Sierra Interview 3: Sydney Moses

1. Basic background information:
1. What year/major/age are you?
1. Junior, 21, Business
2. What ethnicity do you identify with?
1. white
3. What are your gender pronouns? How do you identify?
1. She, her
4. Which of the following best describes your CURRENT social class?

1. Upper Middle-Professional Middle
1. Where do you live/ what type of housing?
1. Describe the food situation where you live. I.e is food provided to you, do you cook for yourself, do you use a meal plan, etc.
1. Delta Gamma Sorority- Food is provided 3 times a day; limited space to cook your own food, if you have your own food it has to be ready made or microwaveable.
2. Do you feel comfortable with the food situation you have? Why or why not?
1. Yes I feel comfortable bc I know I have a meal I don’t have to pay out of pocket, but it’s not always the healthiest so I feel like I get sick a lot bc of the food I eat at DG, whereas at home I always feel like I am getting a healthy meal.
3. What is most important to you when deciding what and when and where you are going to eat?
1. What- Probably that it has carbs bc I get bad headaches if I don’t have enough carbs, and that the portions are big enough.
2. When- I always eat food at meal times, I don’t really snack that much in between.
3. Where- I don’t know about where.
4. Do you feel that other people in your house and in the community respect your food choices?
1. Yes, I feel like they make fun of me but I don’t really care that much- like for eating a lot. But I would rather provide an example in not caring about how much I eat, so it doesn’t bother me.
5. Do you feel any cultural connection to the food you eat? Emotional?
1. No, not really. I don’t feel that I have a strong culture.
6. How important is the price of the food in determining what you will eat?
1. Semi important- I try to not spend more than like $15 per meal- that would be a lot for a meal, but I don’t usually have a problem staying under that unless it’s a special occasion, and it’s helpful dating someone who pays for some of my meals.
7. How important is nutrition in determining what you eat?
1. Not that important, but it should be more important.
8. If you are able, could you define your food preferences? For ex. Vegan, paleo, raw, etc.
1. No. I am lactose intolerant, but I don’t not eat dairy, I take a pill.
9. Do you feel free to make your own food choices, or are external factors restricting you?
1. I feel free to make my own food choices, but I would rather not make my choices, I like having food given to me like at DG and at home, I don’t like to choose what i’m eating.
10. Would you change anything about the way you eat? If you could what would it be? Are you able to make this change?
1. I would probably eat healthier, I like salads but I can’t eat it on its own, because it’s not enough food, so I would like a normal salad on the side with every meal, not just the average salad bar we have at DG though.
11. How much do you typically spend on food per day? Per week?
1. On the weekends, without DG meals probably $30. Or just under.
12. Do you follow nutritional recommendations provided by the government?
1. No.
13. Do you consider yourself a healthy eater?
1. I think I have a healthy mindset about eating, but I could be better about thinking about what I eat more. As in food doesn’t consume my life but it should consume my life a little more than it does.
14. Who do you eat with?
1. Friends mainly. Whoever is in the DG kitchen, usually a big table of people.
15. What do you eat with your family?
1. Usually meat plus a carb plus a salad. Pretty much for every meal.
2. I don’t feel emotionally or culturally connected to the food I eat at home.

Sierra Interview #2: Melis Kirikoglu

1. Basic background information:
1. What year/major/age are you?
1. Junior, 20, Economics
2. What ethnicity do you identify with?
1. White
3. What are your gender pronouns? How do you identify?
1. She, her,
4. Which of the following best describes your CURRENT social class?

1. Upper Middle-Professional Middle
1. Where do you live/ what type of housing?
1. Delta Gamma sorority
1. Describe the food situation where you live. I.e is food provided to you, do you cook for yourself, do you use a meal plan, etc.
1. Delta Gamma Sorority- Food is provided 3 times a day; limited space to cook your own food, if you have your own food it has to be ready made or microwaveable.
2. Do you feel comfortable with the food situation you have? Why or why not?
1. Yes, because it is provided and I never have to think about it. No, because it is repetitive and I don’t think I am getting the nutrients that I need or the foods I would choose to eat at home, I eat what is given to me which is very convenient.
3. What is most important to you when deciding what and when and where you are going to eat?
1. What- I generally think about how healthy it is and how much I want it. Taste and how I will feel afterwards.
2. When- When the people around me want to eat, I don’t generally wait until I am hungry.
3. Where- Convenience and price.
4. Do you feel that other people in your house and in the community respect your food choices?
1. Yes, people have mentioned that I eat a lot but that has always been the case for me.
5. Do you feel any cultural connection to the food you eat? Emotional?
1. Cultural- No
2. Emotional-The only connection I feel is that I am an emotional eater in the sense that if I am stressed out or studying I will want to eat- also to procrastinate. Feeling full makes me feel comforted.
6. How important is the price of the food in determining what you will eat?
1. Level 2 importance out of 5. How expensive doesn’t really matter, it’s more about what I am eating and who I am with.
2. If i was choosing between DG and eating out though, I would choose to eat in the house to save money.
7. How important is nutrition in determining what you eat?
1. Level 4 out of 5.
8. If you are able, could you define your food preferences? For ex. Vegan, paleo, raw, etc.
1. No, but the food I enjoy most is in its simplest most unprocessed form, but during the school year I eat more comfort foods outside of this.  
9. Do you feel free to make your own food choices, or are external factors restricting you?
1. I make my own food choices. I take full responsibility.
10. Would you change anything about the way you eat? If you could what would it be? Are you able to make this change?
1. I would eat when I’m hungry, prepare my food in the morning,  and know what I’m eating for the rest of the day bc I think overeating comes from uncertainty about when, how, and where my next meal will come from. I would eat more similar to the way I ate over the summer. I prepared my food in the morning, I would take my time for breakfast and eat during my commute, I had my lunch ready for the afternoon, so I could eat it all day, I would eat 4 times (healthy times) before 5pm, then work out, then have dinner. Instead of 3 bigger meals a day, I would eat many small ones, because they aren’t as often now, they are starchier and more filling.
11. How much do you typically spend on food per day? Per week?
1. Every meal at DG is $5.00. So about $15 a day plus coffee and random snacks.
12. Do you follow nutritional recommendations provided by the government?
1. No. Never. Don’t even know what they are.
13. Do you consider yourself a healthy eater?
1. Healthy foods, but not healthy amounts.
14. Who do you eat with?
1. Generally on my own, I like it better that way.
15. What do you eat with your family?
1. It is mostly vegan food cooked with olive oil with a piece of fresh meat. Lots of veggie and meat, usually no carbs.
2. I feel culturally and emotionally connected to the food I eat at home- mostly Turkish food which was the food I ate growing up. I miss eating that way.

Berkeley Farmers Market

Sierra Interview 1: Amanda Bendixen- Lives in DG Continued (3)

1. Would you change anything about the way you eat? If you could what would it be? Are you able to make this change?
1. I would just love to be able to cook more food which I can’t necessarily do, and I would love to eat more fresh vegetables.
2. How much do you typically spend on food per day? Per week?
1. $5 per meal at Dg.
2. Outside of DG: I don’t have a per day amount, but weekends get expensive bc u have to buy all food so probably $20-30 dollars per day.
3. Do you follow nutritional recommendations provided by the government?
1. No, never.
4. Do you consider yourself a healthy eater?
1. Yes.
5. Who do you eat with?
1. If I am in DG I will eat with whoever is around at the tables, unless I need alone time I will eat by myself.
6. What do you eat with your family? What do you eat when you are not with your family?
1. We normally eat some sort of fresh vegetable in every meal, and then a meat. A lot of times fish.
2. We all cook together, mostly my Mom and I and Dad will help with the meats.
3. We eat together every day, free times, not structured.
4. Emotional differences between home and here: when i’m eating at home with my family i feel really warm, especially bc it is so rarely now, so when I do eat with them I feel very connected with them bc I dont have that time.
5. Cultural difference: A lot of times my grandma eats with us so we eat a lot of food my mom’s family would make, or my dad will make Peruvian dishes.
6. Nutritional- better at home, easier access, fresher foods. If im at home I can cook more veggies, and have more choice and variety and decision
7. Relational- easier to cook and eat with people at home.
8. Financially- never worries about financial aspect at home, bc she isnt buying it

Instagram Account of CZ's Kitchen:

https://www.instagram.com/cz.kitchen/

Sierra Interview 1: Amanda Bendixen- Lives in DG Continued (2)

1. Do you feel any cultural connection to the food you eat?
1. In the way that we are served our food in DG, I wouldn't say their is a personal cultural connection to the food but I suppose their is somewhat of a cultural connection with meals like “taco bar” but i don't really feel like there is that much of a cultural connection with the food served?
2. Emotional?
1. When I was cooking in the past apartments i lived in with my own kitchen, there definitely was, and it was really “fun” to create my own dishes with people, it was a really positive time for me. It was fun and I was happy to cook my food
2. Having someone cook my food removes those emotions, but she is less excited about and connected to the food she is served.
3. How important is the price of the food in determining what you will eat?
1. It used to be more important to her when she first started buying her own food, trying to buy the “cheapest things” but then it switched when she wanted to seek higher quality foods and got a job.
2. Big thing when navigating price and quality was utilizing farmers markets and small local stores like Yasai
3. Important to her, but she would rather pay more for quality. But she is conscious of her fortunate ability to make this choice.
4. How important is nutrition in determining what you eat?
1. Very very important. In the past when she was in high school and she was coxen, there was a lot of pressure for her to be a certain weight and that greatly affected her relationship with food for many years, and she was essentially in calorie deficiency for many years to meet the weight requirement. But now that she has retired she has been able to choose what she eats in a way that fuels and heals her body. Food as healing rather than being anxious about gaining weight and being scared of food. Choosing dense, nutritious food that she knows is good for her has helped her to heal and feel that it is okay to splurge and have treats once in a while, knowing that her body is fueled.
5. If you are able, could you define your food preferences? For ex. Vegan, paleo, raw, etc.
1. No, I don't think I good bc i like to say i am a conscious meat eater but I'm not always doing that all the time. I have aspirational goals for my eating but couldn't restrict it to a title. I like whole foods that fuel your body and have high quality of taste.
2. Is there a label you like/ want to adapt to? No, b/c with my past experience with food, I don’t like to have aspirational eating goals. I don't want to think too much about eating. I thought about it in unhealthy amounts (obsessively in the past)
3. Also doesn't want to set harsh guidelines to follow bc doing that in the past was not healthy for me, and is reluctant to do that again.
6. Do you feel free to make your own food choices, or are external factors restricting you? I.e cultural, emotional, relational, financially, nutritionally, structurally
1. Financially- In the past I would have said yes to being free, but living in a place where they cook food for you, you are restricted by what you eat, especially for people still financially dependent on parents. The food here is paid for by my parents for me to eat, so I feel like I should eat here, otherwise I would feel guilty. So yes I do feel restricted in Dg.
2. The emotional restrictions of my past are there but subtle and nothing like it was. The period of time with those restrictions was extensive but a lot of time has also passed and they have become less intense. I feel good now about my relationship with food.
3. No cultural restrictions.
4. Depending on who you are with, is typically what u are going to eat, and not necessarily negative. If she is with a vegan friend she will eat vegan, which is great. If she is with her boyfriend he likes to eat a lot of meat so she eats more with him. If with Grandma, she cooks cajun so she eats a lot of that.
5. Structural- being in DG and eating in the way we do has changed how I eat, bc I am a snack eater, I eat little bits but throughout the day, but in DG food goes quickly so u have to get everything u want fast and all at once, so you eat more at once. And hasn’t been able to eat the variety of vegetables she would like. Can’t sautee my own veggies or have say over the type. Have to make due with what is around and get creative. 
6. Nutritionally- foods that nourish the body without being too restrictive on splurging. I try to never restrict myself if I want something. I always try to eat healthy, which has helped me stop wanting bad things anyway. 

Sierra Interview 1: Amanda Bendixen- Lives in DG

Questions:
Basic background information:

1. What year/major/age are you?
1. Senior, Society and the Environment, 21
2. What ethnicity do you identify with?
1. Part Caucasian, part Hispanic
3. What are your gender pronouns? How do you identify?
1. She, her, them.
4. Which of the following best describes your CURRENT social class?

1. Middle Class- Choice
1. Where do you live/ what type of housing?
1. Delta Gamma
2. Are you employed?
1. Yes, part time
1. Describe the food situation where you live. I.e is food provided to you, do you cook for yourself, do you use a meal plan, etc.
1. Food is provided 3 times a day; limited space to cook your own food, if you have your own food it has to be ready made or microwaveable
2. Do you feel comfortable with the food situation you have? Why or why not?
1. Not exactly comfortable. I wouldn’t use that word. Not satisfied. Some days are better than others. It is limiting, especially if you want to eat less meat, there aren’t many options. Also if you want to eat healthier, you don’t have that choice.
3. What is most important to you when deciding what and when and where you are going to eat?
1. What- most important factor. From nutritional standpoint eating “whole” foods i.e fruits and veggies, reducing meat consumption. Eating meat that is only (for lack of a better word) “sustainably raised.”
2. The when- Likes to eat throughout the entire day- not set meals. Continuous eating throughout the day, and if she is going to eat a big meal she likes to sit down with people bc it is more fun, but only if she has the time.
1. Wishes she had more time to eat, for example on days she works (job and school) she will work through lunch period. Not that much time to sit down and eat. Constantly eating on the go.
2. Where- whenever i have the time that is where she will eat
4. Do you feel that other people in your house and in the community respect your food choices?
1. Ummm.. yes for the most part.