In the Mood for Food - November!

Hey y'all! November was "eating on a budget" for In the Mood for Food.

Our goal this month was to explore the correlation between budgeting and our food choices. This is definitely relevant for us because we've been working on the issue of how to use our budget to feed 24 people a meal every month, which definitely has not been easy!

There's a lot of research that supports the correlation between poverty and obesity. Why is this? Often processed foods, foods high in fats and carbohydrates, and fast foods are much less expensive than healthier options. Vegetables and fruits are fairly expensive, as are high quality meats, fish, and specialty foods. This means that a vegetarian, gluten free, or lean diet is almost impossible.

Restaurants like McDonalds can offer a meal for $4-5 a person, so we've decided to use McDonalds as our group meal this month. Because of Thanksgiving break, our meal is scheduled for next week - but we'll keep you posted on how this goes. The topics of our meal discussion will be:

Why is fast food so much cheaper than other options? (Information from Fast Food Nation, a book detailing the history and practices of the fast food industry will be discussed.)

How can we personally make choices to eat healthy while on a budget?

How can we as a community, state, and nation work to eliminate the correlation between obesity and poverty?

Here is an example of a low cost, delicious recipe! While it isn't as healthy as a salad, it includes 5 out of the six major food groups and is easy and tasty!

Chicken Pot Pie

1 can diced white chicken breast - $3.50
1 can Veg-all (or frozen vegetables) - $0.75
1 can cream of mushroom soup - $1.75
1 can cream of potato soup - $1.75
1 box of frozen pie crusts - $2.50
milk, flour, seasonings to taste (these things are minimal)

1. Line pie plate with crust. Mix ingredients together and pour into crust. Add milk and flour to your preferred consistency. Cover and crimp edges. Line edges with aluminum foil.
2. Bake at 425 for about an hour. Let stand to cool for around 10 minutes.

This is a picture of a pot pie I made. The crust fell apart but it was sooo good!

Here are some links for more information!

http://www.docshop.com/2007/11/20/obesity-and-poverty-examining-the-link

http://www.globalissues.org/article/558/obesity

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving and I hope you all will think about the fiscal, social, and health costs of your food this month!

 - Ellen and the rest of In the Mood for Food