Food Benchmark

Food: Chicken & Shrimp Alfredo W/ Red Bell Peppers

Materials:

• Pot
• Sause Pan 
• Cutting board
• Knife
• Small bowl
• Large bowl
• Strainer 

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes of Reggano angel hair
• 3 bottles of Alfredo
• 1 cup of red peppers
• 1 1/2 pounds of medium shrimp
• salt
• pepper
• season/soul food seasoning (optional)
• old bay

Directions:

1. Cut small portions of the red bell pepper, take the tails of the shrimp off (if there is any), and the chicken into small portions on the cutting board

2. Place the red bell pepper, chicken, and shrimp into a small bowl and add the salt, pepper, old bay, and season/soul food seasoning (optional).

3. Carefully mix so the seasonings would evenly be spread.

4. Take pot and fill it halfway with warm water and wait for a medium boil, about 5-10 minutes.

5. Add the 2 boxes of angel hair into pot and wait for it to become stringy and soft, about 15-20 minutes. 

6. Once the angel hair is finished, place it in the strainer for the water to drain out. 

7. Place the angel hair into large bowl and add the shrimp, chicken, and red bell peppers into bowl.

8. Add the alfredo sauce to the angel hair and mix carefully but thoroughly.

9. Add more seasoning if needed to bring out spice.

10. Continue to mix until everything is evenly spread out. 

Analysis:

Processed Food:

- Angel Hair

- Salt

- Pepper

- Season/Soul food seasoning

Whole Foods:

- Bell peppers

- Shrimp

Health & Nutrition:

Large Shrimp - 100 calories, 1.5g of total fat, 460mg of sodium, 21g protein, 0g of sugar

Reggano Angel Hair - 200 calories, 1g of total fat, 0mg of sodium, 7g of protein, 1g of sugar

Bell Pepper - 46 calories, 0g of fat, 6mg of sodium, 1g of protein, 6g of sugar

With these ingredients, the body properly processes the food because the person that consumes the food is giving their bodies sugar, sodium, and lots of protein - specifically coming from the Reggano Angel Hair. If this meal is eaten everyday, it cause some problems within the person's body because it is not getting a good enough balance of the types of food that we are to consume everyday. Yes, there is sodium in each of the ingredients, however, too much of it can cause serious problems like high blood pressure which then leads to issues with the heart. In addition, the body wouldn't be getting enough glucose (sugar) because the ingredients have little to none. 

As far as the angel hair spaghetti, it is naturally grown from the ground, however it is processed through factories that make it possible for the distributors to sell it in stores. I know that the angel hair can be grown in Pennsylvania in farms. The red bell peppers do not have to be processed because they are vegetables that are grown. However, they must go through some sort of process to be clean and clear to be sold. The shrimp is from the Atlantic Ocean and then brought over by boats to be processed in ordered to be sold in stores. If the food is processed, then it requires more energy within the factories, which is then polluting the Earth because of all of the chemicals that is being exposed.

 The total cost of the meal was approximately $20.00 (rounded). It didn't cost so much because I went to Bottom Dollar where the food is sold at a cheaper price then regular food stores. For a serving of one person, this meal can cause a lot more than what restaurants sell it at. However, because I had to make it for a class, it amounted to be the same price. So basically I can make a meal that feeds 10-20 people for the same price as if one person was eating the meal. This meal is different then fast food because it doesn't contain a whole lot of processed chemicals that fast food meals does. It has been reported that places like McDonalds and Burger Kings causes more negative health factors. For example, weight gain, obesity, diabetes, etc. 

Most people that I know eat a meal like this, especially since it has seafood in it. The meal was purchased from a food market where the majority of people in America buy their food. The difference between the commercial process of the food and the self sufficient process is that there wouldn't be a problem with consuming the bad things that the food has in it because it went through the process in order to be sold. 

Self Reflection:

Personally, I have learned a lot in this unit. I learned that 1) it is extremely important for me to make sure that I am eating healthy and setting a healthy diet for myself. As a result, I force myself not to eat out as much as I used to and eat at home. Also, I try to make sure that I add more color to my food. I also learned that not all food are naturally grown and whenever I make a trip to the supermarket, I need to take into account to look at the ingredients and make sure that it would be health enough for me. I know that I am willing to make these changes and I know that it would make a major difference in my growth. If the government makes a change in the way food is distributed in this country, I believe that we would become a more healthier country and we won't be considered as obese.