Feeding others with lovingly created food is among the most intimate of human activities. It is intensely personal and meaningful to the cooks and eaters of the world. Even in the name of health and wellness, to criticize, judge or disrespect the food traditions of others can undermine the confidence of both individuals and entire cultures. The fallout of such scrutiny may influence marginalized groups to shun some of the most precious aspects of their identities—their traditional foodways.
For Black History Month, I’ve been thinking a lot about how food plays such a strong role in human and cultural identity and what that means in the context of our definition for overall wellness. Aren’t happiness and confidence as important to wellness as sound nutrition and regular movement? Personally, I believe they’re more important.
I’ve been studying “Race, Class and Justice in the Food System” in a learning module that’s been as enlightening as it’s been challenging. We’ve been asked to think deeply about topics ranging from racial stereotypes attached to foods and food marketing, to the cultural appropriation of foods and recipes. These factors can further erode personal identity, confidence and happiness in humans who are made to feel “other” because of what they eat or how those they identify with culturally have been portrayed on food brands (e.g., Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben, Rastus—the Cream of Wheat chef). These racist, hurtful portrayals of Black people were finally retired recently, but it took many decades for it to happen.
Morality-Based Narratives
In our business, the predominantly white U.S. media and scientific research communities drive the storyline on what (and who) is healthy, largely to the exclusion of non-white Americans. Deliberate or not, this amounts to including those who live and eat within bounds proclaimed by science and the media as “healthy” and excluding those who don’t. In my zeal to spread the gospel of “good” nutrition, I have, unconsciously, contributed to this issue.
Our colleague Darian Parker, PhD, introduced me to the term “morality-based narratives” (good vs. bad or clean vs. unhealthy) when I asked for his advice on this post. He shared that this sort of thinking has done much more harm than good and creates a strange connotation and poor choice of context for food.
“We should be celebrating the various foods and traditions of Black culture, Latino culture, African culture, Asian culture and so forth,” he says. “We should also celebrate that food is deeply tied into the fabric of music, dance and various other arts of many cultures. Morality-based food systems take away not just the food aspect, but greatly diminish the experience of sacred traditions tied to food in those cultures.”
Chefs, influencers and nutrition pros “discover” and co-opt food and health trends such as eating kale, quinoa, acai bowls and avocado toast—and the media declare them trendy, sophisticated and “clean.” So, reflexively, if this food is sophisticated, healthy and “clean,” then we are messaging that all other foodways—and everybody else—must not be, since their food has not been exalted. As these myths perpetuate, whole communities may be stigmatized. The stereotypes become tropes and the tropes turn into truisms in the minds of many, giving potential to erode rich cultural traditions and hurt people.
“As a Black American I can tell you that our food and the types of food we make are deeply tied to the moving experiences of funerals, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, etc.,” says Parker. “I would bet that diet and morality-based culture would say that ‘soul food,’ which is deeply tied to the Black experience, is not good for you. However, soul food is so important to people in my family and other Black families during both difficult and joyful times. To deny that and to say that soul food is bad or wrong for you spits in the face of something that is celebrated among our culture and something that is deeply personal and unifying.”
We all must navigate these waters for ourselves. I have pledged to be more thoughtful before labeling foods and behaviors, and I’m committed to catching myself when I get righteous and judgy about what people feed themselves. As a nutrition coach, it’s not my job to praise or vilify their food choices or traditions. As a human being first, I’m here to help people be the best they can be by meeting them where they are on their journey and respecting their traditions.
I’m interested to hear your thoughts and observations on this, so please drop me a line at content@ideafit.com.
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