What does a healthy relationship with food look like?
For me, the question of a healthy relationship with food has always been closely linked to a healthy relationship with my heritage.
Siliga David Setoga showed that the correlation between labels and food runs deep into our sense of self. That being true to who you are can be synonymous to being true to how you’re “supposed” to eat/prepare food. Or that having a “kiwi label” as a person is not so unlike the weetbix label on your morning cereal.
Setoga’s art closely links racist stereotypes and food labels – showcasing how dangerous they can be. Hence, leading me to believe that sometimes a healthy/unhealthy relationship with food cannot be created by an individual – as insta-influencers would have us believe – but is imposed on them by society.
It’s hard to have a healthy relationship with food that’s not considered mainstream – in the same way it’s hard to have a healthy relationship with a culture that’s considered “different”. In terms of myself, it’s hard to have a healthy relationship with orange chicken – which although is delicious, is scolded for being ‘fake Chinese food’. Same with frozen dumplings and caramel milk tea to name a few.
In conclusion, I’d like to build on Anthony Warners golden rule in an extreme fashion… if you want a healthy relationship with food, “don’t be poor”, to “don’t be poor, and don’t be a minority”. Because after all we’ve learnt in Plate 2, it’s become evident to me that a healthy relationship with food, at a societal and cultural level, can be a question of power-play and how you feel about fitting into society.
Very interesting to see your view on a healthy relationship with food?
A large theme coming through your blog is colonialism. The idea that a piece of your heritage is gradually being westernized by being produced in a large industry to push meals to the masses. Is what I also relate to as an unhealthy relationship with food. It breaks down the knowledge and authenticity of the meal. This is why I admire home cooking because of the influence in culture, the honest ingredients and hard work that is placed into every item on the plate.
I have to admit as a Kiwi, weetbix is defiantly not a favourite of mine, but does hold the ideology of Kiwi kids connection to breakfast. I picture a sports game in the backyard and children in need of their weetbix as a quick fix for hunger.
However, I still cannot resonate with Anthony Warner’s notion of a healthy relationship means, “don’t be poor”? I believe it is because of the strong belief I have in making conscious choices. An item which is expensive may relate to one’s heritage or the health-typical produce. Though from my perspective, living a student life and not necessarily being “wealthy” I still am healthy on a budget.
This is such an interesting perspective and I completely agree with you.
I liked that you observed that food is not exempt from the pressures of conformity and that in order to feel comfortable or accepted, difference is often discouraged. If something as fundamental as food habits can fall victim to the pressures of society, it makes it clear that we are constantly aware of the expectations placed on us in all aspects of life, be it food, appearance, or even culture.
The ideas which you identify in this post is very interesting and relatable. The idea of healthy relationship can be interpreted in so many different ways and I think the approach you have taken is something that can be understood by many who have grown up in New Zealand. With New Zealand being such a multicultural country I feel as though it’s become very normal to come across fusion and westernised dishes such as butter chicken and orange chicken. Your example of orange chicken is something I can heavily relate to. Orange chicken is a dish that I enjoy, but being Chinese is it wrong that I enjoy it over other Chinese dishes? It raises the idea that a healthy relationship with food is beyond just tasting good but also the cultural context behind it.