Could you live on less than $2 per day?

I’m about to find out.

Live Below the Line is an event organized by the Oaktree Foundation that is designed to help those who are living below the poverty line.  They aim to raise much-needed funds to help with awareness and education about poverty and what lots of Aussies and others around the world are going through. The money from the Live Below the Line challenge is going directly towards schools and communities in Papua New Guinea – the poorest nation in our neck of the woods (their average income is only $2271 per year compared to our $34431).

Live Below the Line is a challenge to live on less than $2 per day for 5 days. That’s right - $10 for the entire week! That is equivalent to two bread rolls, a sushi roll (if your lucky) or half a coffee at the local café for the entire day. No more eating out with friends or grabbing a quick sandwich at lunch time, no more morning coffee and no hardest of all – not much fresh fruit and veg or meat!

I have signed up to try and do this and to be honest; I’m really not sure how well I’ll do. There is a group of us doing it together which means that we can pool funds and make our money go a little bit further but its going to be tough. If you happen to see me between the 7^th and 11^th of May, beware – I will be hungry and I get a little grumpy when I’m hungry!

We haven’t exactly planned our menu for the 5 days yet but it’s looking like it will be mainly made up of staples like potato, rice, pasta, lentils and the odd bit of fruit or veg if its on special. You cannot accept donations of food or the gift of a dinner at the pub and even if you grow veggies in your back yard you have to count them as if you were buying them from the supermarket. Eeek!

I’ll keep you all updated by blogging a bit more regularly about how its going and I’ll also put up our shopping list for the week and the meals we’ve managed to invent.

So enough about me - there are a few things I want from you!

·      If you want to join the challenge you can sign up separately or join the Fitness Adventures team at www.livebelowtheline.com/team/fitness-adventures

·      If you don’t want to do the challenge but can help us reach our target of $400 raised you can visit the page above to donate

·      Otherwise I want your ideas! What are the cheapest meals you live on (or used to – think back to student days) when times are tough? We will need some inspiration!

Til next week!

PS – If you want to know more visit www.livebelowtheline.com.au and you can watch the Project tonight on Channel 10.

All images in this post are taken from the Live Below the Line website at www.livebelowtheline.com/au

Monday is veggie day!

I love Mondays...

"You what? No-one loves Mondays" I hear you say... Well I do! There is some anticipation in my Monday morning that gives it a little excitement... Our big box of fresh veggies comes on a Monday! I am very partial to a big bowl of veggies and I know that you probably think this is about as normal as loving Mondays but they are very important, not to mention tasty, little things!

A few months ago, my flatmates and I decided that we would invest in a weekly delivery of fresh fruit and veg to make sure we always had some in the house (and so we didn't have to try to remember who owned the mushrooms...). Our fruit & veg box comes from Box Fresh (visit www.boxfresh.com.au) and for as much as a gourmet pizza up the road it keeps the three of us full of fruit and veg for the entire week.

The last National Nutrition Survey (and yes, we are well over due for a new one), suggested that Aussie adults are eating only about half of the recommended amount of fruit and veg. It's definitely a big area that we need to work on.

Our great Box Fresh fruit & veggie box

Why eat your fruit and veg?

By now you've probably heard that you should be eating 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of veg each day, but why? Eating enough and a variety of fruit and veggies has been linked to a number of benefits, these include:

• reducing the risk of certain serious diseases such as heart disease and certain cancers
• helping you manage your weight and reduce your risk of obesity 
• reducing blood pressure and cholesterol levels and improving blood sugar control

Vegies and fruit are packed full of nutrients including fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants without much energy (only about 0-1 calories per gram except for the starchy veggies potato, sweet potato and corn) so they are a must in everyone's daily diet. 

But how much is a serve? 

About the size of the palm of your hand is the easiest way to think a serve of fruit or veg. But if you want to get a little more technical about it - one serve of vegetables is about 75g or:

• 1 cup raw veggies (think salad)

• 1/2 cup cooked veggies (broccoli, peas, beans, corn etc) or legumes (chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans etc)

• 1 medium vegetable (carrot, zucchini, potato - yes potato does count!)

And one serve of fruit is:

• 1 medium-sized piece (an apple, orange, pear or banana)

• 2 small pieces (apricots or plums)

• 1 cup canned or chopped fruit or grapes

• 1/2 cup 100% fruit juice

• 11/2 tablespoons dried fruit 

How do I fit 2 & 5 in each day?

It's not as hard as you think it is, you just have to try to be a little prepared (this is where getting a fruit and veg box comes in handy)... My favourite ways to get 2 & 5 are:

• 1 serve of fruit at breakfast, so you've got one out of the way before you even leave for work in the morning. Add a banana to your cereal or a tablespoon of sultanas to your porridge. If you get breakfast at a cafe on the way to work, throw an apple in your bag to eat on the way there.
• 1 serve (your second) of fruit as a snack. Worried about having squashed bananas in the bottom of your handbag? Try a mini snack pack of sultanas or mixed dried fruit instead. 
• 2 serves of veg at lunch, that way you don't have to try to fit 5 in at dinner. Order salad on your chicken or ham sandwich or pack a mini salad in the morning that you can add a tin of tuna, some nuts and vitaweets to. You can even just throw a tin of four bean mix in your bag to put on a piece of toast...
• 3 serves of veg at dinner - best way to think about this is that half your plate should be veggies (not including potato, sweet potato and corn). 
• Roast, steam, stir-fry, grill or microwave fresh or frozen veggies to your hearts content. Pair them with steak, grilled or baked chicken or a piece of salmon. 
• See how many different colours you are getting on your plate so you are getting lots of different nutrients too. 
• Replace mince with legumes such as kidney beans or lentils - this will make the mince go further and you'll be getting more veggies in too.
• Bake home-made veggie pizzas with a pita bread base, pasta sauce, a mix of whatever veg you have around, fresh basil, a sprinkle of feta and a grating of parmesan.
• Try a Moroccan salad with baby spinach, cucumber, tomatoes, chickpeas, sliced grilled lamb, dukah, and goats cheese.
• Keep warm over winter with a pumpkin, sweet potato and lentil soup
• Throw all of the dying veg from the bottom of the fridge into a big pot, add a jar of passatta and some fresh herbs (try rosemary, oregano, basil and thyme) then use as a topping for pasta, quinoa or cous cous with a little grated vintage cheddar on top.

So tell me - what is your favourite fruit or veg and how to you eat it???

Edward the eggplant from our last veggie box! (we couldn't eat him...)

References:

Australian National Nutrition Survey, 1995.  

Go for 2 & 5, 2012. Visit www.gofor2and5.com.au.

When the bunny comes to visit...

It's that time of year again where we eagerly await a visit from the treasured Easter Bunny (or Bilby for that matter). This is hands down my favourite day of the year. I have had an Easter egg hunt every year no matter where I am. There have been a few particularly memorable ones too - one where we woke and went outside to find only wrappers and that the dog had eaten them ALL, another in the middle of a Florida summer where the eggs barely lasted two seconds before they all turned into a little puddle of brown muck, and the year that mum made us all wear a crazy hat and run around the garden (my grandfather was completed with a witches hat that day)...

There are a few common questions that I get asked this time of year by clients, friends and family alike.

1. Do you eat chocolate at Easter? Answer - I eat chocolate all year round but particularly at Easter!
2. Am I allowed to eat chocolate at Easter? Of course!
3. Really? So what should I have so I don't come back from the long-weekend with an extra few kilos around my waist? This is a good one...

Snacks, generally speaking, should make up about 1200kJ of your daily intake. You can eat them as you like - 2 snacks that are 600kJ each or 3 snacks that are 400kJ. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for this one, it's what fits in best with your day. Keepng that in mind, here are some good "Easter-friendly" snacks to get you in the spirit without going overboard. A serve of chocolate should be about 25g or:

• 4 Cadbury mini solid Easter eggs - 601kJ
• 1/4 small (100g) gold Lindt bunny - dark or milk  - 570kJ
• 1/2 Cadbury Creme egg - 360kJ
• 4 mini Malteser eggs - 570kJ
• 1/10 Cadbury Crunchie Bunny (about one ear) - 370kJ
• 1/10 Red Tulip Carnival bunny (about one ear) - 390kJ
• 1 Sweet William Sweet As Easter Bunnies - 280kJ (these are nut- dairy- and gluten-free so perfect for those with allergies)

Remember - chocolate tastes so good because it is a combination of fat and sugar and has little other nutrients, so whilst a little is ok, a lot is not a good idea, particularly if you are watching your weight. Boring I know but all things in moderation!

Also take advantage of the fact that a long-weekend means more time for exercise so try to get out and enjoy it! Swimming, walking, cycling or just playing a game of backyard cricket with the fam is a great way to work off the little bit of extra indulgence that may have occurred at the big Easter lunch!

So tell me, do you have any fun Easter traditions?

Happy Easter everyone!

Speak soon...

Zoe

Easter with the family - the funny hat egg hunt!