Manuel's Bread Cafe

After Zumba classes on Saturdays, my friends and I typically gorge our ravenous appetites on fast foods such as pizza and other fast foods. I admit, it’s not the healthiest activity after a fitness class, but, in our defense, we do emphasize moderation. However, this week I was feeling more guilty than usual for my poor food choices and decided to eat at Manuel’s Bread Café.  Once my friends and I arrived at the restaurant, we were taken aback by the architecture of the building itself. It was simple in its design, yet it contained an almost mesmerizing quality to it. Once we entered the building, I immediately noticed the immaculate, organized, and calm quality that the interior presented. Again, there was nothing too fancy about the place, but the structure and cleanliness of the restaurant coupled with the hospital, kind nature of the employees left an impression on me I don’t typically feel within other restaurants. One of my friends advised that we should all order salads. I reluctantly agreed, but my reluctance didn’t last long because I had to admit that the salad selections did appear quite appetizing.

One noticeable characteristic of Manuel’s Bread Café is the significance of food awareness. This includes consumers being aware of where their food items come from and how they are produced and handled. This knowledge has a profound effect on an individual’s food choices. This concept is discussed in Julie Guthman’s article “Fast Food/Organic Food: Reflexive Tastes and the Making of ‘Yuppie Chow’”. Within the article, Guthman discusses the effects of the Slow Food Movement in relation to consumer food patterns. She asserts that consumers remain attentive and monitor how their food items are produced. This ultimately influences their preference toward foods they perceive to be healthy (46-47). A similar notion is seen in Manuel’s Bread Café.  Most of the dishes provided at the restaurant are direct yields from the Blue Clay Farm. The foods cultivated each year at the farm are carefully planted and regulated for optimal growth. Therefore, Manuel’s provides an assortment of foods that are both healthy and safe for consumption. This knowledge allows customers to realize that they are being provided with high quality healthy foods. With this in mind, it is safe to assume that Manuel’s primarily targets consumers interested in dining on fresh, organic food dishes. Any customer is welcome to dine at Manuel’s, but fast food connoisseurs may lose interest.

Not all foods are grown in such a natural manner such as the meals provided at Manuel’s. Some foods are modified with various agents in order to enhance food production. All of these modifications are done before the food appears on your plate, so many people are unaware that alterations have taken place. Jennifer Clapp, in her article “The Political Economy of Food Aid in an Era of Agricultural Biotechnology”, discusses how these modified foods affect global relations. Clapp states that certain African countries distrust the safety of genetically modified foods. These countries believe these foods will have adverse effects on both their citizens and their crops. Because of these reasons, they are willing to ignore U.S. donations even in times of severe famine (467-468). This demonstrates a level of uncertainty within the food community. As a consumer, you are unaware of the processes involved in producing your foods. The same is true on a global scale as well. Which foods are safe to consume, and how do we know that those foods are truly free of contamination? Manuel’s looks to remove this cloud of doubt. Manuel’s diligently regulates its food production to ensure rich quality of fresh organic foods. In a sense, the restaurant almost represents a haven for nutritious, safe foods.

At the end of the day, I enjoyed my visit to Manuel’s Bread and Café. It was very informative and the food was delicious. Even though I am not a “salad person”, I ordered the Tomato Caprese Salad. It was divine (for a salad) and I’ve included a link to preparing a Tomato Mozzarella Caprese Salad as well. Hope you enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR2-eHc_5qg

One Food Eating Myth

So here’s an interesting story. I recently received a booklet in the mail that advertised Pink merchandise. For those of you who are unaware of what Pink is, it’s a Victoria’s Secrets clothes brand for women. Initially I thought nothing of it (this wouldn’t be the first time my name was mistaken for belonging to a female), and decided to simply discard the booklet. However, something caught my attention. As I glanced through the pages, I noticed that all the women looked similar. They were all tall, thin, and white. The brand using tall, thin beautiful women as a marketing technique wasn’t surprising, but what was surprising was that there wasn’t a woman of color present. This isn’t to say that Victoria’s Secret doesn’t use women of different races within this brand (or any brand for that matter), but it does help perpetuate a common myth. This myth states that women not belonging to the White race do not experience body image complications.  

It’s no secret that society places an emphasis on the female body. Society constantly advertises and displays women with gorgeous looks and a thin frame. As a result, women become influenced by the expectations that society places on them, and feel that their body types aren’t good enough. This necessity to appear like the women in the Victoria’s Secrets ads (and many others) causes women, particularly White women, to develop eating disorders. But where do the women of different colors fit into this equation? This concept is addressed by Susan Boro in her article “Not Just ‘A White Girl’s Thing’: The Changing Face of Food and Body Image Problems”. Boro states that it is a common belief among people that eating disorders are only prevalent among White females, and that women of other races don’t exhibit a dislike of their body types. These women are proud of their body’s features and have a cultural permission to appear the way they do (46). Because it is assumed that women of different colors are comfortable with their bodies, they aren’t depicted as much as White women in body image advertisements. Therefore, White females are able to connect directly to the women in these ads and develop a desire to emulate the bodies they see. This, however, is not true. Eating disorders can be present within women regardless of their ethnicity or culture. Boro further asserts that eating disorders are predicated on new social expectations and the anxieties associated with attempting to obtain an ideal body (51). Women of different races are influenced by societal expectations just as much as White women. Simply because these women aren’t voicing their dissatisfactions with their bodies as much as their white counterparts, doesn’t mean that they don’t have issues with their body types.

This concept is also displayed in the popular sitcom Modern Family. The show focuses on a fictitious family, the Pritchetts, as the many members of the family navigate through life and all the obstacles that it presents. One character in particular is Gloria played by the actress Sofia Vergara. Gloria, the wife of Jay Pritchett, is a beautiful Columbian housewife. Throughout the show, characters are constantly addressing her natural stunning looks and breathtaking figure. In a sense, Vergara’s character becomes a depiction of what Columbian women look like. This would imply that all Columbian women are gifted with thin bodies and large chests. Bodies such as these are accepted by society and held in high regard. Therefore, Columbian women show no displeasure with their body types. This concept is not true. Not all women have the genetics for a thin body. For the Columbian women that do, they may exhibit distaste for them. At different points within the show, Gloria comments on how people appreciate her more for her looks than for her personality as a loving housewife. This demonstrates that having a curvaceous body has its tradeoffs and isn’t always viewed as a positive attribute by women. We can look at this issue from the other angle as well. The show also makes note of the fact that Gloria is constantly going to the gym to tone her body. This demonstrates that even though Gloria isn’t a White woman, she is still influenced by societal expectations for females to display awe-inspiring body types.

Ultimately, the pressure to acquiesce to the standards of society is felt by women of different races and ethnicities. These standards include food and exercise management in order to flaunt toned, glamorous, appealing bodies for all of society to see. However, not all females are guilty of complying with such a standard, and it’ll be interesting to see if the narrative changes in the future. Until then, my mailbox will be open.

The Psychology of Food Choices

Food is a medium through which a person can effectively construct a collective identity among a group of people. This implies that people are able to connect with one another through their food choices. These food choices are influenced and shaped by a multitude of factors. One notable factor is the psychology of preference and observation.

It has come to my attention that social connectivity among a group of individuals is rooted in similarity of food items. Of course, I cannot speak for everyone. Therefore this observation is limited to my personal experiences and examinations of others in my immediate surroundings. For example, my favorite meals are spaghetti and lasagna, and many of my close friends hold these meals in high regard as well. This similar association is found among other groups of friends that share food preferences for certain items. The most notable I can think of being coffees and salads. Why is it that people seem to gravitate towards others that demonstrate similar tastes in foods? Are these cliques influenced by food choices, or is it the other way around? If so, are we conscious of such a dynamic influence?

These concepts are explored in Richard Sheperd’s book The Psychology of Food Choice which outlines how psychological factors influence a person’s food choices. Sheperds asserts that an individual’s food selection is constructed by the observation of consumption habits.  These habits are learned and, with time, develop into an individual’s preferences for certain food items (6). This suggests that different people make different food choices based on the habits of others. Once these food choice have been made, people are then able to integrate themselves within the appropriate social groups.

This concept of careful observation affecting food ways is further illustrated in Melissa Salazar’s article “Salad Days: A Visual Study of Children’s Food Culture”.  Through the years of 2004 and 2005, Salazar observed student reactions to the implementation of salad bar programs in many elementary schools in northern California (22). Salazar claims that food choices are dependent on individual tastes and by watching others. This concept was seen by individual student plates. Salazar noticed that the students, instead of producing ordinary salads, preferred to separate their food items into piles (27). This demonstrates the psychology of food choice as the students portrayed a preference for certain food items over others. In the process, it is possible that the construction of one student’s “salad” was influenced by the food choices exhibited by other students who were possibly influenced by others.

What’s interesting is that the process can be reversed. Instead of one person being influenced by a group of people, a group can be influenced by the food choices a single individual. When I was in elementary school, I brought lunch from home on most occasions. Included within my lunches were Doritos and Fruit-Roll-Ups. Up until that point, students rarely brought these food items to school. Once it became known that I possessed these items on a regular basis, I began to draw immediate attention. Obviously the brands themselves were a cause of commotion, but no one ever asked for any of my food. The students accepted me into their groups, and they too began consuming more Doritos and Fruit-Roll-Ups as well. Ultimately, through this process, I became incorporated within a group whose identity transformed because it was influenced by the food choices of a single individual.

There are numerous factors that affect a person’s food choices. Preferences, wealth, accessibility. All of these factors and more contribute in determining what foods are readily consumed over others. This culmination ultimately results in the formation of habits that are learned and observed in a continuous loop.

Richard Sheperd and Monique Raats. The Psychology of Food Choice. Massachusetts: National

          Science, 2006. Print.