The Life of a Foodie

“Foodie is an informal term for a particular class of aficionado of food and drink.” (Foodie) This definition calls foodies a special class of humans, who ardently love the art of food which deals with eating, experiencing, watching, and simply just loving food. There are foodies all around the world living different lives and coming from different backgrounds. Each foodie experiences a different level of food according to their socioeconomic status. However in general, the socioeconomic status depends on the level of dining. Generally the wealthier foodies will be able to have a broader choice when deciding on what to eat; whereas the middle class foodie will have to deal with the minimum without exceeding his or her bounds. However a foodie is not defined by the level of food they choose to eat, but by the experiences and memories that the food brings. There are many foodie bloggers out there today who live foodie lives while dining with a low budget. And of course, there are foodie bloggers who dine with fashion, traveling through different countries and experiencing the culture behind the food as well. The growth and development of technology has led to this new era of foodie-ism. Although wealthier foodies have the upper-hand in the life a foodie, being a foodie is not about tasting the most extravagant food, but enjoying and appreciating the experiences and memories that come with each food.

Many people say that cooking legitimate food is just too expensive for the lower and middle class. But I can assure you, just as fast as the world is developing, there are people who learn to adapt to the world. For instance, take these two blogs: Cheap Healthy Good and Fab Frugal Food. CHG, as they call themselves, is a blog written by four very well qualified writers who have dedicated themselves to the advancement of “frugal, nutritious, ethically-minded food in everyday life.” They also include tips on shopping, what to buy and what not to buy, and original recipes that range from $1 to $6. The authors even include the price of each ingredient to give an idea of the total price for blog-readers. Clearly the main idea of this blog is cheap healthy food.

The subtitle for Fab Frugal Food is “Budget friendly recipes for foodies”. As you can tell from the subtitle, this blog is also focused on the middle and lower class of foodies. This blog is written by a mother and daughter who have been working together since 1997. Noticing the economic tortures on the society and Anne, the daughter, being at home with her first baby, they only thought it right to write a blog focused on affordable cooking. They have plenty of sections within the blog ranging from appetizers to desserts to gluten free.

Thanks to these bloggers who are observant of the society, many foodies have been able to spend small amounts of money on foods they can appreciate. Foodies are now able to use these blogs as guidelines or cookbooks in cooking under a low-budget. Without these blogs, many “noob”, newcomer, foodies would be lost in a world where money is what it takes to be a real foodie.

However there are also bloggers who are living the life, showing everybody on the internet how the life a wealthy foodie is. Find Your Inner Foodie is an example of a high-end blogger. This blog is written by a husband and wife who travel the world, learning about other cultures and food. Although this is a recently started blog, you can tell that the life of a rich foodie is quite different than others. While being wealthy may assist in living the foodie life, one does not need to be wealthy to prosper as a foodie.

Some have also argued that the reason the middle and lower class have trouble being foodies is because the lack of time and energy. Although the working class may not have time to watch all the cooking shows on TV, to spend hours on an entrée or even read through the blogs, that is not what being a foodie is about. As long as a foodie can appreciate food and enjoy it, he or she is fulfilling the ideal of a foodie. Foodies do not have to spend their whole lives on food. As long as a foodie strives to appreciate food given their socioeconomic status, that foodie has become the ultimate foodie.

If anybody from any class can become a foodie cooking their own food, why then is the obesity rate so high in one of the wealthiest countries in the world? The answer is FASTFOOD. According to Temple University researchers, those who ate one fast food meal per week weighed 1.4 more pounds compared with abstainers; ate two fast food meals per week weighed 2.8 more pounds compared with abstainers; ate three fast food meals per week weighed four more pounds compared with abstainers. (Fast Food Statistics) Since the level work is also developing in America, people find it hard to have time to sit down in their own kitchen and conjure up a meal. Most Americans are also very lazy, which is convicting me now. The last time I have a made a meal I can’t even remember.

However if all it takes is a bit more effort than driving to a fast food restaurant and going into the kitchen and making a food, it is worth it. But is there an answer to all this? YES. The technological advancements in our world have made advertising home-cooking even easier.

Thanks to the internet, bloggers can now post frugal recipes for those who are suffering from the grueling recession that has taken place all around the world. These blogs are written by people just like every one of us who are going through hard times as well as the blessings of life. There are countless amounts of food blogs that the world has written which can hopefully convince the public to forget the microwaveable and fast food meal and spend just a bit more time on a warm home cooked meal.

There are more and more shows on TV that support cooking and foodie-ism such as Good Eats on the Cooking Channel. While there are other cooking shows that try to cram cooking into only thirty-minutes, Good Eats goes through each step of the cooking process showing the viewers the experience of cooking. Some shows treat cooking as if it is a chore to be done within a given amount of time. That is nothing what cooking should be in our lives. Cooking gives an opportunity to experience the life behind the meal that only cooks have the chance to undergo.

Cookbooks, blogs, cooking shows, and restaurant review have made all foodies around the world be able to appreciate food for what it truly is. Although the wealthier have a broader choice in defining themselves as a foodie, the middle and lower class can also call themselves foodies through the definition of a foodie. The working class does not need the most expensive steak or wine to be called a foodie. All a foodie needs is the will to experience and appreciate the food and the story behind it. Through recent advancements in technology, now even the lower class of foodies can enjoy a good meal without spending too much money. The main goal of foodies should not be to challenge one another, but to change the world slowly to appreciate food as foodies do. Through this the world will be a better place.

Works Cited
Fast Food Statistics. 25 October 2009 .
Foodie. 20 October 2009. 25 October 2009 .
Good Eats S11E3 Coconut Cake Revival. 25 October 2009 .
Kelly, Donna and Anne Tegtmeier. Fab Frugal Food. 25 October 2009 .
Swensson, Kristen. Cheap Healthy Good. 25 October 2009 .
Vanderford, Bryce and Xanthia Vanderford. Find Your Inner Foodie. 25 October 2009 .