Rebecca's Table

See my thesis project Rebecca's Table. Commenting, like healthy eating, is encouraged.

Thesis Project Progress

Site map for Rebecca's Table

- about

- contact

- health

- writings about the connection between the body and food

- recipes

- recipe of the week

- share a recipe (user submissions)

- nutrition

- benefits of eating specific foods

- lifestyle

- the other things in life that affect how/what we eat, such as work, kitchenware, exercise

- tip of the day

- recent comments

- search

- categories

- beverages

- diets

- vegetarian

- cooking

- breakfast

- lunch

- dinner

- snacks

- archives

- subscribe

Possible articles

- what are you eating right now? (user submissions)

- in season - info about fruit or vegetable and possible recipe

- current events in food and eating

- do you have rules when it comes to eating?

- what diets have you tried?

- do your food preferences determine your personality?

Thesis Project Mission Statement

[project name tk] is a network that enables people with different kinds of food preferences and tastes to share ideas and information about food and what it means to eat healthy. Its purpose is to get people engaged in a dialogue about what food and healthy eating means to them and to understand that how you eat can affect how you live. We are not about eating for life, but eating to live the fullest life possible. Through contributors' writings, members' boards, and articles by our resident non expert, we encourage and facilitate people to comment, link, post, question, analyze, cook, and eat. 

Food/Diet Industry Research

Examples of food and diet sites. Some are very badly designed, some are great. The content varies from advice and support to recipes:

http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com

http://smittenkitchen.com

http://www.epicurious.com

http://pinchmysalt.com

http://www.seriouseats.com

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com

http://www.eatbetteramerica.com

http://www.webmd.com/diet/tc/healthy-eating-overview

http://www.myalli.com

http://www.diet.com

http://www.3fatchicks.com

http://livinlavidalocarb.blogspot.com

http://www.pikkopots.blogspot.com


Examples of sites that are very well designed and have elements that could be incorporated into final thesis project:

http://www.happycog.com

http://www.themorningnews.org

http://www.amnestyusa.org

http://www.makefive.com

http://www.poetryfoundation.org


Some other research in the diet industry:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9ESB540cKA

http://www.mycrazydiet.com

Portions and Servings

Portions sizes can be confusing for a person of normal weight, and even more so for the overweight who may have more personal or medical reasons for wanting to consume less food. Many health agencies are aware of the public’s confusion on the subject and many have produced information online and off where people can learn more. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute has on online quiz where people are faced with the average sizes of a food item from 20 years ago and today. The user must guess the amount of calories in today’s size through multiple choice and compare it to the amount of calories in its older version. Family Economics and Nutrition Review defines a portion is the amount of food an individual chooses to eat or drink. It gets complicated because portions are most likely larger than what is considered a standard serving.

Serving sizes are simply a unit of measure used in the USDA’s Food Guide Pyramid to describe the total daily amount of foods recommended for each of the food groups, and the Nutrition Facts Label on food packaging to specify the quantity of nutrients. In case you're not confused by now, the sizes in recommend in the Food Pyramid are not always the same as the ones found on a food label. Why, do you ask? Because they are there to serve different purposes. The MyPyramid image below is of the daily food amounts recommended for a 32 year old female: 6 ounces of grains are suggested. Below that is a food label for a Macaroni and Cheese dish. Which states that the container holds 1 cup of 2 servings. Does that mean 1/2 cup is considered in 1 serving all the time? Are 6 ounces the same as 1 cup? Yes, if its dry ingredients, no if its liquid. But this dish is not only grain, but has a lot of cheese in it as well. How much will I get when I order Mac & Cheese at a restaurant - and how much will I eat?

The Laws of Simplicity

Nutrition and specifically food portions can seem like a very complicated thing. But does it have to be? I have recently read The Laws of Simplicity by John Maeda for some guidance. Written by a professor at MIT’s Media Lab, this book outlines how to achieve simplicity in the digital age. But it’s ‘laws’ are universal to all types of design and media.

1. Reduce - thoughtful reduction
2. Organize - makes things appear fewer
3. Time - savings in time feels like simplicity
4. Learn - knowledge makes things simpler
5. Differences - simplicity and complexity need each other
6. Context - peripheral of simplicity
7. Emotion - more emotions are better than less
8. Trust - trust simplicity
9. Failure - some things can’t be made simple
10. The One - subtract the obvious and add the meaningful

Maeda gives excellent examples of his theories that make you understand each law in the context of real life. Using things like the ipod, rhythm, and sushi he makes it easy to see how simplicity impacts our daily lives. I will definitely keep these laws with me as I begin my investigation into food portion and obesity. Visit the blog www.lawsofsimplicity.com for more information.

Government Recommendations

I am starting my research into the link between understanding food portions and obesity by first looking into the government's recommendations on nutrition . A Healthier You is a book published by the US Department of Health and Human Service that explains in plain language how the average person can eat healthier. All of the information in the book is based on the USDA Food Guide, otherwise known as the food pyramid. It explains various things including what is a calorie, how to read a food label, and even has a chart to help readers determine how many calories they should be consuming. There is also a long chapter on nutrients which goes into depth about food groups and what kinds of vitamins and minerals the body needs. There is practical advice as well, such as, “You could use up all your calories on a few high-calorie foods or drinks, but you will most likely not get the full range of nutrients your body needs. Healthy eating consists of mostly fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low fat/fat free milk and milk products; includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts; is low in saturated and trans fats, salt, and added sugars.”

I was pleasantly surprised by the suggestions on how to easily add fruits and vegetables to your diet. Having some fruit with breakfast, adding veggies to a sandwich for lunch, or having a salad as an appetizer are small things that everyone can do, and I believe are easy enough for those who typically don’t eat fruit or vegetables on a given day. I am doubtful though that a person would get their daily recommended amounts using these suggestions.

According to the government "the USDA Food Guide is not a weight loss diet, but an illustrative example of how to eat according to the Dietary Guidelines and shows a range of caloric needs for different people of ages and genders." Its importance is undeniable since the Dietary Guidelines form the basis for all federal food, nutrition education, and information programs. While it contains a lot of various and detailed information, I found the diagrams on what Americans were consuming (2001-2002 consumption data) very interesting. It shows that adults were not eating nearly enough fruits and vegetables, nor milk or milk products. We also ate too many enriched grains (as opposed to whole grains), solid fats, and added sugars. The data also related that Americans consume more calories than they need without meeting the recommended amount of nutrients. This last statement seems very obvious to me and is one of my reasons in investigating nutrition to begin with. There are a lot of critics out there about Dietary Guidelines specifically when it comes to politics and business which I will write more about on a later date.