MMaiselNS201
food lab
For an early lunch today I had a baked potato with shredded cheese on top and a banana (which is not pictured). The potato is a carbohydrate. A potato is a starch, which is a complex carb, and a vegetable. Starches must be broken down through digestion before the body can use it as a glucose source. The shredded cheese is a protein. Cheese is a complete protein because it provides all the essential amino acids. Animal based protein sources are complete protein sources. The banana is a fruit. Fruits provide the essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
I then researched the history of potatoes. Potatoes are the fourth largest food crop. They was first cultivated in Peru by the Inca Indians in about 8000 – 5000 BC. Potatoes were brought to Spain in 1536 and then to Ireland in 1589. Agriculturalists in Europe found potatoes easy to grow and they contained more vitamins than wheat or oats.
In 1840 a major outbreak of potato blight, a plant disease, broke out which caused the disappearance of the potato from many European countries. This was especially devastating for the Irish working class. This potato famine caused the death of one million people and the immigration of another million to other locations, especially in North America.
Potatoes arrived in the United States in 1621. The first permanent potato patch was in New Hampshire. Today, the state of Idaho is the largest producer of potatoes in the United States. French Fries are a very common food eaten in the United States. These are made from potatoes and were first introduced by Thomas Jefferson during his presidency. They were made accidentally by putting already cooked potatoes into hot oil.
While researching I discovered two interesting facts. First, during the Alaskan Klondike gold rush (1897) potatoes were worth their weight in gold. Gold was extremely plentiful and potatoes contained vitamin C. Secondly, in October 1995 the potato became the first vegetable grown in space. The University of Wisconsin and NASA did this cooperatively. Their goal was to provide food to astronauts on long voyages.
I ate in the Boston University dining hall on West Campus, which is run by the Fresh Food Company. On their website they proclaim that most of their vegetables are purchased from 40 different local farms within a 250 mile radius. One of their famous partners with whom they team up with is Wards Berry Farm, located in Sharon, Massachusetts. This happens to be my hometown. Because vegetables come from local farms they are transported to Boston University via trucks. The food is guaranteed to be fresh but I’m unable to find the exact time frame.
Ecological costs are the effects on the environment. Transporting the potatoes causes pollution and cooking them in ovens also pollutes the air. Potatoes are served on plates. The potatoes themselves need to be cleaned as do the plates they are served on, thus the water used is an ecological cost.
Sources:
www.potatogoodness.com/all-about-potatoes/potato-fun-fact...
food lab
For an early lunch today I had a baked potato with shredded cheese on top and a banana (which is not pictured). The potato is a carbohydrate. A potato is a starch, which is a complex carb, and a vegetable. Starches must be broken down through digestion before the body can use it as a glucose source. The shredded cheese is a protein. Cheese is a complete protein because it provides all the essential amino acids. Animal based protein sources are complete protein sources. The banana is a fruit. Fruits provide the essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
I then researched the history of potatoes. Potatoes are the fourth largest food crop. They was first cultivated in Peru by the Inca Indians in about 8000 – 5000 BC. Potatoes were brought to Spain in 1536 and then to Ireland in 1589. Agriculturalists in Europe found potatoes easy to grow and they contained more vitamins than wheat or oats.
In 1840 a major outbreak of potato blight, a plant disease, broke out which caused the disappearance of the potato from many European countries. This was especially devastating for the Irish working class. This potato famine caused the death of one million people and the immigration of another million to other locations, especially in North America.
Potatoes arrived in the United States in 1621. The first permanent potato patch was in New Hampshire. Today, the state of Idaho is the largest producer of potatoes in the United States. French Fries are a very common food eaten in the United States. These are made from potatoes and were first introduced by Thomas Jefferson during his presidency. They were made accidentally by putting already cooked potatoes into hot oil.
While researching I discovered two interesting facts. First, during the Alaskan Klondike gold rush (1897) potatoes were worth their weight in gold. Gold was extremely plentiful and potatoes contained vitamin C. Secondly, in October 1995 the potato became the first vegetable grown in space. The University of Wisconsin and NASA did this cooperatively. Their goal was to provide food to astronauts on long voyages.
I ate in the Boston University dining hall on West Campus, which is run by the Fresh Food Company. On their website they proclaim that most of their vegetables are purchased from 40 different local farms within a 250 mile radius. One of their famous partners with whom they team up with is Wards Berry Farm, located in Sharon, Massachusetts. This happens to be my hometown. Because vegetables come from local farms they are transported to Boston University via trucks. The food is guaranteed to be fresh but I’m unable to find the exact time frame.
Ecological costs are the effects on the environment. Transporting the potatoes causes pollution and cooking them in ovens also pollutes the air. Potatoes are served on plates. The potatoes themselves need to be cleaned as do the plates they are served on, thus the water used is an ecological cost.
Sources:
www.potatogoodness.com/all-about-potatoes/potato-fun-fact...