Food Consumption and Wastage: Reflections from a Week-Long Food Diary

This paper reflects on the week-long food diary that examines the broader socio-political and economic contexts that structure, inform and define our food habits. It discusses themes such as ethical consumption of food, food wastage, and the foodie movement.

Running head: FOOD CONSUMPTION AND WASTAGE
FOOD CONSUMPTION AND WASTAGE
Name of student:
Name of university:
Author note:

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FOOD CONSUMPTION AND WASTAGE
Abstract
This paper is based on the week-long food diary that I maintained to reflect on my
food habits. An examination into my food habits reveal that consumption of food is not a
simple affair but underlines the broader socio-political and economic contexts that structure,
inform and define our food habits. My food habit comprises of ethnic food and fast food. The
consumption of fast food and a taste for global cuisine is anchored in my family background
and the exposure I had in life. This manifests the relationship between food consumption and
habitus as argued by different scholars on the sociology of food. There are discussions on
ethical consumption of food, food wastage and the foodie movement and locating myself
within the foodie movement. Overall, the food diary gives me an opportunity to introspect on
the different factors that shape my food habit and makes me conscious about my socila
location.
Keywords: Food, food consumption, foodie, cultural capital, habitus and sociology of food.

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Food consumption and wastage
Introduction
This essay is based on my reflections from the week-long food diary that I maintained
to understand the different aspects of consumption of food. I have tried to argue that our food
consumption is contingent upon the social location of the individual. Individual and group
food practices and choices do not exist in isolation but are influenced by the broader socio-
economic factors. I have also discussed about the theme of pesticides and chemical fertilizers
in the food and what are my views on them.
The maintenance of a week-long has inspired me to delve into my regular patterns of
food consumption. It has made me realize that the changes I need to make in my everyday
food habits. Recording my food journey through the maintenance of a food diary has
provoked me to reflect upon the things I eat and its reasons and implications in the larger
society. Food consumption of a person is contingent on the broader cultural framework.
Culture and social location of a person have strong influence on the consumption pattern of
an individual (Chapman et al. 2018).I have discussed on the themes of the source of my food
where I have talked whether I reflect about where the food is sourced from. There are
discussion on the factors on whether I adopt ethical means in the consumption of food, my
views on food waste and the ways I deal with food waste. There are also discussion on what
motivates me to consume fast food in the context of culinary tourism, whether I recognize
myself as a food and the rising culture of posting food pictures on social media.

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Consideration about the food comes when it comes from the supermarket (agricultural
production)
As evident from my food diary, I prefer to eat at home, however I have a deep
inclination for both fast food and ethnic food. However, I would agree that the composition
of ethnic food in my weekly diet is not sufficient. The only ethnic food that I consume
regularly is Makkaboos Dakku that is a rice and tomato gray preparation, a remarkable
traditional dish in Kuwait. I usually do not reflect on the source of my food. In other words, it
is not every day that I think about where is my food coming from. However, whilst
purchasing the raw materials for the pancake and noodles, I became interested to know how
the food is being produced. Weis in his work on political ecology approach to food found that
people’s interaction to food in wealthy countries is governed by the international opaque
market from the big supermarkets to the super-sized meals found in the fast-food restaurants.
My inability to reflect upon and identify the food I will be consuming can be explained
through Weir’s arguments. According to Weir, the consumers of food have limited
knowledge about their consumed items regarding the network of economic and social
relations that take place in the manufacture, production and the consumption of food. He has
argued that consumers view food as unpolitical. He argues that the growing productivity and
the meatification witnessed in the diets are normalized in the industrialized nations across the
world. Although, there is discussion of the internal issues, there is hardly any intervention to
realize that the external input are quite greater to produce the required result. Based on Weir’s
arguments, I realize that the contemporary nature of capitalism has led to a kind of
agricultural loop where the greater productivity gains are facilitated by an intensive amount
of biological input. Food system is linked to the change in climate.

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How much do concerns about pesticides on foods, or issues around environmental
sustainability factor into food your purchasing decisions (organic production).
It is found that intentionality informs our perception or for categorization, it can be
food as complex and it is the perception that would shape their approach for the food. This
perception can change or transform with experience. Weir has spoken about the downstream
of pollution into the environment (Weis. 2013). The waste disposal from the industries and
factories along with feedlots exert massive pressure on the environment. The excess amount
of chemicals, nutrients and pharmaceuticals permeate into the soil and diffuse into the
ecosystem. For the ecosystem, the largest burden emanates from eutrophication. For example,
the Giant dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. Based on my food diary, I would confess that I do
not take into account these factors during the purchase or consumption of food.
To what extent do you seek out organic or local foods (organic production).
A quick look through my weekly food diary reveals that I have not been consuming
organic food in a proper manner. I am more inclined towards heavy foods that are rich in fats
and carbohydrates. However, some of the fruits that I consume on a regular basis, are
organically produced in my aunt’ kitchen garden. Regarding the consumption of organic
food, Carolan (2012) opines that more women than men and women with families are more
inclined towards organic food. Therefore, it can be stated that it is because of my gender that
I am not much inclined to organic food unlike my mother and aunt.
Extent to which ethnic background or cultural upbringing shape food consumption and
wastage practices (commensality, food, class and culture - culinary habitus).
I belong to a middle-income family and we need to be careful while making the
expenditure on food. There is a strong link between the consumption of food and the different
social factors. This can be witnessed in the following illustration. For example, Netty prefers

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to consume high-quality, organically-produced food, however, there is a wide gap between
her income and her inspired lifestyle. This has made Netty quite exasperated. Despite, her
poor economic condition, Netty chooses to purchase ethically produced food, as it is
compatible with her worldview about food. Netty’s illustration underscore that if there is a
disparity between one’s economic status and the desired lifestyle, there is a huge burden on
the person to work extra miles to meet that demand. Bordieu’s concept of food practices and
class is a potent theoretical framework to understand this complex relationship between food
consumption and the social location of the person (Bourdieu, Nice, and Bennett. 2018). For
Bordieu social classes represents the total volume of capital possessed by groups or
individuals. Bordieu further argues that one kind of capital can be converted into another kind
of capital can be converted into another kind of capital. Symbolic capital for Bordieu has the
value only when the dominant class legitimizes it. Healthy eating is considered an important
attribute and aspiration for the middle-class. Consumption of an unhealthy diet amounts to
shame and stigma for the middle-class and therefore, unhealthy eating and junk food lacks
symbolic value. Bordieu notion of habitus talks that social practice has a logic of practice.
This logic of practice underlines about the class position of the individual and the range of
capital available to the individual. The illustration of Netty and Bordieu’s concept of the
habitus is insightful in reflecting on my food habits. My food diary comprises of food items
that are mostly have a global appeal. This may be attributed to my upbringing. Both my
parents love visiting restaurants and trying out food from different continents. I went to an
international school where we used to have food festivals that featured food from different
nations. This exposure helped me to develop a taste for waffles, pancakes and other items in
my food diary. Long’s (2004) understanding of exploratory eating becomes an important
framework for my love for cuisines from different parts of the world. He argues that
exploratory eating can be a personal choice, a statement of individuality or a marker of

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cultural and social capital. In this context, Newman and Elton (2017), and Chapman’s
(2018) contention becomes important. He is of the opinion that consumption of food is not a
simple act of satiating our hunger. On the contrary, it defines ourselves and is emblematic of
the milestones in our lives. Although, I prefer to have my snacks and a fruit while watching
TV, my mother ensures that during lunch and dinner, the entire family should enjoy it
together. This is reminiscent of Lenore’s argument on commensality that it is an important
manifestation of human sociality.
Culinary adventuring or culinary tourism
On reflection of my food diary, it can be found that I consume food that are exotic
like waffles, pancakes, egg noodles to name a few. It has been argued that culture that is one
of the most important aspects of food consumption helps in distinguishing one kind of food
from the other. It is the otherness associated with foreign culture that renders the food its
exotic appeal. Tourism is based on otherness as opposed to the objective view of the
relationship of the subject with the object. It is argued that the shifting from the international
to the national and the familiar to the unfamiliar has been instrumental in introducing the
food to the American public. It is further argued that edibility, palatability and exoticness
popularly marked as cultural categories are in reality cultural constructs and contextual.
Therefore, all these factors may unconsciously play an instrumental role during the
consumption of exotic or food with global appeal.

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Foodie
I would consider myself as a foodie as it is clearly manifested in respect to the variety
of food I consume. The term foodie was coined in the year 1982 by the British magazine
Harper & Queen (Long 2004). Later foodie was described as a person who takes immense
interest in food and loves discussing about food. However, scholars argue that the term is
subject to open interpretations. Earlier the world gourmet was much in momentum to define a
person who has predilection for food. Despite the set of alternatives that have been suggested,
the term foodie continues to remain a popular choice. There has also been food movements in
the contemporary times are strikingly undemocratic.
Social media post on food and the foodie
I recognize myself as a foodie as I have often post food pictures on Instagram and
Facebook. I recognize this practice in the broader context of the rise of upper-middle class
and propertied class who swears by sophistication and believes in a cosmopolitan lifestyle.
The posting of food pictures on social media further underline on the concept of lifestyle for
sale. For example, in United States, the Food Network drastically transformed the landscape
of food consumption. It was found that cooking and food became popular because of
consumerist aspect. The rise of the cooking shows on television, gourmet magazines and the
burgeoning of chic products like bottled water, balsamic vinegar and designer olive oils
became a mark of consumer entertainment. It profoundly underscore on the market-driven
impact of food consumption for the people. The presence of the images of large number of
food on the social media networks creates seduction and inspires the viewers and in my case
the followers to pursue a specific recipe or visit the restaurant from which I have purchased
the food. It is found that advertisements and the proliferation in food shows targets a specific

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audience who are usually the hip-elites and the cutting-edge viewers who wants to remain a
step ahead in their lifestyle choice.
In case I am a vegetarian or vegan what has made me so?
Being born in a Kuwait family, our culture and religion prescribes us to consume non-
vegetarian as well as vegetarian food except for the food that is considered as halal in the
religion of Islam. Therefore, I do not practice either vegetarianism or veganism.
Ethical consumerism
I would confess that I have not placed much thought during the purchase or
consumption of food. My mother purchases the raw materials of the food from the local
market. Sometimes we choose to purchase anti-biotic free meat as insisted by my Aunt who
completely swears by ethically produced food items. On Tuesday and Friday, I consume
salad made by organic vegetables purchased from the market nearby. There is no specific
reason about consuming organic vegetables on those two particular days. Regarding the
consumption of organic food, Carolan (2012) opines that organic food are consumed by
people who have a greater consciousness about their health, have a pro-environment attitude
and at least belong to the middle-income group if not from the affluent section of the society.
On similar lines, Long (2004) argues that consumption of organic food underscore the
relationship between the relationship of humans with nature. In my case, a pro-environment
or healthy food habits might not be the primary reason. My mother and my aunt both are avid
consumers of organic vegetables. My aunt has her own organic kitchen garden and she
influenced my mother to develop a pro-environment1 attitude and consume organic
vegetables. I do not like the taste of organic vegetables that much. It was only on the
insistence of my mother on Tuesday and Friday that I had zucchini, yellow bell pepper,
1 Pro-environment attitude refers to the consciousness possed by an individual for the environment.

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cherry tomatoes and purple cabbage salad. Regarding the gender dimension of the
consumption of organic food, Carolan argues that it is women especially women with
families who have greater propensity to purchase organic vegetables. Therefore, I now
understand better the predilection for organic food by my mother and aunt. Similarly, I
realize that I need to more health conscious and develop a pro-environment attitude.
Dealing with leftover and foodwaste
My mother to not waste food has taught me as it is quite difficult for the farmers to
produce food. Still if there leftovers, I would keep the food in the refrigerator and would
consume the next day.
Factors that lead me to waste food
As I have discussed earlier, in our family we are discouraged to waste food but in case
the food has went beyond the expiry date or food has become stale then I would rather throw
away the food. It is because consumption of stale food can cause long-term damage to the
body
Conclusion
The above discussion based on my food dairy highlights that I am a foodie and my
predilection for posting food images on social media is to be contextualized in the larger food
movement of consumption of determining the symbolic capital of a person. Because of my
cultural values and social location, I do not specifically eat vegetarian food and vegan food. I
do not waste my food and in case the food becomes stale, then only I would throw away the
food.. I do not particularly follow an ethical food consumption practice, however I have been
inspired by the literature I have come across that ethically sourced food are pro-environment
and quite healthy. As propounded by Bordieu, food consumed by an individual is reflective

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of the social class and therefore, the frugality exhibited by the lower-income group is
reflective of their lack of economic capital to purchase specific kind of food and sustain that
lifestyle. I would confess that while purchasing a food I do not pay attention to where the
food has been sourced. However, each item we consume has a history. People consuming
food hardly pay attention about where the agro-inputs that went in producing the food, during
what time and in what ways were the food harvested, through which routes the food traversed
from the land to the retail destinations and apart from all these the important question is how
these food affect the environment, biodiversity and energy consumption. Therefore, keeping a
record of my weekly food consumption enabled me to reflect on a range of factors and issues
that I would not have intervened otherwise.

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References
Bourdieu, Pierre, Richard Nice, and Tony Bennett. 2018. n.d. Distinction.
Carolan, Michael. 2012. The Sociology Of Food And Agriculture. London: Routledge.
Chapman, Sasha et al. 2018. "Manufacturing Taste." The Walrus. Retrieved April 7, 2018
(https://thewalrus.ca/manufacturing-taste/).
Helstosky, Carol. 2015. The Routledge History Of Food. London: Routledge.
Long, Lucy M. 2004. Culinary Tourism. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky.
Newman, Lenore, and Sarah Elton. 2017. Speaking In Cod Tongues. Regina: University of
Regina.
Weis, Anthony. 2013. The Ecological Hoofprint. London: Zed Books.

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WEEK LONG FOOD DIARY
BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER SNACKS FRUITS OTHER
THINGS
SUNDAY Noodles Machboos
(Rice
cooked
with
saffron and
smothered
in tomato
gravy)
Dakkus
Hummus
with
Khubz
Chocolate
chip cookies
banana
MONDAY Corn and
chicken pasta
Machboos
Dakkus
Egg roll
and cake
Marshmallow
tea
kiwi
TUESDAY Brown bread
with
blueberry
marmalade
Machboos
Dakkus
with salad
(the
vegetables
in the salad
are sourced
from the
organic
Mutton
rezzala,
chicken
dumphukt
and
Afghani
dal
Marshmallow
tea
orange lemonade

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FOOD CONSUMPTION AND WASTAGE
food
market
near my
home)
WEDNESDAY Brown bread
with peanut
butter
Machboos
Dakkkus
Vegetables
with meat
and naan
(3)
Strawberry
shortcake
with butter
omlette
apple
THURSDAY Chicken
burger
Machboos
Dakkus
Egg
friedrice
with mint
chicken
Chicken
drumstick
strawberry Rose
flavored
drink
FRIDAY Pancake with
cinnamon
sauce
Machboos
Dakkus
with salad
(vegetables
sourced
from the
organic
food
market)
Olive and
pepperoni
pizza
Apple
custard Blueberry
SATURDAY Waffle with
maple syrup
Machboos
Dakkus
Fish fry
and corn
chips
Pineapple pie Kiwi Masala
cola