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In today's society, our eating habits are under scrutiny and there is constant encouragement to eat a good nutritional diet.In fact programs like BBC's Eat well for less are a typical example where families are taught how to cook and eat well balanced meals whilst also saving money. However, I have noticed none of the families on the show are living on minimum wage.
In this blog I want to explore does poverty affect diet? If so then why are the working class more likely to eat unhealthily? In a recent article in The Guardian it stated that "Jamie Oliver is right, for poor people putting food on the table trumps diet". With the poorest families in Britain living on just £13 a day, how is it truly possible to eat a well balanced diet on such a tight budget plus considering the time constraints of modern life. Therefore, I want to see for myself how practical and cheap/ expensive it is to eat a vegan based diet for one week, which one could argue has an "elitist slant" . From this hopefully I will see how easy it really is to eat a plant based diet, despite the attraction of cheap fast food, quick ready meals and sugary treats. Another question that comes to mind is why is it that in the media nearly always when the subject of benefits in Britain is discussed an obese person eating junk food or a large plateful of food is shown? Perhaps this associates people seeking benefits with a lack of self control and laziness. However, personally I think more emphasis should be laid on the fact that according to The Trussell Trust, Britain’s biggest food bank network between 1st April 2017 and 31st March 2018, there was a 13% increase on people going to food banks. Thus, showing the shortage of food and struggles to eat a nutritional meal with a limited budget.
One of the most familiar faces in the fight against poor eating habits and introducing healthy school dinners is Jamie Oliver. His effort and perseverance in changing our eating habits is certainly admirable and his campaigning for a sugar tax is most definitely a controversial topic. However, I want to also discuss is taxing luxury/ treat items the most successful way to control unhealthy eating habits, or do these taxes just target the poor and not really change attitudes. We are after all a nation 'built on sugar'. Perhaps a more empathetic outlook is what is neccesary to change social class affecting diet. Through the lens of literature, recent documentaries and newspaper articles I will hopefully explore all these questions!
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