Blog 4 - - - Class Reflections - Food Intake and environmental impacts

Food intake for the last 48 hours
Day 1
Breakfast
•Fruit shake – Strawberries, Blueberries, bananas, and milk
•Protein bar
Lunch
•Sandwich – Bread, Ham, Tomato, Lettuce, Mayonnaise
•Grapes
•Cucumbers
Dinner
•Steak – BBQ with streak sauce
•Potatoes
•Cesar salad
Day 2
Breakfast
•Fruit shake – Strawberries, Mangos, bananas, and milk
•Protein bar
Lunch
•Sandwich – Bread, Turkey, Tomato, Lettuce, Mayonnaise
•Strawberries
•Cucumbers
Dinner
•Pork – baked with dressings
•Potatoes
•Beans
•Noodles

Looking at the past two day of food consumption, I find that my diet consist of a decently balanced diet. Lots of fruit, and a mix of red and white meat. Also for a good variety of nutrients and minerals. My habits of eating generally lean towards fruit all year round. Most of my fruit are not from local sources and are impacting the environment and me. Fruit from the south during the winter requires large amounts of transportation and generally has a decreased nutritional value. The meat I eat also requires more energy than a more vegetable based diet. Eating higher on the food chain need larger inputs of water, energy, and land. Eating meat is necessary in my life style, but I also believe that there can me improvements made to make the process more environmentally friendly.
During the summer I try to pick my own fruit and vegetables, ether from local gardens or even local farmers markets, relieving some of the strain on the environment. Our climate plays a huge roll in how our society deals with produce and supplies during the sub zero months. Importing is currently our only answer, but new advances in greenhouse technology is making the reality of locally grown produce year round closer and closer. Other processed food, such as noodles also add to the transportation impacts of moving imported food unnecessarily around the country.
This study was a good at bringing out the real impacts of not knowing where our food comes from, next time I’m shopping, ill definitely be more aware of the season and how the products would have got their.