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The SITS Girls

The Secret to Success is Support

Who’s In Your {Food} Network?

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SITS was founded on the notion of a sisterhood…a SITStahood, to be exact.  That’s why, when we looked to expand our content, morphing our Style channel to Food and Lifestyle, I immediately thought to bring my real life sister, Gianna, on board.  Although there are nine years and an entire ocean that separate us currently, I can’t imagine working on something as important to me as SITS and not sharing it with her.

The bonds of sisterhood, both online and in real life, run deep, no?

what to eat
photo credit: credrus-group-international

To each, her own. This is how I generally feel about people’s food preferences. It’s a personal choice. One that is based on many external factors and is unable to be made in isolation. For me, this choice has become more important during recent years (hence my participation in a graduate program focused on gastronomy).  I tend to anticipate each opportunity to eat so I avoid it being a wasted occasion. What to eat, where to shop, how to prepare the food, with whom to eat—all pivotal pieces surrounding a dining experience. However, when each of these parts of eating comes together, we see that it actually isn’t an individual endeavor at all. Eating takes the shape of a network. Although preference may be singular, eating is plural.

What to eat:

Certain foods leave behind a greater effect on the environment. So, while you may love meat, consuming it in moderation contributes to preventing the emission of more gases into the atmosphere.

Where to shop:

Are the groceries that you buy coming from near or far, a small farmer or a large company? This decision impacts both your local economy (community investment) and surrounding environment (transportation costs).

How to prepare the food:

Frying versus boiling. One method should be occasionally applied, despite the devastatingly appealing taste, while the other offers a healthy approach that can be used frequently.

With whom to eat:

A consideration that shouldn’t require too much thought since you know with who you enjoy spending time. Who are in your personal networks? (Hint: You don’t have to look far.)

So, just as we value being a part of certain social networks (case in point), we must also be aware of the other networks in which we are involved. By eating, we are implicitly included in the food network. This means that what we like may be personal, but what we actually eat is something larger. It’s a good thing to keep in mind the next time you gather around the table because your network will be at work.

what to eat

To continue this discussion, I invite you to submit photos of your food network on the SITS Facebook page. Who do you buy your food from? Who do you cook with? Who do you eat with? Just like SITS does everyday, let’s put faces to the people who make up our core networks, but this time related to food. Be sure to add both a picture and your blog URL!

A bit more about this girl…

you are what you eatGianna Banducci is studying gastronomy through the Food Culture and Communications Master program at L’Università di Scienze Gastronomiche in Northern Italy. Her year-long program has entailed visits to European producers, involvement in Slow Food’s 2010 Terra Madre conference and a stint on an organic farm in Tuscany. She is currently writing and preparing her thesis in Berlin, Germany. Prior to her time abroad, Gianna worked in marketing for Thomson Reuters. She attributes her Italian American family with inciting her ardent appreciation for food.

About Francesca

Francesca has an extensive background in content marketing, public relations, and social outreach. She oversees all Operations at Sway Group, including our robust metrics capabilities. Prior to joining the online world, Francesca oversaw viticulture and oenology at various wineries in both California and Italy, and managed regulatory affairs and facility approvals at the biotech company, Genentech. Francesca has been featured on CBS Sacramento and Food Blogger Pro’s podcast. She has also hosted an AMA webinar and spoken at Social Media World.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jade @ No Longer 25 says

    Great to ‘meet’ your real life sister here! Sisters are the best – I hope her studying in Europe has provided a great excuse for you to visit her Fran!

    It sound like a fantastic journey and I love the idea of food networks, there are networks everywhere in life. I’m so jealous of her time in Berlin right not – that’s my favourite place ever, I lived there for 3 months once and I loved it.

    Looking forward to hearing more adventures,
    Jade

  5. Kelly says

    Love, love, LOVE this!! I am a total foodie…and never thought of my own personal “food network”, but I DO have one!

    Looking forward to reading more!

  8. kirsten says

    Here in Singapore food is pretty much THE most important thing. It’s what everyone talks about most of the time – where they had something good, where the price is reasonable, where a new stall has opened up, etc. etc. etc. We even have a Food Festival here once a year.

  12. Sandra Foyt says

    Funnily enough, I’m reading this post while munching on the first Girl Scout cookie of the season. I love my sweets, but I applaud your suggestion regarding food networks. For those of us living in areas where it’s still hard to find fresh produce on the menu, I’m optimistic that combining social media networks with food networks offers hope for better food choices.

  14. the MRS. says

    I have always wanted to make a foreign food club. Where once a month you each take turns either cooking or going out to try a new foreign food.