There’s real concern over supermarkets’ rationing of fruit and salads: U.K. shoppers face bare shelves and rationing in grocery stores amid produce shortages – CBS News
… as well as anger at the government’s suggestion that we ‘eat turnips’ instead: No vegetable crisis here! Rishi Sunak hosts Tory fundraiser at Savoy | Daily Mail Online and Turnip pizza is what you deserve – now shut up and enjoy it | The Independent
It’s a real struggle to afford food, even beyond the fruit and veg: Price of pasta DOUBLES in two years to 95p as cost of food continues to rocket – Mirror Online
So, maybe it’s not the time to be suggesting that we try to ‘manage’ things better.
It certainly sounds insensitive coming from politicians: Farmers’ Union Swipes At Therese Coffey Over ‘Flippant’ Turnip Comments | HuffPost UK Politics and Therese Coffey mocked on social media after urging Brits to eat turnips | Daily Mail Online
However, coming from non-politicians, tips on how to ‘make do and mend’ when it comes to food can be actually very helpful.
Grow your own: How living the Good Life can bear fruit – and save you £2,000 a year | Daily Mail Online
Be mindful of how much we eat: Our gigantic problem with portions: why are we all eating too much? | Food | The Guardian and ‘Portion Distortion’: Basics, Risks, and How Much You Should Eat
Live and eat as in the 1950s:
How far have we actually come in the past 70 years? What was fad or fab in the 1950s?
‘Women were more active in the 1950s than today due to lifestyle differences,’ says vintage expert Kate. ‘They walked more, rode bikes (as they didn’t have cars)… They didn’t have sedentary jobs, and enjoyed gardening and walking the kids to school. It’s thought that a 1950s woman burnt 1,000 calories daily, almost double what today’s women burn. This was before any actual exercise!’
This is what diets and lifestyles were like in the 1950s | Metro News
Although ‘a return to the 1950s’ should be seriously qualified! Food in Britain in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s
And, in fact, suggesting this need not be as callous as it sounds – as reported back in 2015 by the Mail, looking at research from the BMJ:
Take portion sizes back to the 1950s to beat obesity,’ say scientists who warn servings have ballooned
- Pies, muffins, bagels, pizzas and packets of crisps are sold in larger packets than they were in the 1990s, new BMJ report warns
- Experts: Trend urgently needs to be reversed to stem obesity crisis
- They advise people eat off smaller plates to help moderate their diets
- Simply reducing the size of a plate or bowl reduces food intake by 159 calories a day – a 10 per cent change for a British adult
‘Take portion sizes back to the 1950s to beat obesity,’ say BMJ scientists | Daily Mail Online
With the original BMJ report here – and pictogram:
Downsizing: policy options to reduce portion sizes to help tackle obesity | The BMJ
The author of that report, Prof Theresa Marteau of Cambridge University, has been saying pretty much the same since: Changing products on offer in shops and restaurants can lead to leaner, greener diets | BMJ and Radical measures needed to change unsustainable and unhealthy behaviours for net zero 2050 | BMJ
To finish, here’s a really helpful, practical planner on how to ‘eat smart’:
‘Eat This Much’ creates personalized meal plans based on your food preferences, budget, and schedule. Reach your diet and nutritional goals with our calorie calculator, weekly meal plans, grocery lists and more. Create your meal plan right here in seconds.
The Automatic Meal Planner – Eat This Much
And if you have any such tips to share, go to the nominations page of the Awards site: Enter the Champions Awards 2023 – Sustainable Sidmouth Champion Awards