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[aomalley1999]

Welfare Food Challenge: Post-Reflection (24/01/2020)

I am currently sitting here in my bed with a nice warm cup of freshly brewed coffee. I am savouring every second of this moment and really taking in how I am feeling right now. I missed having these morning coffees… A luxury I certainly would not be able to afford if I was faced with a $21.00 food budget week after week. I want to start this final blog off by acknowledging some of the things that I missed or found to be extra challenging…

1.     I missed coffee. I noticed that during this challenge I would often wake up with a headache that would persist throughout the day. I had mentioned before that I have an average of three to four cups of coffee a day. This lack of coffee sent me into a sort of “withdrawal,” although I think it has been somewhat of a good thing. I have come to the realization that I should probably reduce my intake of caffeine due to the sheer effects it has had on my body this past week. Not only will it help with the headaches, but I will also spend a little less money on it! However, to clarify, I have not written off coffee!

2.     I missed flavor. One of the things I always try to incorporate into my meals is flavor. When I say this, I don’t just mean salt and pepper, I mean creating new blends of spices and always trying to make new flavors in the dishes I cook for myself! Flavor adds so much to a meal and allows me to actually look forward to eating the food I have made for myself. I am not exaggerating when I say that the lack of flavor in my food this week had a really big impact on me. I had little motivation to want to eat the food I had left, and I started to lose interest in cooking which is NOT “me.”

3.     I have taken food for granted. I think that we all get comfortable with the things we have. These “things” may be clothing, shelter, possessions, food, and more. I had mentioned in my blog a few days ago that I like to think of myself as a humble person. If anything, I have built on that quality of myself and feel like I have gained a new perspective on how important it is to have food security. I work hard for the things that I have and have always been taught by my parents to be humble, never above or better than. What I am trying to say here is that I have taken for granted the food I have and have become more grateful as a result of this experience.

4.     Food has a major impact on mood. I have noticed that there has been a steady decline in my mood over the span of these seven days. I started off kind of excited to be doing this challenge, however, I quickly realized what all this entails and that feeling dissipated. I started waking up still tired, sometimes feeling unmotivated to get up and get ready for my day. I also, like I said earlier, felt like I was losing interest in cooking and was not feeling overly excited to eat my meals (this also ties into the next point).

5.     Food affects your social life. Unfortunately, with a tight budget on food, I had to decline going to any social events or meals with my friends as this would require me to spend money that I did not have. I felt like this also affected my mood immensely and it made me feel both sad and disappointed to have to decline the invitation. I love getting together with my friends to catch up, especially over a meal. I think I took a heavy hit emotionally with this one…

To conclude, I want to reiterate what I have spoken to in previous blogs this past week, and that is the very fact that $21.00 is completely insufficient to live on. I truly believe that action needs to be taken as soon as possible so that individuals facing this situation can get the food they desperately need and deserve. Raising the food allowance would indirectly help a variety of other concerns as well, such as that of comorbidities to malnutrition. Simply put, I have developed a new perspective and understanding of the importance of nutrition to the human body physically, emotionally, and even spiritually. This experience was nothing short of difficult but at the same time, enriching. I hope to see more people participate in this challenge in order to raise awareness around this pertinent issue. I think a good way to bring this blog to an end is to switch it up a bit and throw in a video instead of more reading… Below I have added a link to a TED talk by Josette Sheeran, the former head of the UN's World Food Program, where she talks about “ending hunger now.”

(https://www.ted.com/talks/josette_sheeran_ending_hunger_now)

Thank you for taking the time to read through my blog and for coming on this journey with me. I hope I have provided you with some knowledge on why this issue is so pertinent and needs to be addressed, and if not, I hope that at the very least you have taken something away from it or learned something new. Now. If you would excuse me, I am going to finish drinking my coffee and bask in the thought of getting a pizza later!

Resources

Sheeran, J. (2011, July). Ending hunger now [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/josette_sheeran_ending_hunger_now

[aomalley1999]

Welfare Food Challenge: Day Seven (23/01/2020)

DAY SEVEN! I can’t express how relieved I am for getting to this day! Reflecting a little bit on the last week, I must say that I have noticed a big difference in the way I carry myself throughout the days. I have found that my energy has been way below what it typically is, I am not sleeping as well, and the food I have been eating has become boring and makes me feel nauseous. I think the most valuable lesson here is going through the motions of what kind of an impact this has on a person. For those individuals who are less fortunate and have to go through this process on a weekly basis, I feel terrible for them. I know that I won’t ever be able to fully understand how it feels to be in these individuals’ shoes, but I most certainly got an idea. I have said it before, and I will say it again, action must be taken to help these individuals! The fact that people have to live on a $21.00 budget is quite cruel, and I truly hope that change comes swiftly.

Breakfast this morning consisted of my last container of apple sauce. I was unable to have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich this morning as I used the last of my bread for the hot dogs last night. I was still a little bit hungry after breakfast, but I had to get going to make it to the school on time. After my classes, I came back home to make myself some lunch, or should I say “reheat” some lunch. I ended up microwaving the pasta and vegetables I had last night (there was a lot of extras that I didn’t show in the picture yesterday). I have to admit that this was very filling and that it was the fullest I have felt in days! However, I am a little disappointed in myself as I finally broke down and cheated. I KNOW! I feel terrible for making it this far only to break down and buy myself a coffee… Unfortunately, I still didn’t get the best sleep last night and the food is still not giving me a whole lot of energy to get through the day. I had also become very sleepy in my morning class, to the point where I nodded off for a few seconds. Thus, I decided to buy myself a coffee.

I think that at this point in the challenge, it is important to bring this blog sort of full circle. I think that we must recognize that it is not only individuals on welfare that face food insecurity, rather that it is a global issue that extends beyond the borders of what we call home. To illustrate the need for food security a little more, and show the progress we have made toward achieving the Zero Hunger Sustainable Development Goal, here is a quote directly from the World Health Organization (2019), “An estimated 820 million people did not have enough to eat in 2018, up from 811 million in the previous year, which is the third year of increase in a row. This underscores the immense challenge of achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger by 2030.” I hope that with time there will be more people who are willing to participate in this challenge and fully immerse themselves in the experience. I think it is important to raise awareness around this issue, even if the reach is small now, with time we can hope that more and more awareness is gained, and that real action is taken.

To conclude day seven, I must talk about what I had for dinner. Tonight, I finished off what little food I had left. I ate my last can of soup, which was chicken noodle, and boiled the rest of the frozen veggies (which I forgot to take a picture of). Overall, I have maybe 1/3 of a cup of pasta sauce left, two hot dogs and a ¼ cup of peanut butter! I managed to buy just enough food to last me throughout the week! I am relieved and utterly thankful to say that I am done day seven and can resume a normal food routine starting tomorrow! I plan to take the rest of the evening and a little bit of time tomorrow to reflect on this experience and write one final post for this blog. Until then, it has been an experience I won’t soon forget.

Resources

World Health Organization. (2019, July 15). World hunger is still not going down after three years and obesity is still growing - UN report. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/15-07-2019-world-hunger-is-still-not-going-down-after-three-years-and-obesity-is-still-growing-un-report

[aomalley1999]

Welfare Food Challenge: Day Six (22/01/2020)

At last, day six has come and gone. I am so relieved that I only have one more day left in this challenge. I must say that I am having a hard time finding the motivation to keep up on these blog posts… Today was day two of clinical and thank goodness I don’t have another one until next week. I woke up feeling the same way as I did yesterday, being not too hungry and starting to sense a bit of a gnawing feeling around 9 or 10 am. I took my break around that time and ate two containers of the “apple sauce.” Luckily, I only have one more of these left to eat!

I took my second break around noon today but did not have anything to eat as I was only able to pack the appl sauce food-wise. I finished my shift at 2 pm and was finally able to eat when I got home! I guess you could call this my “lunch” but I would consider it more like “lupper” (lunch and supper, just in case that was a little confusing)… Regardless, I am really low on food and had limited options available to me so I had to eat hot dogs. I think I am most excited that I won’t have to think about nor look at a hot dog for a long while!

After I made my lunch-supper, I had to go to the college and work on a group project for one of my classes. I stayed at the school for roughly two and a half hours, finally coming home to eat an actual dinner at around seven tonight. My dinner tonight consisted of the rest of my pasta which I boiled with some frozen veggies. I have to admit that I like this much better than the other pasta dish I was making! Here is how it turned out:

I want to apologize for how short my blog has been getting. Like I said above, I am having a really hard time finding the motivation to keep up on these blog posts… I don’t know if it is due to the lack of energy that I have or the lack of sleep that I have been getting the past few days, but I am looking forward to writing only a few more! I figured that it might be beneficial to familiarize myself with some of the food services that are offered around the Red Deer area, so that if I ever need to direct someone to them, I will know where to send them! I also hope that if anyone who is from the area is reading this, that they too are able to direct those who may be in need. Here are the resources I was able to find:

I. Red Deer Food Bank: 12, 7429 49 Ave, Red Deer, AB T4P 1N2, Phone # (403) 346-1505

II. Potter’s Hands Soup Kitchen: 4935 51 St, Red Deer, AB T4N 2A8, Breakfast (Monday to Friday 6:00 – 7:30 AM & Saturday at 9:00 AM), Lunch (Monday 11:30 – 1:00 PM), and Supper (Tuesday 4:30 PM), Phone # (403) 309-4246

III. The Mustard Seed: 6002 54 Ave, Red Deer, AB T4N 4M8, Meals Served on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 5p.m. – 7p.m., Phone # (403) 347-1844

For fellow students who are attending classes at Red Deer College:

I. The Students' Association of Red Deer College provides food bank services to students experiencing financial shortfalls. Complete the online application form (https://rdc.ab.ca/future-students/funding-awards/funding/students-association-rdc-food-bank-application) if you would like to access this resource. Please note students are limited to a maximum of one hamper per term and a lifetime maximum of three hampers in total.

That concludes day six of this challenge! I hope that these resources will help someone who may be in need of assistance with food. Nobody should go hungry and we all deserve to have access to a meal! If you know anyone in the area who may benefit from these resources, please do pass on the information. For now, that is all I have to say! Here I come day seven!

[aomalley1999]

Welfare Food Challenge: Day Five (21/01/2020)

Day five is over!!! I can’t believe I am two days away from eating a pizza. This challenge has been nothing but a headache, both literally and figuratively. I woke up this morning with a terrible headache that has not gone away at all today. The lack of nutritious foods in my diet is having such an impact on me. My day started at 4:30 AM as I got ready for my day at clinical. I was not too hungry when I woke up, but I definitely noticed it at around 9:30. I didn’t end up getting to take my first break until 11 so I had to hold off on eating until then. I decided to just eat both “breakfast” and “lunch” on this break as I usually run out of time to take my second break. My meal today consisted of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (again), apple sauce (again), and a hot dog (again). However, I forgot to take a picture of my PB&J and ate the entirety of it before realising I needed to photograph the evidence (I was a little sad I couldn’t showcase another angle). It may also be important to note that the wiener is in the lunch bag. I realized I really slacked on the pictures today…

I finished clinical at around 2:30 PM today and I was exhausted! I tried to drink lots of water to try and combat the headache I still had, probably taking in 2 litres in total? Sadly, the headache did not go away. I decided I should probably have a quick nap to see if that would help, and luckily it did. After I woke up from my nap, I ate a “snack” and I say that in quotations on purpose. I had the leftover pasta from the night before (the one with the hot dogs and sauce). However, I was again, still hungry. I decided to just make dinner which was the second can of vegetable soup. I will never buy this again. I think that they should name it tomato soup with noodles because that is all it tasted like and tomato soup is my least favourite kind… Regardless, I ate it and it filled me up for a little bit.

I don’t think that I should be having anymore snacks because I am starting to run out of food. I think that this feeling would feel much worse if I knew that I still had to make it two more days and didn’t have any other food in my house. I feel like this must have a really negative impact on those who do live on the $21.00 budget. I was interested to see how my diet might compare to that of a “healthy diet” that should last the average individual a week.  Here is how it compares:

Access the “weeks basic healthy shopping” at the link below! (https://welfarefoodchallenge.org/2013/10/25/a-weeks-basic-healthy-shopping-62-86/)

According to the list of “weeks basic healthy shopping,” I am missing the following foods (keep in mind that this list is, give or take, what I usually purchase):

*2 L of 2% Milk, 750 g Yogurt, Cheese 140 g, 6 Eggs (Large), Ground beef          325 g, Chicken legs 410 g, Can tuna 170 g, Can pink salmon 150 g, Peanut butter 500 g, Baked beans 398 mL, Margarine 454 g, Vegetable oil (Canola) 500 mL, Carrots 360 g, Broccoli 320 g, Onion 540 g, Green beans 270 g, Yam 320 g, Canned tomatoes 398 mL, Can peaches 398 g, Bananas 630 g, Apple juice 1 L, Oranges 800 g, Potatoes 1.1 kg, Rice 250 g, and Oat Cereal 440 g.

The following are the foods that I managed to purchase from the list on my diet and budget: Frozen Vegetables 750 g, Apples 900 g, Pasta 450 g, and 2 small loaves of whole wheat bread (which is relatively the size of the loaf I bought).

The “weeks basic healthy shopping,” list from the website costs approximately $62.86 in 2013. However, we should take into account the rising costs of food due to inflation, which would likely cause this bill to be much higher. Nonetheless, this paints a crystal-clear picture that 21 dollars is NOT enough to purchase food that is both healthy and budget friendly. Not to mention that this list does not account for any basic seasoning like salt and pepper. I find this to be so unfortunate, and quite frankly, unacceptable. We all deserve to have the ability to purchase healthy foods, which means there should be a pretty big jump in the grocery allowance for those faced with this situation.  I think it is appropriate to end this blog post here and let this set in some. I truly think that a solid plan of action to address this unfortunate issue should be put forth as soon as possible.

Resources

https://welfarefoodchallenge.org/2013/10/25/a-weeks-basic-healthy-shopping-62-86/

[aomalley1999]

Welfare Food Challenge: Day Four (20/01/2020)

I think that this lack of food hit me hard today. First of all, I had no energy to get myself out of bed. I blame this in part due to the lack of sleep I got last night. I think I watched the clock for two hours before I fell asleep around midnight or one o’clock? Otherwise, I can bet that this lack of food I am getting is starting to have an impact on my body systemically. I got up and got ready for the day just like I would any other. Thinking I was ready for the day, I headed out the door, not thinking twice to make sure I got everything. As I arrive at the school, I felt a rumble in my stomach, and it hits me. I forgot to eat… That means that I also forgot to pack a lunch for my afternoon class. I was kind of baffled at the fact that I forgot to eat… As I have mentioned before, I love food and I love to snack, but for some reason that all slipped my mind. Nevertheless, to keep this story short and sweet, I didn’t have anything to eat since the night before, up until today at three in the afternoon. I must say that I was having a hard time concentrating in class and that I had begun to observe a difference in my writing. I had noticed that my hands had started to shake while taking notes, as all I could think about was what I was going to eat when I got home. I was so hungry (I took a picture of an empty table when I got home, cause essentially, that was breakfast).

My interest was piqued, and I wanted to know why I may be forgetting such simple things… like eating? A blog from Harvard Medical School on nutritional psychiatry put out an interesting read, which helped to answer some of the questions I had. Here is what it had to say:

“Unfortunately, just like an expensive car, your brain can be damaged if you ingest anything other than premium fuel. If substances from “low-premium” fuel (such as what you get from processed or refined foods) get to the brain, it has little ability to get rid of them. Diets high in refined sugars, for example, are harmful to the brain. In addition to worsening your body’s regulation of insulin, they also promote inflammation and oxidative stress. Multiple studies have found a correlation between a diet high in refined sugars and impaired brain function — and even a worsening of symptoms of mood disorders, such as depression” (Eva Selhub MD, 2018).

No wonder I was forgetting the odd thing… All my diet consists of is highly processed foods that include all things bad for you. Albeit, the apples, frozen vegetables, whole-wheat bread and peanut butter are seemingly the only healthy things I was able to buy on that budget, but the rest of it? Awful. High sodium, high fat, high cholesterol, and high sugar foods that I don’t enjoy putting in my body. Not to mention, these foods have next to no nutritional value that my body can utilize for these long periods of time before meals.

After I got home from class, I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Again. I wonder how I was able to eat these so much as a kid, because I most certainly will be breaking up with them for a while after this week is over (you will notice I photographed yet another angle of this sandwich in the picture below). I wouldn’t necessarily call this my lunch, but rather a snack. I also decided to just make dinner as I have a lot of schoolwork I have to do tonight, and I was not satiated by the extra-thick peanut butter lathered sandwich. Dinner was exactly the same as yesterday’s lunch and the supper the night before that. Pasta with the flavorless tomato and “basil” sauce with a hot dog in it. Also, because I was so hungry and didn’t eat all day, I made myself two hot dogs on two pieces of sandwich bread. Unfortunately, I think the hot dogs gave me heart burn… They just weren’t sitting well today! Additionally, before I forget… I accidentally put the pasta box with my bowls. I actually laughed out loud to this one (tee-hee).

(My snack)

(Dinner above & my oopsies below!)

Regardless of how today went, I really hope that the next two days go okay. I have clinical and want to ensure that I am getting sufficient amounts of food to supply me with enough energy to last me throughout the day. I am happy to say that I am officially halfway done this challenge. Bring on day five.

Resources

Eva Selhub MD. (2018, April 5). Nutritional psychiatry: Your brain on food. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/nutritional-psychiatry-your-brain-on-food-201511168626

[aomalley1999]

Welfare Food Challenge: Day Three (19/01/2020)

Day three is over! I must say this challenge is going relatively well for me, but I expect that to change very quickly in the next day or two. My tactic to stay in and do the bare minimum has worked pretty well! I don’t feel as hungry as I did the first day when I was busy with grocery shopping and classes. Breakfast was the exact same today as it was yesterday. I am glad I chose to have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as an option for food because I love them just as much as I did a kid. However, the apple sauce I could do without. I really miss all the small things I would normally add in (e.g. cinnamon, sugar, etc.). I bet your also wondering how many ways I can take a picture of a PB&J sandwich... The answer is ALOT. 

Around lunchtime is when I was confronted with an unfortunate situation. I was asked by my friends if I would like to go for lunch with them. Sadly, I had to decline the invite and explain to them my situation. I have to admit, it really disappointed me to not be able to go out and spend some time with my friends because I am on a strict budget. I feel bad for those who are unable to go out for dinners with the people who matter most to them. For me, I know that food and social interaction go hand in hand. I love getting together with friends and family to catch up over a meal. I feel like this kind of a situation, dealt with frequently, would cause anyone to develop some sort of social isolation. Fieldhouse (1995) illustrates that “food and the act of eating have innumerable non-biological associations and meanings, nowhere is this more evident than in the common everyday experiences of social interaction. For food is a vehicle for expressing friendship, for smoothing social intercourse, for showing concern” (p. 78). Instead of going out for a flavorful meal and catching up with those I love most, I had to settle for my leftover pasta from the night before…

I spent the rest of the afternoon doing a little bit of research for a paper that is due in a few weeks. However, I didn’t have any difficulty concentrating on the information. I thought I may have a little difficulty a few days in as I know nutrition can have a major impact on an individual’s ability to perform cognitive tasks. Regardless, I managed to get about half of what I wanted done and decided that I should take the rest of the night to relax as I know this week is going to be really tough (both academically and personally with this challenge). I made dinner at around 4:30/5:00 pm but unfortunately, I didn’t feel very full. Dinner consisted of 1 cup of vegetables and a can of soup.

I decided to have another small container of apple sauce as a snack later on (around 6:00 pm) to help fill me up a little more from the unfulfilling dinner. I hope that tomorrow goes better than I am expecting. Nevertheless, tomorrow is day four, and I can’t wait to say that I am half-way through the challenge!!!

Resources

Fieldhouse, P. (1995). Social functions of food. In Food and nutrition (p. 78). Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3256-3_4

[aomalley1999]

Welfare Food Challenge: Day Two (18/01/2020)

Here we are at day two! I woke up this morning with next to no hunger, which is not what I expected at all! It was a pretty relaxing day for a Saturday. I got up and did some schoolwork for a few hours and then had some breakfast. Breakfast today consisted of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a small container of apple sauce (a.k.a. the boiled and mashed apples).

I honestly tried to do as little as possible today. I wanted to stay home and try to conserve energy so that I wouldn’t end up eating as much food! I figured that as long as I am not walking lots or doing anything that requires a whole lot of energy, that I would be saving a little more food to eat later on, such as for days like Tuesday and Wednesday when I have clinical! However, the only complaint I have thus far is about coffee. I. Miss. Coffee (it has been literally one day). If I were to be going about my day like any other, I probably have an average of 4 coffees. So, to say the least, I am just thankful I didn’t develop a headache early on this morning or afternoon. I got thinking about something this afternoon though, and it had to do around vitamins and minerals again. I can probably attribute this thought to the discussion post I have to do for my global health class on the topic of poverty and nutrition. Anyways, I started to think about what kind of an impact my diet may have on my body if I were to be doing this long-term. For example, I didn’t have enough money to buy milk this week, because I was worried that I wouldn’t have enough food to get me through the seven days. For instance, “Milk products contain up to 16 nutrients that are essential for health. Calcium, vitamin D and protein are some of the nutrients in milk products that keep the body functioning properly and could help reduce the risk of certain diseases” (Nutrition, n.d.). Now, let’s not be naïve, I do realise that there are other sources of food that will supply these nutrients. However, we also need to consider that individuals who do not have money to buy such foods, will not be getting sufficient amounts. If we are to consider that the vast majority of people who live on this type of a budget, these individuals are at higher risk of developing illnesses and disease later on in life. For instance, a diet that is deficient in calcium may put you at risk for osteoporosis as “A lifelong lack of calcium plays a role in the development of osteoporosis. Low calcium intake contributes to diminished bone density, early bone loss and an increased risk of fractures” (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2019). I think it important that we look at the bigger picture here and realise that the implications of a $21.00 budget are much larger than what we may expect… On a lighter note, here is my lunch!

Dinner tonight was decently yummy (despite the wieners). I made enough for two portions so I will probably have the leftovers tomorrow for lunch. Essentially, I cut up a hot dog, and boiled it with the pasta then poured some of the tomato and basil sauce on top. I can guarantee you that the limited options I have for my three meals are going to get old very quickly! However, on that note, I conclude day two. I think we are off to a good start. I think tomorrow I will use the same strategy which includes staying inside and doing… Nothing! Anyways, day three tomorrow!!!

Resources

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2019, June 19). Osteoporosis - Symptoms and causes. Retrieved January 18, 2020, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/osteoporosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351968

Nutrition, D. (n.d.). Nutrients in milk products. Retrieved from https://www.dairynutrition.ca/nutrients-in-milk-products

[aomalley1999]

Welfare Food Challenge: Day One (17/01/2020)

I must say that this challenge is already testing my patience. I cannot say that it has had a humongous impact on my day overall, however, I do expect that this will begin to change around day three or four of the challenge. I say day three or four as this is not only mid-challenge, but it is when I return to school after a weekend of rest and relaxation. I think the hardest days to come will be those days that I have clinical. Being in my acute care rotation, I am on my feet all day long and often only get around to taking one of my two 30-minute breaks. As a result, I do not get the chance to eat very much! However, that’s not of concern right now! I want to let you know how day one went for me. I decided to do my preparation early in the morning today, meaning that I got up at 6:30 AM to go grocery shopping so I could start day one on time! After coming back and writing my preparation post, I set to work on planning my meals for the day. In addition, I used the big bag of apples I got and prepared them to make some “apple sauce.” Now I say that in quotations because, let’s be real, it is simply boiled and mashed apples… Yeah, not the best thing I have eaten. Anyways, I ate half of the biggest container for breakfast. Here is how that turned out:

I want to point out that I am purposefully making my food look “appealing” by taking nice photos and putting filters on them (mainly for myself to hype it up), but do not let it mislead you, the food is really nothing special. In fact, I already miss the spices and dashes of flavour that I don’t think twice about adding on a normal day! After prepping my applesauce and “enjoying” a portion of it for breakfast, I quickly prepped my lunch to take to class. Lunch consisted of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and the one and only apple that was not used for my apple sauce.

As lunchtime approached, I started to notice that I was not really getting the same amount of food that I normally eat around that time. I was mainly noticing a slight growl and had thoughts of “I could use a snack right about now!” To say the least, my sandwich and apple did not satisfy my hunger and it left me still wanting a little more. However, I was determined to get through the first day like a champ! I had begun to really consider what it must be like having to do this week after week. I can only imagine how hard it would be if you had an extra mouth to feed as well! I feel awful for those who have to go through this on a day to day basis, and I have really come to notice that I have taken the food I have for granted. I think that it is important to go through this experience and to understand how fortunate I am to have food security in my day to day life. As it is, I feel as though I am a pretty humble person and as such, I am really taking to heart what this experience has already done for me and will continue to do for me over the coming week. With that, I will move onto dinner.

Tonight’s meal consisted of two hot dogs on sandwich bread (which I dressed up with napkins to make it look better) and a cup of vegetables. I think this meal had the most flavor, though I must confess, I try to eat as healthy as I can and it was very hard for me to know that I will be eating hot dogs as my “meat” source over the next several days… I try to stay away from as many highly processed foods as possible and stick to organic, whole grain, healthy-fat foods (there is more to this, but I have a feeling you get the point). I sometimes refer to Canada’s Food Guide to help me make healthier choices and to understand what I should be avoiding when choosing my groceries. For instance, you know how I had a hard time purchasing and having to eat hot dogs for a week? Here is what the food guide says about processed meats, “Processed meats can be high in both sodium and saturated fat. Eating too many processed meats has been linked to a higher risk of colorectal cancer (can also be called colon cancer or rectal cancer)” (Government of Canada, 2019). There is something about the possibility of increasing my chances of cancer that just doesn’t sit well with me (thus is why I am not too stoked about the wieners)! This just illustrates that individuals who don’t have enough money to make healthy food choices have no choice but to eat these cheap and highly processed foods. This is only putting individuals at an increased risk of developing diseases, and it is so hard to watch it occur.  

I digress. Overall, day one was a success although I have to admit, I am going to bed a little bit hungry tonight. I hope that when I wake up tomorrow, I will have better luck in satiating my hunger with a bit of a bigger breakfast. Bring it on day two!

Resources

Government of Canada. (2019, December 4). Limit highly processed foods. Retrieved from https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/healthy-eating-recommendations/limit-highly-processed-foods/

[aomalley1999]

Welfare Food Challenge:  Preparation (17/01/2020)

Hello! My name is Austin and I have chosen to participate in the food welfare challenge. The challenge is very simple in nature, requiring the participant to stay within a budget of $21.00 for groceries over the span of one week. However, there are a few rules to this challenge, and a challenge it will be… Rules for this challenge are pretty straightforward: No use of food banks or accessing free meals supplied by charities and friends; refraining from eating food you already have or have grown. The driving force behind this challenge is to “raise public awareness about the poverty of people on welfare and the need for change” (Gerlings, 2017).

I chose to participate in this challenge for a few reasons. First off, I completely support the driving force behind the very reason for this challenge, being that it is essential to raise public awareness about the poverty that those around us face on a daily basis. Second, I think it is so important to recognize that food security is still a huge disparity across the globe. Speaking of the world as a whole, I want to bring this idea of food security back to the overarching idea of global health. Global health acts both locally and globally, it is not specific to any one country and is not contained by borders. To kick this challenge off, let’s look at an at-home statistic on food security here in Canada. According to Roshanafshar & Hawkins (2018) “The most recent statistics indicate that in 2011–2012, 8.3% of Canadian households experienced food insecurity.” Personally, I think Canada’s food insecurity rate is 8.3% too high, and for these reasons, I have chosen to participate in this challenge.

Before I begin, I want to give a little bit of a background as to how I am feeling coming into this challenge. I think it is important to let you know that I am in love with cooking. In fact, I find cooking is therapeutic for me as it brings me joy and comfort. It’s just something about a home-cooked meal! So, in short, I am REALLY going to miss the richness of the meals I cook for myself and even the “simple” ingredients I know I have come to take for granted like salt and pepper. I must confess that I am a little concerned that I won’t be able to stick to the challenge. I know myself, and I know that I eat often and am a huge fan of snacks! However, I am committed to completing this challenge, so with that, let’s get started!

If you know me, you know that I am a planner, so you can bet I looked at the weekly flyer to the grocery store I always shop at. Prior to going, I made a tentative grocery list, hoping that I was under, or at least on-budget for groceries this week. To my surprise, I had a few lucky things happen to me! A bag of apples had come up at the wrong price so I let the employee at the store know, and to my delight, she gave the apples to me for FREE! This means I had a little extra money to spend on food, so I headed over to another store. At the second store, a box of pasta came up as the wrong price, however, this time the price was adjusted to the correct one. My bill was just shy of the $21.00 limit. So, to kick off this challenge and to say goodbye to my good friend coffee, I headed over to the McDonald’s and bought myself a large cup of java which put me at the limit! I ended up spending $19.86! Heres what I came home with:

*** 1 jar of raspberry jam, 1 jar of peanut butter, 2 cans of chicken soup, 2 cans of vegetable soup, 1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables, 1 5lb. bag of apples, 1 package of hot dogs, 1 loaf of bread, 1 can of pasta sauce, 1 box of pasta, and finally 1 large coffee! ***

Before I end this pre-challenge reflection, I wanted to point out a few things about my shopping experience! First off, I was so excited to have that bag of apples given to me for free… I thought to myself that those who do live on this tight of a budget must really appreciate any break they can get, as I know I certainly did! Second, there is so much to consider when going to get these groceries. For instance, I went to three different places all across the city. Someone who is on a tight budget may not have the luxury of doing this much travelling. I haven’t even started the first day and I am already realising that this small of a budget is impossible to live on week after week…

That’s all for now! Throughout the week I will post a daily update on this blog with a few photos of what I ate, how I am feeling, and a general overview of my thoughts about how the challenge is going! For now, it is time to get on with day one (eek!).

Resources

Gerlings, K. (2017, October 2). 6th annual welfare food challenge. Retrieved January 16, 2020, from https://welfarefoodchallenge.org/2017challenge/

Roshanafshar, S., & Hawkins, E. (2018, September 17). Food insecurity in Canada. Retrieved from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-624-x/2015001/article/14138-eng.htm