Traditional Puerto Rican Household

Raised in a Puerto Rican household has shaped my view and choices of foods. Like most Latin American plates, traditional Puerto Rican dishes consist of fried foods. It was not until I started college that I began to realize the negative effects that it had on my health as well as trying new ways to continue eating my traditional dishes without it being so unhealthy. Reflecting back on the changes in relationship I have had with food throughout the years, I have become more understanding on the ideas and findings discussed in the course readings. Gender, class, ethnicity and culture has shaped my relationship with food one way or another. I was raised in a family where some traditional beliefs were still followed. One of these beliefs were the gender roles: women cooked while the men did the manual …show more content…
Although I knew I had to change my diet, I had not begun to take initiatives until I started college. It was then that I realize that I could continue to eat my traditional dishes as long as the portions were smaller, the meat was baked than fried and more vegetables and salads are incorporated. Reflecting back at my change of relationship to food throughout the years, I began to connect with the ideas discussed in the articles assigned in this course. I understand why low-income areas have the highest rates of obesity, the difference in gendered foods, the food justice issue and how that also severely contributes to the obesity problem as well. This course has also shined a light on a different subject matter that not many documentaries and books on this issue focus on: feminism. The feminist movement has been seen as a factor to this issue and it is unfortunate that living in today’s culture where women have challenged their gender roles are still seen as a problem. Planting the crops, making the food and serving it should not be solely seen as a women's role but a gender neutral