Hungry Planet: What We and the World Eat

This week spent a day getting dirty at Slide Ranch deepening our study of plants, and understanding where food comes from.  To learn a little bit about Slide Ranch's farm-to-table approach, check out this video clip (also embedded in our Digital Resources tab).  When we returned to school, we studied the contents of our own refrigerators.  What did we notice?  Did we eat similar food to each other?  Did we think people around the world eat similar food to our families?  Why or why not?  Check out our photos below.  What observations can you make?


 After sharing observations about our own food, we looked at food for families around the world in Peter Menzel's photographic series, "Hungry Planet: What the World Eats".  We then revisited our initial observations.  Boys agreed that food around the world varies greatly.  Flora Mugambi-Mutunga joined us to help us gain a global perspective about food and issues of access.  Together, the boys realized the factors such as climate, natural resources, cost, and culture all influence what we eat.

Bhutan: The Namgay family of Shingkhey Village. Food expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03. Family recipe: Mushroom, cheese and pork.

Chad: The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp. Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23. Favorite foods: soup with fresh sheep meat.

Kuwait: The Al Haggan family of Kuwait City. Food expenditure for one week: 63.63 dinar or $221.45. Family recipe: Chicken biryani with basmati rice.

Next, we'll meet with Chef Melanie of Acre Gourmet to learn more about kids' access to healthy food here in the Bay Area.  We'll uncover some serious needs and brainstorm ways that we can take action to help.  Stay tuned!