Food trucks. Are you really getting what you want? Are your foods really allergy-free? Are all the foods fresh and are they good quality? Is the food really clean and are the workers hands really washed? The answer to the questions are always unknown but for some reason people still love to eat from food trucks. The first known food truck was an army wagon which contained dried beans, coffee, cornmeal, bacon, salt pork, beef, and other easily-preserved foods. It was invented to feed cattlemen and people traveling. After this, the US Army mobile canteens were commonly used to feed the U.S. troops. This is one of the many reasons food trucks are so popular, because it was so easy to feed people when they were busy doing other things. I think the reason it is so popular in today’s time is because it is a very convenient way of buying food that is close to easily accessible places. The real question I have is, are we really getting the food that we are asking for? For example, the photo in the top right of this page was a food truck that sold tacos. There was a twist however, although the tacos were delicious people were getting a bad vibe because something was not right. After a bit of investigating, the food truck was shut down for selling tacos with a side of meth. Hundreds or even thousands of people could’ve eaten these tacos without even known that they were getting high, even children. Even though this certain food truck is not like every single food truck, you can not be guaranteed food that is safe for you if you have dietary restrictions. If you do not tell the people that are serving your food that you are vegan/vegetarian or have allergies they will never know and your food can be contaminated. The last problem I am going to talk about is sanitation. How do we know if the workers are constantly cleaning the surrounding around the foods or how often they are washing their hands. We also do not know if our food has been dropped on the floor because they can cover it up really easily. I have learned this from personal experience. I was working on a food truck at an outside concert. The co-worker I was working with dropped an ice cream cone. It didn’t break or look dirty and she was concerned with how many cones we had left so she used it. We both don’t know the last time someone washed the floor. My Question: If you heard all the stories from workers about how they actually prepared your food and the steps they take towards sanitation, would you eat the food? Links to history, videos and horror stories about food trucks: http://mobile-cuisine.com/business/history-of-american-food-trucks/ http://globalnews.ca/news/1578597/food-truck-busted-for-selling-tacos-with-a-side-of-meth/ http://www.smithsonianmag.com/ist/?next=/travel/how-america-became-a-food-truck-nation-99979799/ At a family barbeque last summer, as I sat with my family under the sun and drooled for the burgers being prepped inside, I found myself stumped by a conversational topic about the trend, the myth, the legend: the almighty Gluten-free diet. My uncle, curious about the latest trend in the fitness world being someone who leads an active lifestyle, posed the simple yet puzzling question; “Okay, but what actually is gluten?” At the time, all I was aware of was that it had something to do with bread and I was a firm believer of bread, a carb aficionado if you will, so this sudden widespread intolerance towards the concept was troubling as I scarfed down another handful of tortilla chips. My cousin, a young chef in the local culinary scene, has known his fair share of diners claiming to be allergic to anything in order to avoid having it on their plate whether or not this aversion is genuine. For example, a party once insisted they were allergic to celery until the chef explained it was a vital component to their desired dish and they had to admit they weren’t actually intolerant, they just hated the vegetable. However, nothing had spread so quickly and become so popular than the necessity for everything to be gluten-free. Although Celiac disease, an autoimmune disease which prevents the absorption of some nutrients in the small intestine, is estimated to affect 1 in 133 Canadians (Canadian Celiac Association) and is a genuine medical condition along with less extreme Gluten Sensitivity, the adoption of a Gluten-free lifestyle as simply a fad or method to lose weight is highly controversial. Now with more knowledge on what gluten actually is – a combination of proteins found in barley, rye, and some grains which effects things like the elasticity and chewiness of food – I find it interesting that some people have jumped onto the latest bandwagon because they assume gluten is bad without any further information to back up their assumptions; prejudice fueled by marketing campaigns, various celebrity endorsements, and ideals that avoiding gluten will help you lose weight. In reality, for people with genuine Gluten intolerance, this sought after diet trend is a necessary lifestyle for their medical wellbeing, making it irritating that some are buying into the lifestyle as an advertised simple solution for good health. Since gluten-free diets are often highly restrictive and cut out high calorie foods, they may have some slimming effects that leave celebrities like Miley Cyrus advocating that gluten should be avoided. However, for people who do not suffer from Celiac disease or sincere gluten sensitivity, cutting out gluten may result in a lack of nutrients like calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium.
What is your take on this controversial dietary trend? Do you think the gluten-free diet is a practical weight loss method or will it be eventually left in the diet trend dust along with other experimental fads of the past?
Sources http://www.celiac.ca/?page_id=882 http://www.livescience.com/53265-what-is-gluten.html http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/nutrition_news_information/unraveling_the_gluten_free_trend |
AuthorsThis blog is authored by unique, inspiring individuals who think critically about food. Archives
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