an entire can of Pringles on my own (It was during finals...I was stressed?). But most important of all, is having a connection with your food. This may sound corny (no pun intended), but eating veggies fresh from the farm is so much more delicious than the alternative of swallowing those sad kernels from a can. Eating food in its purest form is one of the best things you can do for yourself, and I have taken a keen interest in doing so. Even more than this, I love knowing where my food has come from. Knowing that the strawberry you’re eating was lovingly grown in the most natural way possible somehow makes it taste all the sweeter.

I have yet to decide if I will pursue vegetarianism full time or not. But whether I choose to eliminate only red meats, remove the food group entirely, or suddenly decide that I would actually prefer to be a full-out carnivore, I know that my interest in and careful attention to what I choose to eat is here to stay. After all, this is a relationship that it is here for a lifetime- and I intend to get to know my food very well.