5 Day Food Challenge - Day #1

As an act of solidarity with those who live in the bottom econonic half of the world, I have accepted the 5 Day Food Challenge from Northeast Christian Church leadership to reduce my food intake for the next five days.

So, our entire family-which includes three teenage girls have signed on for the following menu this week:

• Plain oatmeal or cream of wheat (the Beldings are substituting grits-we're Southerners!)
• A tortilla, rice and beans
• Rice w/ bits of fish or chicken and a vegetable
• Tap water

It didn’t hit me until this morning that I would need to ‘fix’ something for my entire family to eat BEFORE I left for work. So, at 6:30 am I’m cooking black beans, basmati rice, and grits. Weird smells to have floating throughout the house at such an early time of the day.

In my cubical this morning, my mind has wondered numerous times into "SNACK-LAND." I've inadvertantly thought to myself, "What can I eat? Why am I so hungry?" And then the realization hits me "remember those who are hungry."

Later, as I'm leaving the building for lunch, I run to my car and to rip open my small container of rice and black beans. I want to gorge myself, but instead I pause...thankfulness and gratitude tumble from my lips to God. As I look for a spoon in the glove-compartment, I laugh to myself that it wouldn't matter whether I found one or not. I'd shamelessly eat with my fingers.

As I walk through Target, my mind wonders to food aisles for getting something salty for snacking later and again I'm caught in the awareness that I've chosen hunger.

Hunger to remember... not to take food or my next meal for granted.

I'll keep you posted....

Portion sizes around the world are much smaller than a typical American meal. One cup or eight ounces is a generous protion. Meat is a luzury with the average African male consuming about 2 ounces a day--the size of a small chicken nugget. Fresh fruit is rare, available only if locally gornw and in season. (NECC website)