Food Cultures - Home vs. Corporate

In my family, we eat a lot of American food. The food we eat consists of hot dogs, cheeseburgers, salad, fries, and turkey sandwiches, to name a few. We also eat a lot of meat whenever we have dinner. Our main entrée usually consists of chicken, beef, or pork. Along with the main entrée, we also have side dishes, such as a salad, or fries. After listening to Andy talk about his past family dinners, and how they use to go out to McDonald’s for dinner, I realized that my family is the exact opposite. My mom cooks practically every day, and if she doesn’t feel like cooking we usually order Chinese food or pizza. Whenever we have guests over, we tend to go out to a fancy restaurant or a chain restaurant (such as Dallas BBQ) to eat, instead of staying in and cooking. We never have fast food for dinner, which I like because it means that we are still being healthy. On special occasions, such as Christmas or Thanksgiving, my family goes over to one of my cousin’s houses and we have a big sit-down dinner. Usually everyone contributes into the cooking, and everyone brings over something that they cook at home or buy from a store. Whenever it’s a special occasion, food is the main event. Everyone gathers around the dining room, and we all sit down and eat together. Unlike other families, we don’t pray before we eat, we just dig right in. Although, we do thank the cook for the food they made for us. During special occasions, we have some Chinese food (if someone brings it over), but we mostly have a lot of meat and vegetables. We still have American food, even when we are all together. In my family, food is a big thing, but being healthy is another.

White American Corporate companies try to portray women as the main cooks in families. Women and mothers are the ones who prepare the home cooked meals for their children and husband, and their meals consist of a lot of meat and vegetables. If the father or husband was to prepare dinner, it would be more along the lines of a TV dinner, or a fast food dinner from the closest fast food place. White American Corporate companies also portray families as all eating around a table together, having a good time. The children don’t run off to watch TV, and the parents ask the children how school or their day was. The foods the families usually eat consist of “white people food” such as white bread, ham, mayonnaise, chicken, or vegetables. Occasionally the family would go out to a restaurant together, so that the woman can take a break from cooking. The dinners usually last about 15-20 minutes, at the beginning the family will pray (if religious), and then give a brief recap of their days. Even though this is how White American Corporate companies try to portray a family dinner, it doesn’t always happen like this with families. Every family has a different style of eating, just like how my family does not pray before we eat (since we are not religious). White American Corporate companies also don’t incorporate a lot of cultural food, while other families like to include food from their origins. Just because White American Corporate companies say we have to eat one way doesn’t mean we have to, it’s just what society says.

I would say that my food ways are very similar to my families, considering we basically eat a lot of the same food. I can’t cook, so since my mom is the one who cooks all the time, I eat whatever she makes. Similar to my family, I eat a brief breakfast in the morning, usually consisting of a granola bar. The difference between what I eat in the morning and what my family eats in the morning is I eat a small snack, while my sister and mom usually eat a butter roll or cereal. My dad grabs food while working, so I’m not exactly sure what he eats in the morning. One thing about my mother that is different from me is she is a lot healthier than I am. She eats a lot of vegetables, and has a balanced diet, while I tend to not eat any vegetables except for salad and potatoes. My sister and I also eat a lot more sweets and junk foods then our parents do, since we are still younger. When we reach for a snack, it’s usually a cookie. However, I try to be as healthy as I can, especially after wrapping up the health unit in Andy’s class. I like to eat a lot of salad, and I have been cutting down on a lot of the junk food I have been eating. I also realized then when it gets hot out, my body tends to reject food. I can’t eat a lot of food in the summer but it makes me feel sick. In the summer, I drink a lot of water, and that keeps me full until about dinner. I like to think that I am healthy and fit, but I do indulge with my sister or friends in ice cream sometimes.