Food MattersPrompts - Timed Essays - Tutorials - Models
|
|
Prompt 1 - Some people prefer to eat at food stands or restaurants. Other people prefer to prepare and eat food at home. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Tutorial Screencast - Model Essay Prompt 2 - Nowadays, food has become easier to prepare. Has this change improved the way people live? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Tutorial Screencast - Model Essay |
|
...more writing prompts for Food Matters!
About Me - Tell about your favorite food. What is it? How is it prepared? Why is it your favorite food?
Descriptive - Describe a popular food in your culture that Americans aren't familiar with, but that could become popular. Narrative - Tell about a time where you attempted to cook something but were very unsuccessful. What did you plan to cook? How did that plan fail? What did you learn from it, and what would you do differently? Problem / Solution - While eating alone at a restaurant, you discover that you've left your wallet at home. How would you explain to the waiter your situation and what would you do to solve the problem? |
Abstract - Mother Teresa said, "If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one." What did she mean and to what extend do you agree with ?
Hypothesis - In the future, do you think people will eat more frequently, or less frequently, food that they have prepared themselves? Support an Opinion - Do you agree, or disagree, with this statement, "Food is less delicious today than it was 15 years ago? Use specific details and examples to support your opinion. |
Note for Teachers - The purpose of our 30 minute timed writing prompts is to engage learners in a carefully crafted exercise that will improve fluency of both thought and pen. Quality writing effectively expresses how a person feels, or thinks, in response to any given topic. This doesn't just happen, but requires consistent and meaningful practice (time on task)... the aim and focus of our Daily Writing Prompt website. A guide to constructing a 5 paragraph essay, along with a model passage for students to study and dissect can also be found on this page.
Model Essay - Food is universally binding. The human body requires sustenance but more than that eating satisfies our humanity; it can inspire and amuse us. There are few things that we are more interested in or interested in talking about. There are many ways to get the food we need. Some people prefer to eat food that they have prepared in their own home. Others prefer to eat away from their home at food stands or restaurants. While eating at home is more affordable and perhaps accessible, I prefer to eat at restaurants because it certainly can be easier and more ambient and broadens the possible foods I can enjoy.
Eating at restaurants eliminates some of the most irritating barriers to enjoying good food. At home, before you can enjoy a good meal there are several steps which include planning what to make, getting the necessary ingredients, cooking it including any wait time, serving and then eating the meal. Contrarily a restaurant saves you the time and energy of stepping through this process before you get to enjoy the meal. For example to enjoy even a simple food like a hamburger, you would have to purchase the ingredients: the bun, the meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato onion; locate the necessary cooking implements; prep the foods for cooking; heat the grill or pan and cook the food before assembling the burger and finally sitting down to enjoy it. Contrast this with going through a drive thru or ordering a burger at a restaurant and it becomes clear that the restaurant is the more efficient means to good food.
The ambiance and social aspect of eating at restaurants allows for some escape from regular life. When you eat at a restaurant you get to eat in a different space, on different place settings and in different company than is feasible everyday. Being able to break from the mundane makes eating out an even more special event. One of my favorite restaurants is up in the mountains; the booths are very private all leather and hardwoods. Each looks over a different view of the mountain surroundings. There is a fireplace in the middle of the dining room that snaps and crackles and casts a warm glow over your meal. Now I don't know about you but its about as far from eating at my own home as you can get and on some days that's just what I need.
Eating at restaurants allows me to enjoy foods that I couldn't enjoy from home. Some foods require knowledge, skills or even equipment that most people don't have. Going to a restaurant to eat eliminates the requirement of personally having these skills or equipment to enjoy these foods. My favorite food is Thai food. Although I love it, I would have no idea how to start preparing it. I love the flavors of it but I don't know all of the ingredients that it requires. Even knowing them wouldn't mean I could find them. The rice that they prepare is cooked in equipment, a rice cooker, that I don't own. Now, of course in theory, there would be advantages to gaining the knowledge and acquiring the necessary tools to prepare this food; however the time and resources this would require does not seem to currently be justifiable.
Enjoying exotic foods in novel places with less time and effort leads me to prefer to eating at restaurants over preparing and eating foods in my home. While naturally this preference doesn't mean that every meal can be enjoyed at a restaurant or that that would even be desirable, it does mean that I make personal decisions that enable eating out like saving money on other expenses. Also I stay current on new restaurants and also encourage others to visit some of my favorites. Finally I look for opportunities to make eating out more affordable through special discounts or leveraging professional opportunities to dine out.
Eating at restaurants eliminates some of the most irritating barriers to enjoying good food. At home, before you can enjoy a good meal there are several steps which include planning what to make, getting the necessary ingredients, cooking it including any wait time, serving and then eating the meal. Contrarily a restaurant saves you the time and energy of stepping through this process before you get to enjoy the meal. For example to enjoy even a simple food like a hamburger, you would have to purchase the ingredients: the bun, the meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato onion; locate the necessary cooking implements; prep the foods for cooking; heat the grill or pan and cook the food before assembling the burger and finally sitting down to enjoy it. Contrast this with going through a drive thru or ordering a burger at a restaurant and it becomes clear that the restaurant is the more efficient means to good food.
The ambiance and social aspect of eating at restaurants allows for some escape from regular life. When you eat at a restaurant you get to eat in a different space, on different place settings and in different company than is feasible everyday. Being able to break from the mundane makes eating out an even more special event. One of my favorite restaurants is up in the mountains; the booths are very private all leather and hardwoods. Each looks over a different view of the mountain surroundings. There is a fireplace in the middle of the dining room that snaps and crackles and casts a warm glow over your meal. Now I don't know about you but its about as far from eating at my own home as you can get and on some days that's just what I need.
Eating at restaurants allows me to enjoy foods that I couldn't enjoy from home. Some foods require knowledge, skills or even equipment that most people don't have. Going to a restaurant to eat eliminates the requirement of personally having these skills or equipment to enjoy these foods. My favorite food is Thai food. Although I love it, I would have no idea how to start preparing it. I love the flavors of it but I don't know all of the ingredients that it requires. Even knowing them wouldn't mean I could find them. The rice that they prepare is cooked in equipment, a rice cooker, that I don't own. Now, of course in theory, there would be advantages to gaining the knowledge and acquiring the necessary tools to prepare this food; however the time and resources this would require does not seem to currently be justifiable.
Enjoying exotic foods in novel places with less time and effort leads me to prefer to eating at restaurants over preparing and eating foods in my home. While naturally this preference doesn't mean that every meal can be enjoyed at a restaurant or that that would even be desirable, it does mean that I make personal decisions that enable eating out like saving money on other expenses. Also I stay current on new restaurants and also encourage others to visit some of my favorites. Finally I look for opportunities to make eating out more affordable through special discounts or leveraging professional opportunities to dine out.
Model Essay - Modern technologies have affected everything we do. The way that we communicate, how we travel and even how we eat. While these changes began 50 or more years ago with improvements in stoves, refrigerators and the development of new technology like microwaves and blenders, they continue today. Naturally like all technology, people often discuss how these changes affect our livelihood both positively and negatively. While some say that process food lacks the nostalgia of the past, food preparation becoming easier has allowed men and women to more equitably divide food preparation responsibilities while still finding time for leisure and contributing to an increase in the overall quality of the foods that we eat.
Food becoming easier to prepare has increased gender equality in meal preparation. In most countries and circumstances women have traditionally been the ones preparing meals both because of culture norms and men's work roles outside of the home prevented them from helping with food preparation. With the assistance of modern food processing, men are becoming a more prominent contributor to the feeding of their family. My father knew how to cook very little. He had never been taught by his mother nor seen his father cook. In my family though, I am more often part of the meal preparation. Even without being trained by my mother or having these practices modeled by my father, thanks to the modern conveniences of food preparation, I can share these responsibilities with my wife. More equality in who's preparing the food allows the family structure to be more dynamic and equitable.
People have more time to engage in hobbies and interests than before these advances occurred. With lengthening workdays, there would be less time for people to use towards activities that bring them fulfillment as individuals if dinner wasn't easier to prepare than it previously was. Freeing up time for people to pursue their personal interests has been a definitive life improvement. For example, a woman works as a nurse from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. On the days she works she's able to quickly pull a meal together by utilizing some readymade meals and her microwave. Her family's dinner is done soon after she comes home allowing her to spend the time that she would have spent preparing and cooking the food relaxing with her family. Before quick-fix processed foods, individuals wouldn't have had similar leisure time.
Mealtimes are more consistent in their quality and healthfulness. Everyday dinners can consist of foods that may have previously required more time and effort than people had to invest daily. This allows for people to eat a more balanced meal of meats, vegetables and other healthful foods. Years ago families would have a meal consisting of meat and a variety of vegetables once a week or so because it took too long to prepare. Other days of the week, dinner would have to be much simpler and consequently without the variety or balance of many modern meals. Modern food preparation allows the previously considered special dinners to become more regular fare. As food has become easier to prepare, people are enjoying consistently balanced meals.
Regularly enjoying more complex yet balanced foods foods while leaving time to redirect to our personal interests and guiding us towards greater gender equality are just a few of the improvements that have followed increased efficiency in food
Food becoming easier to prepare has increased gender equality in meal preparation. In most countries and circumstances women have traditionally been the ones preparing meals both because of culture norms and men's work roles outside of the home prevented them from helping with food preparation. With the assistance of modern food processing, men are becoming a more prominent contributor to the feeding of their family. My father knew how to cook very little. He had never been taught by his mother nor seen his father cook. In my family though, I am more often part of the meal preparation. Even without being trained by my mother or having these practices modeled by my father, thanks to the modern conveniences of food preparation, I can share these responsibilities with my wife. More equality in who's preparing the food allows the family structure to be more dynamic and equitable.
People have more time to engage in hobbies and interests than before these advances occurred. With lengthening workdays, there would be less time for people to use towards activities that bring them fulfillment as individuals if dinner wasn't easier to prepare than it previously was. Freeing up time for people to pursue their personal interests has been a definitive life improvement. For example, a woman works as a nurse from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. On the days she works she's able to quickly pull a meal together by utilizing some readymade meals and her microwave. Her family's dinner is done soon after she comes home allowing her to spend the time that she would have spent preparing and cooking the food relaxing with her family. Before quick-fix processed foods, individuals wouldn't have had similar leisure time.
Mealtimes are more consistent in their quality and healthfulness. Everyday dinners can consist of foods that may have previously required more time and effort than people had to invest daily. This allows for people to eat a more balanced meal of meats, vegetables and other healthful foods. Years ago families would have a meal consisting of meat and a variety of vegetables once a week or so because it took too long to prepare. Other days of the week, dinner would have to be much simpler and consequently without the variety or balance of many modern meals. Modern food preparation allows the previously considered special dinners to become more regular fare. As food has become easier to prepare, people are enjoying consistently balanced meals.
Regularly enjoying more complex yet balanced foods foods while leaving time to redirect to our personal interests and guiding us towards greater gender equality are just a few of the improvements that have followed increased efficiency in food