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| The week's food for Live Below the Line 2016 |
Over the years that I've been involved in the Live Below the Line challenge, friends have voiced concern about whether I consumed enough calories over the week. My response has been to address them in a cursory fashion - it's only for five days, no real harm done. This year I thought it would be useful to provide a bit more detail on how my dietary choices for the week stack up. It's interesting, because even in the microcosm of a week of impoverished eating, we can glean insights about the trade-offs confronted when living at the poverty line. And maybe consideration for these trade-offs happens overtly, making calculated decisions over the week as I have done, weighing the costs and benefits of consuming adequate calories versus avoiding often highly processed foods. Or perhaps not so overtly or consciously contemplated (we don't all like playing with spreadsheets...), where foods are chosen that induce happiness or make you feel full or are just plain convenient. For many, in the end it's still an economic choice.
On looking at the spread of food I picked up for the week, it actually not only looks adequate, but relatively varied and nutritious. However, it quickly becomes apparent that optimizing solely for calories leaves some gaps in variety and micronutrients that are sought after in a balanced diet. In years past, I've forgone additional grains in favour of a nice cabbage or a few extra sweet potatoes. But this was also possible given that I only undertake this 'challenge'
for a week. For those who don't have the option to go back to their
'regularly scheduled programme' after five days, a calorie deficit
day-in and day-out, months and years on end, can be wearing and
debilitating. In this year's breakdown you'll notice that starchy staples (I include split peas) make up over 85% of calories and over half of my budget. FAO estimates that over 70% of calories in the developing world come from carbohydrates in contrast to less than 40% in developed countries, which seems to check out.
Item
|
Calories per Day
|
Other Redeeming Qualities
|
Cost
|
Rolled Oats (750g)
|
600
|
High in fibre
|
$1.05
|
Brown Rice (1kg)
|
700
|
Protein
|
$2.29
|
Split Peas (500g)
|
330
|
Protein and fibre
|
$1.60
|
Potatoes (500g)
|
90
|
Um…
|
$0.50
|
Sweet Potato (240g)
|
40
|
Beta carotene/vitamin A
|
$0.48
|
Pumpkin (675g)
|
65
|
Beta carotene/vitamin A
|
$0.99
|
Carrots (400g)
|
30
|
Beta carotene/vitamin A
|
$0.52
|
Onion (170g)
|
15
|
Flavonoids
|
$0.26
|
Canned Tomato (400g)
|
15
|
Vitamins C & E; lycopene
|
$0.59
|
Salad (120g)
|
5
|
Vitamins A, C, & K; Iron
|
$0.30
|
Bananas (600g)
|
100
|
Potassium
|
$0.75
|
Salt (25g)
|
0
|
Iodine; flavour enhancer ;)
|
$0.05
|
Curry Powder (15g)
|
0
|
Anti-inflammatory properties
|
$0.50
|
Cinnamon (2g)
|
0
|
Anti-inflammatory properties
|
$0.12
|
TOTAL
|
1990 kCal/day
|
$10.00
|
The
trade-off perhaps also helps to explain why the food security
discussion has for so many years focused on quantity over quality (it
could also have something to do with the history of food aid...). Getting people enough food is far easier and cheaper than getting the right food to them. Some effort has gone into the breeding and integration of fortified crops like golden rice and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, both of which try to address vitamin A deficiencies, particularly among malnourished children. More recently, development groups have tried promoting home gardens as a means of introducing variety and nutrient-dense foods into both rural and urban diets. In developed countries, we are less plagued by a reliance on cassava, maize, and rice, and moreso on processed foods
that replace nutrient-dense whole ingredients with cheap fillers and
additives.
Don't forget, You still can donate this year!
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