American Comfort Food & Culture

encourage food, in common parlance, refers not exclusively to the sustenance obtained from edibles, but curb c bewise to the sense of hygienic-being obtained from eating. In this pillow slip, it whitethorn be psychological or emotional satisfaction. As defined by YourDictionary. com, encourage food is any(prenominal) food eaten not only for its pleasing thwack but overly for a sense of contentment, nostalgia, etc. that it provides. The sad reality is, the pleasing taste in most cases does not equate with wellnessy food. Comfort food, eyepatch it provides feelings of soothing warmth and gratification, may have ill effects on the body, and the persons concerned may or may not even attain it.Yet one wonders why people, though aw atomic quash 18 that certain foodstuffs ( equivalent the nicest tasting fries) argon unhealthy, still partake of it. Upon closer analysis, one represents that food and diet argon inextricably linked to, if not embedded in, evolving society and culture. Take the case of the States, where one can witness comfort food in 2 distinct and interesting dimensions fastfood that is usually devoid of nutritional quality and handed-down gastronomy handed down by one generation to another, as exemplified by authentic South American culinary art, painstakingly prepared by the matriarch of the household as younger family members look on and assist.Fastfood has become a broad(prenominal)ly profitable industry and global phenomenon, while home cuisine preparation is becoming a vanishing art. As families become immersed in the deplorable cycle or struggle to survive, attain stimulate success or recognition, traditional meal preparations are being replaced by cheap eye blink meals. Saturated fats and meats are displacing grains and fresh vegetables. Meal clippings are shrinking. McDonalds is everywhere. (Walsh 36). Regular fastfood fare like burgers and fries continually entice young and old alike, in America and other parts of the world.The flavors of childhood foods seem to leave an indelible mark, and adults ofttimes return to them, without always knowing why. These comfort foods become a cite of pleasure and reassurance, a fact the fast food chains work hard to promote (Schlosser 123). Huge marketing budgets have been allocated to convince consumers to full stop for fastfood restaurants with kids and other family members in tow. What people easily take for granted is that as they opt for fastfood meals, they consume more calories, less fiber, and more fat (Schlosser 241).Fats may be categorized as good or bad, and among the most undesirable kind is trans fat found in fastfood staples like french fries. Trans fats contained in hydrogenated cooking oil pose a big risk to midsection health, as studies have revealed. It serves to justify current efforts to get trans fats out of the American diet (Boyles, parag. 5). Obesity, fatty liver and heart problems are but virtually of the dangers of regular fastfoo d consumption in big servings.Fortunately, helping curb the health decline among Americas population are medically indorse reports and a growing health consciousness that have spawned concerted efforts by consumer groups to ban the use of trans freats in restaurant food in study cities like unfermented York, Philadelphia, and Chicago (Boyles, parag. 5). This had also generated pledges from a growing number of fast-food restaurant chains to make their products trans-fat free (Boyles, parag. 5). Showing an earnest motility of support in such initiative or clamor to give consumers healthier food options are fastfood companies like Wendys and KFC, to name some.Home-produced food may be the norm in certain societies, and it shouldnt be surprising that the societies that have been most successful at retaining food cultures are the ones that have also resisted the pull of Westernization (Walsh 39). This is not to say, though, that traditional fare like southwesterly American cuisine i s not laden with calories, sugar and fat. Southern American food with multicultural exploits includes deep-fried foods and rich gravy do with pan drippings and leftover coffee (Brant parag. 3).If not taken in moderation, they may pose some undesirable health effects, Economics likewise lays a big role in peoples food options. virtually Southerners were subsistence farmers who relied upon their on harvests to feed their families (Brant, parag. 3). Delectable dishes, notably big state of matter breakfasts of eggs, biscuits and gravy, blimp and grits, and supper plates of chicken-fried steak, corn bread and collard greens provided farmers with the fuel to work from sun up to sun down in the scorching heat and humidity of the south (Boyles, parag. 5).While certain recipes and ingredients of south American cuisine stand out, the myriad, longed-for flavors echo a combination of culinary heritages from around the world (Brant, parag. 1). In galore(postnominal) parts of America and m ajor cities around the world, contributing to the decline of traditional mealtimes are the trappings and offshoots of the modern technology era. There is media, with its powerful influence and migration from slow-paced rural communities to cities marked by fast-paced lifestyles. Not only do these changes add stress for families, but nutritional quality declines as well (Walsh 38).Cornell University Professor of Nutritional Science Jeffrey Sobal, was quoted by TIME as utter that parents complain that they make traditional dishes, but the kids wont eat them. They take the things that they see on television (Walsh 38) and consenting adults acquiesce. Indeed, various interweaving factors shape straight offs American food culture and while we might then must clean up the worst of the fastfood excesses, trying to preserve the diets that honor us both culturally and physically healthier, no one pretends were ever going to turn back the clock entirely (Walsh 39). It is, afterwards a ll, the age of convenience products.Further boosting the popularity of fastfood restaurants is the business strategy of focusing not just on product innovations but also in providing a sweep through customer experience. Hence, McDonalds has its Playland to appeal to tots. Other fastfood restaurants strategically focus on a theme, slogan or attitude to further lure customers, wittingly or unwittingly. All told, fastfood has both an upside and downside, While most present-day comfort foods meld flavor and texture for utterly enticing eating options, consumers impart do well to take a moment to determine if these foods are worth the momentary pleasures they provide.As for restaurants who have made a giant timbre towards offering consumers the healthier route through food alternatives that limit insidious ingredients, it is high time they sustain their initiatives that will put a countrys burgeoning population down the healthier path. Households that find it difficult to regulate their dietary paths are usually hindered by budgetary limitations. It can be gleaned that inexpensive, time-saving fastfood has fueled the rapid growth of fastfood outlets on a global scale, Individuals with high standards of living, on the other hand, are better able to experiment and broaden their food choices.Indeed, given todays societal trends and the fastfood phenomenon, only time will tell if healthier and tastier alternatives to trans-fat-laden comfort food will see the day. In the meantime, America is seen grappling with diet-related illnesses even as health empowering intelligence information updates are gradually holding sway Works Cited Boyles, Salynn. Researchers Say Findings warrant Move to Reduce Trans Fat in U. S. Diet. Emedicinehealth. com. 26 March 2007. 13 August 2008 . Brant, Kelly. Southern Comfort. Allrecipes. com. 13 August 2008 n. Comfort food definition. YourDictionary. com. 13 August 2008 . Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation The Dark Side of the All-Am erican Meal. New York HarperCollins, 2001. Walsh, Bryan. How the World Eats. TIME June 2-July 2, 2007 36.