Food around the world

Originally i was going to just write about the goat roast that my roommates and I hosted this weekend but just before doing that I got distracted by the following facebook album.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=48101028&ref=profile#/album.php?aid=57521&id=608888964&ref=nf


For those of you unable to access it, it is a series of photographs of families and the food they consume in one week, along with the cost of food. The original website and book review is here: http://menzelphoto.com/books/hp.html.

The photographs ranges from food purchased for 500 dollars in Germany featuring a lot of beer, pizza, and meat products for a family of four to 1.25 in Chad featuring a couple bags of rice and three or four small piles of fruits and vegetables for a family of four. It is an interesting look at the amount of food, amount of money, and amount of necessary nutrients consumed around the world. Although it would make sense that those in the wealthiest countries would have the best diets, it is easy to see based on the pictures why Americans are plagued with heart disease, Indians with diabetes, and English with no culinary skills. For me what was particularly interesting was to look at the amount of fruits and vegetables on each table. Those countries which had the most vegetables and the least packaging also seemed to be the ones that spawn diet fads (Mediterranean diet, japanese diet, french). Coincidence? Or a coincidence that the American family featured on average contributes four times as much garbage to the planet than the European families featured?

I will get to goat roast but I really want people to actually look at this album. I am a huge advocate of eating locally grown, seasonal produce; in other words eating sustainably and healthy, at least most of the time. I encourage each of you to look at it and consider what impact your food choices have on your health, on your wallet, and on the world.