Eat Whatever the ​Fork​ You Want (well, sometimes)

Clara Wolf

Let me just tell you how ​hard​ it is to write an essay about your food ethic, when you don’t
have one. I guess that isn’t completely true, because obviously I want my food to be cooked
with love, I want to eat meat that had a good life, and all other sentimental rules that normal
people have when they think of their eating habits. But truly, I eat what I want when I want it.
And convenient foods don’t help my laziness whatsoever; I can easily grab a granola bar on my
way out the door or pop a frozen pizza in the oven when I don’t feel like making dinner. The
food industry has made it WAY too easy for all of us slack off when it comes to quenching our
hunger. My biggest reassurance when eating is, “oh, I’ll work it off later” or “its okay, I have a
fast metabolism” and even though these are valid excuses and they work every time, my body
deserves more than, “oh, it’s whatever. I’ll burn it off soon.”

My sister has been a huge role model in my life, not just with wise advice but also
lifestyle and education. She’s always been a workout and health junkie, usually waking up and
going for a run, then a bike ride, followed by a quick trip to the gym (she never stopssss). It’s
hard for me to slack off when I see her treat her body like the temple it is. Last year, when she
did this project the main thing she talked about was corn because, if you didn’t already know
everything is made out of corn. Yeah, yeah, I know that sounds crazy but think about it...if you
look at the ingredients of anything you’ll find corn, or a form of it (corn syrup, glucose, etc) in the
product. Even in meat, feedlot cows are fed a mixture of non-organic corn, antibiotics, and
vitamins among other nasty additives that help fatten up the livestock. If that’s the one thing you
get out of reading​ The Omnivore's Dilemma​, it will be time well spent to read it.

While reading the Omnivore’s Dilemma, my view of food flipped around. Like I said
earlier, I have a really hard time caring about what I eat because I know it will be burned off in
the matter of hours. However I don’t ever think about the major effects it will have on me later.
Two nights ago, my friends and I went to Grassburger and stuffed ourselves with burgers and
fries and didn’t really think about what would happen later. After we were overflowing with the
yumminess of a local burger joint we walked up the street to Prom and boy, oh boy could we
feel the side effects. After a couple hours of dancing my stomach hurt soooooo bad and I knew
it was those fries. Yes, they tasted so good and were 100% worth the stomach ache but this is
the perfect example of eating without thinking/reasoning. We could just have easily gotten a
salad from The Living Tree and been fine but that's not what we were craving. When trying to be
aware of what you are eating, it is important let yourself “cheat” sometimes even if you aren’t on
a diet. I follow a fitness coach on Instagram and she always says, “It’s a lifestyle, not a diet” so
you don’t have to have restrictions or can and cants. Just be aware of what you are eating and
as long as you are okay with it, I say FULL SEND!!

So here’s the deal, eat what you want when you want it (and deal with the
consequences later). You can always make healthy choices but you don’t always have to, you
can work out if you want but it’s never a requirement. I know laziness gets to most of us, so
before you take another bite of that ice cream, make sure you know what you are getting
yourself into. If you want to have the same perspective on food like I do, make sure you are
educated about your food and it’s life before you gobble it down, then I’ll know you have right
idea about the choice you are making.