1. When it comes to the choice of foods that I eat, I draw on my upbringing to see where my habits come from. Growing up, I would spend most days during the summer with my grandmother while my father was at work. My grandmother grew up on a family farm so she was used to eating fresh fruits and vegetables. She made sure my sister and I ate our fair share as well. To this day, eating fresh fruits is better than candy to me. This results in my food choice being very conscious to the freshness of produce I get. The social norm here is a family one. Eating fresh and organic (before “organic” became a trendy word, since it was literally the only option on my grandmother’s farm) was the norm when my grandmother was growing up. I am lucky because she passed on these eating habits to me.

2. One major issue with choosing to eat fresh produce is sustainable consumption. Many of the fruits at grocery stores are mass produced and shipped from other countries, racking up the food miles discussed in the module. I would not consider myself a full on locavore, because often it can be too difficult or expensive to obtain locally grown produce, especially during the harsh winter months here in Pennsylvania. However, when available I prefer local produce from farmer’s markets. Nutrition also plays a huge roll in this choice. The healthy plate reading says over half of the plate should be fruits and vegetables, and I would see I eat more than my fair share of that. There is a countless variety of fruits and vegetables to eat, and many ways to consume even the same vegetable. This keeps things interesting while maintaining the nutritional benefits that provide our basic needs.