By Ashley Amos
I have always had an interest in
nutrition. That’s how I ended up in dietetics. However, it wasn’t until I made
it to college that I realized how awesome food really is. After taking classes
like food preparation, human metabolism, and medical nutrition therapy I
learned what food does for our bodies, and I gained quite a bit of respect for
food. Now that might come across as a little strange. Respect for food? I know,
but I think it is something that we are lacking in our culture.
Every component of food has an impact
on our bodies. It gives us energy, builds our tissues, powers our immune
system, helps our nerves function properly, and the list goes on. Food can help
us prevent disease and be used in the treatment of disease. How can we not
appreciate and respect the food we put in our bodies? Yet, in our culture we
seem to mindlessly eat and give food a bad name.
As a dietetics student I began to
notice how little people knew about what they were putting in their bodies, and
how little they cared. People don’t seem to view food as fuel for their body,
but instead it is merely a means to survive. So as everyone runs off to work,
meetings, soccer practice, etc. they just grab what is quickest. Who has time
to prepare healthy meals and snacks? As a result, the market began to cater to
this busy lifestyle, and perpetuated this disrespect for the food we use to
nourish our bodies. On top of that we have an extremely high rate of food
waste. According to the USDA, 30-40% of our food supply is wasted. I could also
go into all of the food fraud, bad science, and false ideas spread by social
media that give food a bad rap, but I think you get my point.
Food should be something that we all
should appreciate. It should bring families and friends together in the
kitchen, and around the table, and be celebrated for all that it does for us.
My hope is that future dietetics professionals will be able to channel their
passion for food, and share it with the rest of our community. All I’m askin’
for is a little respect.
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