Eating Consciously: Family Green Survival
I'm not here to bum you out in this season of merriment and cheer. But the reality is that most of us could do with a tad less indulgence, especially during the holidays. I recently got an email about an interesting program started by a man named Gopal K. Kapur, who lives in Roseville. He calls it "Family Green Survival."
Mr. Kapur's premise is for "participants to show deep personal commitment to ‘green living’ and to develop empathy for the world’s low income and poor populations." For instance, he says of the photo above (from the program Web site): "The yellow bowl represents 3,654 calories, what the average American eats per day. The blue bowl represents between 800 to 1,400 calories, what the poor population in developing countries eats per day. The green bowl represents what everyone in the world should be eating."
So the idea is that you commit to "Survival Eating" just one day a month in solidarity with people who are food insecure. It's an interesting concept. You certainly learn more by experiencing something than just by reading about it. What does 800 to 1,400 calories a day feel like? It's not much food if you're eating fast food, and it doesn't include large cuts of meat or bottles of soda.
Fortunately, Mr. Kapur's site gives examples of the types of survival menus that people might eat in India, China, and Mexico, including recipes. What they have in common is base starches (rice, noodles) and legumes (beans and lentils), plus some vegetables and highly flavored condiments.
He also notes that an American family of four typically throw away about $590 of their food purchases a year--more than a family of four from a developing country can even afford for all of their meals in a year! (I feel guilty now about that rapidly dehydrating ginger root in my fridge and the ham that I didn't finish before it got slimy.) All Mr. Kapur asks is that you donate $25 to the charity of your choice when you sign on to take part in this program. If you fill out a membership form on the site, though, you'll get a monthly newsletter.
In addition to the Survival Eating challenge, you can also learn about the Eating Green challenge. That consists of pledging to eat only raw, minimally processed foods one day a month. This will save energy (by not cooking or packaging) and gas (by eating more local, fresh foods). So take a look at the Family Green Survival site and think about eating more consciously in the year to come.
Comments
What a great article...especially after the holidays when you see how much food is consumed and also wasted. In the grand scheme of things, what is one day a month? I am excited to learn new recipes and ways of preparing food.
Thanks!
Posted by: Lynda W | December 26, 2008 7:06 AM
Good food for thought for the New Year, Ann! Keeping our foot print small by eating local and by eating smaller portions will keep our planet and body healthy.
Posted by: Gail Kellly Robards | January 3, 2009 9:37 AM