AWOF - Food Cultures - Home & Corporate

Food in my family has been an issue for many years. Not that we can not afford food, but we have bad eating habits. My father has a bad history of eating a lot of food, regardless of it being healthy or unhealthy. We do own 'junk' food--your typical chips, cookies and ice cream, however in our household the only drinks allowed is water. Never has it occurred to us to buy soda, for many years, and because of that, our family is used to just drinking water.

In terms of eating, for the past years my family has been trying to eat more healthier due to my father's past heart attacks. We, or they--my parents, in this case, have been trying to cut back on eating large portions and rather having smaller portions. We have also tried to cut back on eating salty foods and with foods that 'need' salt, we have also tried avoiding adding salt to our food as well.

As Filipinos, we are very family oriented, however we are slowly starting to break out of that habit of having a 'family oriented' meal where we eat together and talk about our day like 'most Americans' would. Now a days we would just come home at our own times and eat individually in our own rooms. Mos tof the time my parents are always eating together, while my sister and I are in our own rooms eating--usually eating and doing homework, watching tv or on the computer.

With our own food, we try to avoid ordering take-out food. My family likes to cook large home cooked meals so it could last us during the weekday. In America, the 'dominant white culture's way of food usually revolves around fast food--mostly ordering take-out food or eating in a restaurant. Although some Americans do try to 'watch their weight' by sticking to diets, I personally think that by doing so will have the person tempted to eat what he/she cannot eat, which breaks him/her into their own bad habit. Also, Americans are ignorant to realize that salads at McDonald's to NOT work. As a whole, i think Americans are aware of what makes him/her unhealthy, but the fact that they try to avoid the issue makes his/her weight such a big problem to him/her.

My way of eating food is kind of weird. In the mornings I rarely eat breakfast--thats only because i never have the time to. If i do eat breakfast and was given a whole meal like eggs, bread and butter, i would be unable to finish it because i am so used to NOT eating breakfast. Depending if i am on my menstrual cycle, I often eat more than what i can eat. I eat a lot more junk food thank actual food to satisfy my cravings. I hardly eat dinner around that time and am sometimes i am not able to finish my lunch which often becomes my dinner.

As for eating healthy foods, i try my best to not eat a lot of junk that i usually do. I would eat small portions AND big portions depending on how i feel most of the month and will eat less vegetables--i am not a veggie person. Usually i would eat, what most girls would call, 'carbs'--pasta, pizza, bread, sandwiches, etc.

--i'm just very thankful to be an active person.