regannen-blog

[regannen-blog]

Post Reflection

I have successfully completed a week of doing the Welfare Food Challenge! Hooray! Living off of only $21 for a week’s worth of food was a difficult, yet a rewarding challenge. I have told my entire family about how this challenge has really opened my eyes to things that I had never thought about previous to the challenge. I had never thought about things such as lack of accessibility to healthy foods or supermarkets, clean water, and places to exercise as well as the cost to exercise at facilities. I made my best effort to use left-overs for meals throughout the week, which ended up being a success for me. The only food I had left over was a little bit of rotini pasta, however I did end up eating everything else. I had noticed at around day 2 that this challenge is not a healthy way to eat. A lot of the foods I had purchased were canned, processed and high in saturated fats, sugar and sodium. There was not a lot of nutritional value to what I was eating, as most of what I was eating was high in carbohydrates and fats. There was a lack of lean protein as well as a lack of fruits and vegetables due to the high cost of those products. One of my biggest challenges was not being able to snack besides the odd banana once a day. I did not feel very hungry throughout the day, as most of the time I felt bloated from the amount of carbs and processed foods I was eating. I felt that I was not sleeping as well as normal during this challenge, which makes me appreciate the food I normally eat to get a good sleep at night. The diet overall was very plain, and I had to get creative with getting sauces from the cafeteria at school as well as trying different food combinations so I wouldn’t get bored as easily. There were some days that I didn’t even want to eat the food I made because I knew how bad it was for me, and how much it lacked nutritional value. However, what got me through the challenge was putting myself in someone’s shoes, where that might be the only meal someone would be able to eat for a few days. After this challenge I will be less wasteful and not throw out left over food, as I know now that tuna and things such as soup can be rationed. I still cannot imagine how a family of low-income is able to provide food for their family on an allowance like this, as I was barely able to make all of my food last for the entire week. I have a new appreciation for the variety of foods I am able to buy, and the abundance of foods I currently have in my pantry. . At the end of the semester, I am going to donate all the food I have left over in my pantry to a food shelter or to my clinical placement. I also have an appreciation for living near a park, where I can go for free walk without having to drive to access the trails. I recommend that everyone do this challenge to gain perspective on what it’s like to live on $21 a week for food. I think that a lot of people who have a different outlook on life after having completed a challenge like this. Again, here is the link to the Welfare Food Challenge website if you would like to read up on blogs and more background on the challenge itself. https://welfarefoodchallenge.org/

References for Post Reflection 

Welfare Food Challenge. (2017). 2017 Welfare Food Challenge. Retrieved from https://welfarefoodchallenge.org/

-March 31/2019

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Today is officially my last day of the Welfare Food Challenge! This week has flown by, but I am eager to get back into my normal eating habits. For breakfast today I ate 2 scrambled eggs with a piece of toast topped with maple beans and a banana. Throughout the whole week, this was the one meal I was constantly dreading to eat because it was pretty much the same everyday. For lunch I had my leftover cream of mushroom soup with a tuna sandwich. I was able to use the second half of my leftover tuna, which was nice, so that I didn’t have to thrown any of it away. Lastly, I ate my last turkey sausage and 6 perogies. When eating this meal I was missing sour cream or something to dip my perogies in, but this was definitely one of my favourite meals I had throughout the challenge. I did some research on underlying causes of malnutrition, and found that those with HIV are more susceptible to being malnourished. When an individual is taking anti-retroviral drugs, a healthy, regular food intake is important for increasing the drugs effectiveness (Action Against Hunger, 2018). This means that children and individuals with HIV who are malnourished are more likely to acquire more infections and diseases due to this ineffectiveness of the medications (Action Against Hunger, 2018). A lot of low-income countries have a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS which makes individuals even more likely to become ill and possibly die. This was not something I was made aware of until I was researching this information. This just tells me that our society needs to be more educated on malnutrition, and ways that we can help those who unfortunately cannot afford to eat regularly, or eat a balanced diet. Natural disasters can also cause a lot of food insecurity for those who depend on growing crops and livestock. It’s believed that climate change will negatively effect agriculture production and cause increased hunger in the future (Action Against Hunger, 2018). Throughout this challenge, I have also had access to clean water at my house, the school and almost everywhere that I go. Chronic deficits of food affect almost 800 million people worldwide, and a lot of malnutrition is caused by the lack of safe drinking water (World Health Organization, 2018). I have been more thankful than ever to have clean drinking water, as I can’t imagine getting sick every time I drink unsanitary water in order to survive. I have noticed that we as a society are very wasteful with our water, and sometimes take up to 15 minute long showers. After doing this food challenge and learning how many people suffer from lack of clean water, I have lessened the amount of time I spend in the shower because I now think about those who are not as fortunate to have running water. 

References for Reflection 7

Action Against Hunger. (2018). Underlying causes of malnutrition. Retrieved from https://actionagainsthunger.ca/what-is-acute-malnutrition/underlying-causes-of-malnutrition/

World Health Organization. (2018). Water-related diseases. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/diseases-risks/diseases/malnutrition/en/

-March 31/2019

[regannen-blog]

Today is my second last day of the Welfare Food Challenge. Almost there! Today I had 2 eggs with 2 pieces of toast so I could eat my egg on the toast as a change. For lunch, I made 2 pieces of turkey sausage with rice. A pretty bland meal, as I didn’t have anymore sauce to use from the cafeteria at the college. Today I went for a pretty long walk outside because it was so nice out. Hello Spring! I felt a little bit hungry in between my lunch and dinner so I decided to have a banana as a snack, which was able to hold me over until I could eat supper. Lastly, I ate rotini pasta with pasta sauce for supper. Just like how I complained before, I felt that today was very carbohydrate heavy. However, going for a walk helped me burn off some of these carbohydrates that I ate in the morning and early afternoon. I found an interesting fact that reported that people who make less $20,000 a year are less likely than individuals who are earning at least $75,000 annually to meet physical activity guidelines of at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or at least 75 minutes of vigorous workout sessions over a two day period. Over an entire week those of higher income are 1.9 times more likely to meet the guidelines (Reuters, 2017). This does make sense after what I had found out yesterday when doing some research about accessibility to parks, gyms, etc. It also makes sense because a lot of low-income workers tend to have jobs where they’re on their feet more often, whereas higher income jobs can tend to be office jobs. This means that when those of higher income are not working, they tend to go to the gym more, and can also afford that route (Reuters, 2017). Around 5.8 million Canadians are currently living in poverty (Citizens for Public Justice, 2018). 1 in 8 Canadian families are living with food insecurity, which is mostly accounted for by renters. Those who have own a house tend to have protection against food insecurity as they have a valuable advantage that can be used to leverage funds when there is a need for money from a job loss, etc ( PROOF, 2018). This means that a lot of people who do not own a house are suffering from food insecurity and fear that they will not be able to put food on the table for their families. I am currently doing my clinical placement at a youth outreach program, where I witness many homeless youth who come in to get food and snacks throughout the day. I cannot imagine what it’s like for them on the weekends when these services are not there for them to have basic necessities. During every meal I have eaten on this food challenge week, I have almost felt guilty for the lifestyle I live. I never used to think about all of these people that don’t know what they are going to eat for their next meal. This has really made me enjoy the challenge, as I think I needed a reminder that a lot of people are not as privileged as I am to have shelter, and a pantry full of healthy foods. 

References for Day 6 Reflection

Citizens for Public Justice. (2018). Research: Poverty in Canada. Retrieved from https://cpj.ca/poverty/research

PROOF. (2018) Household Food Insecurity in Canada. Retrieved from https://proof.utoronto.ca/food-insecurity/

Reuters. (2017). Wealthier people exercise more on weekends, sit more during the week. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-income-fitness/wealthier-people-exercise-more-on-weekends-sit-more-during-the-week-idUSKCN1BF25R

-March 30/2019

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Today is my fifth day of the Welfare Food Challenge. I tried to switch up my breakfast a little bit by having beans on my toast, and scrambling my eggs. For lunch I made the rest of my macaroni and cheese. This is a very processed meal that I have not really enjoyed eating. I picked up this item because it was only around 50 cents for a box of it, which is very inexpensive. At this point in the food challenge I am missing eating chicken and lean ground beef. However, for 1 kg of chicken, it’s around $7, making it an item outside of my budget for the week. Ground beef is even more expensive, at around $12 for a kg (Living in Canada, 2018). These prices are an indication that those of low income cannot afford to buy these meats, which is very unfortunate. It’s really hard for me to wrap my brain around the fact that this is how many individuals and families are eating all year round. Even just buying eggs was a splurge for me on this challenge, as it was the second most expensive thing on my list aside from the turkey sausage. Living with a family on this amount of money to spend in a week would be even harder to buy eggs and things such as meat. If I had to spread this much food I bought for a week within a family of four, I would be going very hungry. Not only is the food expensive, but low-income housing can sometimes be far away from healthy grocery stores that sell things like fruits and vegetables (Food Research and Action Center, 2019). People of low income may also not drive vehicles that can take them to places such as a grocery store or healthcare services. Low income areas are also usually lacking in parks, recreational facilities and green spaces which makes it harder for these individuals to exercise in their neighbourhood (Food Research and Action Center, 2019). In my opinion, there need to be more grocery stores and free exercise machines at places such as parks to allow for those of lower income to still meet their needs. My last meal of the day was cream of mushroom soup and a tuna sandwich. I was unable to cook the soup with milk, so I substituted milk with water. This made the soup a little bit watery and runny, which was unfortunate, but I have begun to appreciate the things I am eating because I know some people don’t even have the money to eat this simple meal. I look forward to being finished the challenge, but after I have completed the challenge I want to donate food that in the past I may have thrown away at the end of the semester. This challenge has opened my eyes to how much food we waste, as I have had to portion out things such as soup, beans, bananas and macaroni and cheese. These are issues that I have never had to deal with until now and I think we as a society need to be less wasteful or at least donate what we don’t use or want. 

References for Day 5 Reflection

Living in Canada. (2018). Canadian Food Prices. Retrieved from https://www.livingin-canada.com/food-prices-canada.html

-March 29/2019

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Today was my fourth day doing the Welfare Food Challenge. As usual, I had 2 eggs with a piece of toast and half of a banana. I wish I had boughten some oatmeal to switch up my breakfast a little bit, but I was not able to afford anymore food. This must be a constant struggle for someone living on $21 a day, because you can only buy so many items. I feel that a lot of people living on this low-income allowance buy things in bulk because it’s cheaper, so they probably end up eating the same thing everyday which has been the hardest part of this challenge for me personally. For lunch I made basmati rice with a couple links of turkey sausage. This was a fairly healthy meal, as it included carbohydrates, as well as protein from the turkey sausage. This meal was the most bland out of any meals I have eaten so far, but I was able to use condiments from the school cafeteria such as sweet and sour sauce to pour on top of my rice. I feel that a lot of people who cannot afford condiments and sauces do this as well, and also take plastic forks, spoons and knives from restaurants. Malnutrition is defined by the WHO (2016) as deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients (p.1). 462 million people around the world are underweight and malnourished that is caused by not being able to afford fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and legumes (WHO, 2016). Malnutrition can also mean micronutrient deficient, meaning you may not have the necessary vitamins, minerals and nutrients from the foods you are eating (Our World in Data, 2017). I do not think I am getting enough of the essential nutrients from this food challenge, and feel like I am eating too many processed foods. I can understand why a lot of people who live off of this allowance are malnourished, because a lot of the things you are eating are high in saturated fats, sodium and sugar. Getting micronutrients from the foods you eat, especially in children are very important in their growth and development. This makes me feel sad for children who are living in poverty and are eating these types of food, because it could delay their development. Lastly, I was able to make rotini pasta again with pasta sauce. I am starting to feel sick of eating so many carbohydrate-dense foods, and almost didn’t want to eat my supper. I have also not had the best sleep for the past couple of nights, which could have something to do with my diet. Carbohydrate-heavy meals can make you feel drowsy, which is a downside to eating all of this pasta and bread (National Sleep Foundation, 2009). Hopefully I can get a good sleep tonight and feel better for day 5 of the Welfare Food Challenge! So close to being done!

References for Day 4

National Sleep Foundation. (2009). Food and Sleep. Retrieved from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/food-and-sleep

Our World Data. (2017). Micronutrient Deficiency. Retrieved from https://ourworldindata.org/micronutrient-deficiency

World Health Organization. (2016). What is Malnutrition? Retrieved from https://www.who.int/features/qa/malnutrition/en/

-March 28/2019

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Today is my third day of the Welfare Food Challenge. I have started to get sick of eating the same breakfast, but I am thankful that I am at least full until lunchtime. I think this is due to the fact that my eggs were a good source of protein, as 2 eggs had 12 grams of protein. I only had half of a banana today, which is a good source of nutrients as well. For lunch I had the leftover 1/2 can of tomato soup from day 1, with a tuna sandwich. Lastly, I ate half a can of maple beans with 2 pieces of toast for supper. These beans are very high in sugar, but have a little bit of protein which helped me stay full until the morning. I miss having a snack at around 8-9 pm, but I had to stay in the mindset of someone who can’t afford to eat snacks in between meals. The one thing I have been missing from my diet the past 3 days has been some sort of lean meat protein. It is recommended that eating lean meats with little or no added sodium that are essential to eating a healthy diet (Government of Canada, 2019). I cannot imagine what it is like to not be able to eat any sort of quality meat that isn’t extremely processed. Energy-dense foods tend to be a lot cheaper than whole foods, that also happen to be high in fat and sweeteners (SFGATE, 2018). A pack of hotdogs may be a couple of dollars, but to buy fresh pork or beef can be at least triple that amount (SFGATE, 2018). This must be especially hard for low-income families, as they want to provide the best nutrition for their children, but can only afford the high energy but low nutritional foods. Low income individuals and families may also turn to going to gas stations or convenience stores to access food, leaving them with foods high in saturated fats, sodium and sugar (SFGATE, 2018). I can begin to put myself in these individuals shoes, as I have been eating a lot of sugary, processed, high sodium foods throughout the past few days. Although I do have a sufficient amount of energy throughout most of the day, I find I am so tired by the end of the day that I don’t have a lot energy to do my homework after school and clinical. It’s hard to think that I am already almost half way done the Welfare Food Challenge, and I am excited to see how the last half of the challenge goes for me!

References for Reflection #3

Government of Canada. (2019). Eat Protein Foods. Retrieved from https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/healthy-eating-recommendations/make-it-a-habit-to-eat-vegetables-fruit-whole-grains-and-protein-foods/eat-protein-foods/

SFGATE. (2018). The Eating Habits of Low-Income Populations. Retrieved from https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/eating-habits-lowincome-populations-11376.html

-March 27/2019

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Today was my second day doing the Welfare Food Challenge. I did eat the same breakfast as yesterday, but instead scrambled my eggs for a bit of a change. For lunch I had macaroni and cheese, which again was quite filling, but lacked nutritional value. Processed foods contain a lot of excess sodium, sugar and saturated fats which are linked to heart disease and high blood pressure (Government of Canada, 2019). Those who are unable to buy whole foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables may suffer from chronic diseases. It can be difficult for someone of low income or homelessness to eat healthy, as things like boxed macaroni and cheese, pasta, and perogies are cheaper than fresh produce. Processed goods have become popular in our society because they are easily accessible, but lack proper nutritional value. I have been able to realize the lack of nutrients from vegetables and fruits in this challenge thus far, and it has been leaving me feeling very bloated and tired today. It is virtually impossible for someone of low income to eat a balanced diet that consists of vegetables and fruit, as well as protein from unprocessed meats. Even if they were able to retrieve fresh items, it would be very difficult to prepare them. Lastly, I ate 6 perogies and a piece of turkey sausage. Although this turkey sausage provided me with some protein, I still felt that my overall diet today was carbohydrate heavy. I felt that the food was overall pretty tasty, but my stomach did not feel like it was digesting the food as easily as a meal I would normally eat.

References for Day 2 Reflection

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

-March 26/2019

[regannen-blog]

Today was my first day of the Welfare Food Challenge. For breakfast I ate 2 eggs, a piece of toast, and a banana. This was not very difficult for me, as this is what a normal breakfast for me would look like, except for maybe some butter on the toast. In substitute for butter, I dipped my toast in the egg yolks, which worked just as well! For lunch I had 1 1/2 cups of rotini pasta with pasta sauce. This was a very filling meal for me, and I didn’t find I was hungry again until supper which was a big relief. Although the pasta was a little bit bland, I found it pretty tasty for such a cheap meal. Lastly, I ate a tuna sandwich and tomato soup for dinner. I only used half a can of tomato soup so that I can use the other half sometime throughout the week. I felt full throughout the whole day, but I also felt that my meals were not as healthy as I would have liked. I didn’t have a single vegetable all day, which is fairly abnormal for me. I wish I had bought at least a bag of frozen vegetables, but I am overall happy with the amount of products I was able to purchase with only $21.67. First day, and I’m feeling good! We’ll have to wait and see how long it takes for me to feel fatigued and bored of the foods I am eating.

-March 25/2019

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The items I bought with $21 are: 

-1 box of macaroni & cheese

-1 can of maple beans

-1 can of cream of mushroom soup

-1 can of tomato soup

-2 cans of tuna

-1 jar of pasta sauce

-1 bag of basmati rice

-1 bag of rotini pasta

-6 bananas

-1 carton of 12 eggs

-1 loaf of 100% whole weight bread

-1 box of perogies

-1 package of turkey sausage (6 links)

[regannen-blog]

[regannen-blog]

Pre-Challenge Reflection

My name is Reganne and tomorrow I will be starting a 7-day food security challenge. The challenge entails only spending $21 for a week’s worth of food, which is based off welfare allowances in British Columbia. I look forward to putting myself in someone’s shoes who is living off this allowance, as I have never had to live off of only $21 for food in one week. I think this will be a challenge for me, as I tend to snack frequently throughout the day. 

Upon buying my groceries at Walmart, I came to realize how hard it was to find cheap produce and meat. I did manage to find reduced priced turkey sausage that I can pair with perogies or rice. It was difficult adding the prices of all the foods together at the store, and I ended up having to put one item back as a result of miscalculation. I did end up spending $20.67, which was just under budget. My biggest worry about this food challenge is getting bored of eating similar things everyday, but I plan to add different ingredients together, and cook different styles of eggs. 

I will be posting pictures of what I eat everyday for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as blogging my experience. See you tomorrow on my first day of the Welfare Food Challenge! 

Here is the link to the Welfare Food Challenge Website if you would like more information on the background of this challenge. 

https://welfarefoodchallenge.org/2016challenge/

-March 24/2019