Instagram Your Lunch

 

 

Food items come in an assortment of different shapes and sizes. Food differs in both its preparation and consumption, but, more importantly, its reasons for consumption. On the surface, it would appear that certain foods are consumed based on the alluring appeal they possess that target specific individuals. However, there is a concealed component that explains why we eat the foods we do. The foods we eat reveal the lives we live and are shaped by personal experiences and routines within a particular culture that extend to other aspects of our lives.

The food items included within my “meal” are personal lunchtime favorites that I eat on a regular basis. The question that remains is my reason for consuming them. One safe assumption is that I enjoy these foods for their delectability. Another explanation is that I live an active lifestyle. Due to this, I prefer to eat standing up and on the move. That certainly explains why I eat packaged, easily transportable foods such as these. I’ve also noticed that my closest friends share similar lunch items. Could I be eating these foods simply because my friends do? Or is it the brand that gives them some type of value? This is a good start, but there must be an underlying reason for why I enjoy the foods I do.

Growing up, my parents took the responsibility of preparing my lunch throughout elementary school. The “menu” usually included: a sandwich of some sort, fruits, chips, applesauce, and a dessert like treat such as cookies. I was also provided a juice box. My responsibility, as instructed by my parents, was to eat the entire meal and not share with any of the other students. I was also instructed to eat my food items separately and in a specific order. I was required to eat the main item first (the sandwich), then the sides (the fruit, chips, and applesauce), saving my cookies for last. These mannerisms were practiced both at school and within my home.
 

                     

This form of discipline is similar to that exhibited by nursery school teachers in Japan. In Anne Allison’s article “Japanese Mothers and Obentos: The Lunch Box as Ideological State Apparatus”, she discusses the strict tone assumed by the Japanese teachers when monitoring the children during lunchtime. It is the duty of a child to consume the entirety of his or her homemade meal in a rapid, efficient manner that doesn’t impede the progress of the other children. Failure to do so results in chastisement from the teachers to the dissatisfaction of the child (90). Luckily for me, my parents didn’t take as critical an approach when constructing their rules as these teachers. Their rules were more practical in the sense that my parents simply wanted to ensure that (1) I was receiving the nourishment my body needed, and (2) I was practicing frugal customs. These mannerisms became incorporated in my habits and are still in practice today. They became a part of who I am, and have even translated into other areas of my life. I am a very organized and detail oriented person. This is true in manners regarding education, work, and simple day-to-day living.

Is it possible that the culture orienting my food choices has helped to shape other traits and decisions within my life? Possibly. And who’s to say that my habits aren’t rubbing off on others? Maybe I choose the foods I do because I see others incorporating my eating habits into their own. Anne Allison said that “culture constructs both the world for people and people for specific worlds” (82). Culture shapes an individual’s identity and continuously influences the choices that they make within their lives. I’m no exception to this. Even though I’ve added new items to my diet, I still save my sweets till the end.