Hungry Planet: What the World Eats
Hungry Planet is a book by photographer Peter Menzel and journalist Faith D'Aluisio. The book explores what families eat in a week and covers 30 families in 24 countries.
Each family was asked to purchase--at the authors' expense--a typical week's groceries, which were artfully arrayed--whether sacks of grain and potatoes and overripe bananas, or rows of packaged cereals, sodas and take-out pizzas--for a full-page family portrait.
The pictures are stunning and insightful.
See the extraordinary pictures here or get the book here at amazon.
NOTE: After discussing reprint rights with the photographer - he decided not to allow any photos (no matter how scaled down) to be reproduced here. It's a wonderful book - if you can borrow it from the library, or purchase it - it will be a great addition to your coffee table!
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What the family in China seems to be eating looks the most yummy to me though I'd add a bit more cheese
Replyno wine, and my soda would be diet sprite or diet rootbeer.
some of those people look a bit sick :(. i feel a little confused don't get me wrong i know what weight is low, i'm 17 161cm tall and weigh 45kg or less, i was just wondering does anyone know why i don't look it? and is this in the healthy range?
thanks a bunch xoxo
Replylittle birdy, no, that is underweight. 45kg is only in the healthy range for peple who are 149cm and under.
The book sounds very interesting.
ReplyThis is a great book. I actually laid out my week's groceries and photographed them for my blog after I read it, just to see what it would look like.
ReplyCool... I want this book like woah...
Though, my current job (otherwise known as paying my dues while I get through school to have a real career) as a cashier shows me people's grocery habits here...
I can say, mostly CRAP... and that the people buying crap, it's a lot cheaper... and that most the people paying with EBT have candy bars and icecream and premade pizzas in thier car. (Junk leader... followed by credit card... People purchasing healthier foods usually pay by check -- surprised me--- followed by debit cards. Just observations... socioeconomic status does a weird thing with quantity and types of food consumed here in the US, that I don't think is the trend in the non-Western world)
ReplyIf you want this book for free, do what PastaQueen did.
ReplyWow, look at all the produce the Chinese family has. Now THAT looks good. It's also pretty similar to what I buy every week. We don't eat that much rice though! And I probably buy a few things that I don't see there...coffee, tuna, etc. You can definitely see how much healthier their diet is compared to the American diet. The American family shown in this picture looks particularly unhealthy...all of the food is processed CRAP.
I'd be curious to know if all the families were given the same amount of money for this experiment? It'd be cool to see how much more food you can buy for your money when it's not so processed and overpriced.
ReplyPastaQueen was cheap. I don't advocate "getting over" on the system. What's wrong with actually buying a book so that the author can receive the credit that is due to them?
But notice that even though the USA family has processed food and unhealthy food, NONE of them are fat, sloppy, or gross. So more than likely they eat the food slowly over the week, you know, like NORMAL people. They don't come home from school of work and say, "Oh, I had a bad day, let me eat an entire pizza and a box of cookies." Also, the USA family does have fruit, pasta sauce, and other healthy items.
ReplyI read this book a few months ago. It is stunning, both the photography and the information. The authors do give comparisons about how much the food costs in U.S. dollars, as well as basic facts about the median incomes of different countries, etc.
I was going to recommend getting it from the library too. While I enjoyed it, it's not a book I feel I need to own. Also, what PastaQueen did is perfectly legit, indeed, even encouraged by libraries. They are in the business of getting books people want to read, and the librarians don't know what people want to read unless people tell them.
ReplyI love it...
Chinese family seems to be the only one with vegetables on the table.
ReplyI'm not saying they'd eat all that food at once, but I honestly can't look at the USA table and see very many healthy options. Pizza, packaged sausages, lots of sports drinks, burgers, sodas, jarred alfredo sauce, etc. Almost NONE of those foods would ever make it through the door at my house. Oh well, guess I'm just abnormal, I suppose. I can't see any fruit on the table...oh wait, there's an apple or two. No fresh veggies that I can see though. Oh, but they DO have Ramen noodles....can't live without those :P
ReplyLooks like a very interesting book to read!! A great idea!! I suspect the authors were trying to give a reasonable presentation without targeting anyone or trying to make any family look bad.
ReplyPS. If you go to the main website as linked in the blog you can see another USA family with, I believe, another 'opinion' as to their weekly choices.
ReplyActually I just it find sad that the Chad family must make do with a few bags of grain.
My library already has this, so I'll check it out there first. The content and photos look promising, though, so it might well end up on my holiday request list...
ReplySusan- I lived near Chad (in Niger) for two years, and I can tell you they are very happy with that type of food. They eat millet, rice, sorghum, and delicious sauces made with dried leaves of several plants, tomato paste, okra, and dried boullion.
The problem is sometimes they can't afford that food, but if they have what is shown in the picture, they live long and healthy lives. They are the happiest and most active people I've ever met! The kids run around all day, full of health and energy. It's hard to believe, but it's true!
I want this book, it looks SO interesting!
ReplyThe Chad family proves that carbs are not bad. None of them are fat and it looks like they eat lots and lots of carbs, net carbs, or whatever else Atkins followers are afraid of.
ReplyThey also have no muscle. At all. Don't forget the meat!
ReplyRegarding the family from Chad:
No muscle at all? Isn't that an exaggeration...then how could they stand??!! Their bodies look efficent to me (also just judging from the photo) for their lifestyle. Umm...do only bulging muscles count as 'muscle'? Does only meat count as protein? lol
If you analyse the grains they are eating you will find quite enough protein for them. One of them, millet is one of my favourite grains - 1 c. raw millet = 11 g. of protein. And it is rich in B vitamins, zinc, folicin, offers also a good source of calcium, iron, magnesium...has no gluten, not to mention the fibre etc etc.
ReplyMuscle growth is not only about protein it's about being in an anabolic state hormonally. Ask any body builder. Basically it means eating more calories than you burn.
I see guys pounding weights and getting nowhere. You have to eat to grow.
I remember watching a program on TV about orangutans. How did the alpha male become top? He ate more than everyone else! Proper food though not take-outs.
The Chad folks look less muscled because they eat less food I suspect.
ReplyNice Girl---
ReplyAll that it shows us in that the US family not being fat--- is that you can't judge someone's health solely on size.
That food is not good for you, even if you eat it "slowly".
And what, there's fat and gross and then normal? I think you need to reevaluate the judgemental way you look at people.
I believe that a person's waist size is directly related to their overall health.
Also, when I said "eat slowly," I really meant that they likely consume sweets and fats in moderation.
And I'm not judgmental. I'm just voicing my opinion like everyone else on here. I call myself fat, so what's the big deal.
ReplyUh, I wouldn't call what they had on the table "moderation". I don't eat that many sweets and fats in a YEAR, let alone a week. "Moderation" obviously means different things to different people. Look at the Chinese family. They have 2 2-liter bottles of soda for an entire week for a family of 6. Compare that to the 8 large bottles of juice/sports drink, 6 bottles of soda, fast food, and pizza that the Americans are eating. I do think that 2 pizzas a week is probably a bit more than a "moderate" amount of pizza for a healthy family.
ReplyI won't even lie. If I could eat food like that consistently and still look good in clothes, I would do it. Unfortunately, I have a tendancy to gain weight when I stuff my face, so I eat more fruits and veggies and count calories so that I can look good in my clothes. So, I guess it's really about whether you are willing to sacrifice.
I care about my health, but a few years ago my doctor said, "Both your parents are diabetic with high blood pressure...your aunt died from diabetes...most of your relatives have diabetes, high blood pressure, or end up with dementia. Look, it's not an issue of if you end up with a health ailment, but rather and issue of when."
Sometimes I wonder why I even bother with this health crap. When I'm 45 or 50 the doctor will diagnosis me and he won't be able to say, "Lose weight...or eat healthier." He will just give me a bottle of pills and I'll be on my way.
I do it to look good ! ! !
ReplyI'd consider moderation what the French family has there. There is fruit-flavored yogurt (sugar), a couple sodas, even a jar of Nutella, but there are also fruits, vegetables (both canned and fresh), nuts, bread, and lots of other "real foods".
The American family has 1 day's minimum serving of fruit and vegetables for 1 person. For a family of 4, for a week. That is not healthy. The issue there is not so much what they are eating but what they are not eating.
ReplyI'm not so sure. I am willing to bet I'm healthier than any of those people-- I certainly don't eat that junk, recently ran a marathon, etc.
That food is a week's worth of groceries... I'm not sure that's moderation for anybody. If I ate that food, I would likely be 300 lb, at least--- that doesn't mean they are healthier while eating the same things.
I don't mean to question that you may post your opinion; certainly, we are all entitled-- but this comment about waist sizes leads me to believe you are misinformed.
I have a few friends who got hooked on meth... they have tiny waists. An anorexic isn't healthier than someone who is slightly overweight. You can be thin and have angina, high cholesterol, etc.
What someone eats, and their activity level, is a far better indicator of health.
I eat right and exercise to be as healthy as I can be with my genetics... their are so many health ailments in my family-- the average age of death of the last 10 members of my family to die is 42 (diabetes, cancer, angina, alzheimers, etc etc)-- while I can't be assured against them, with an improper lifestyle, I am pretty much assured of them.
ReplyJust curious...have any of you looked at the second USA family and their weekly diet? It seems much better to me. And yes..I like the French families choices! We all have to find our own way. Personally, being fit and making healthy food choices has made my life much better.
ReplyA bit of an exaggeration, no? It's obvious you just want someone to argue with and go back and forth with.
Here's a tip -- Stop hanging with meth heads.
ReplyWhy are you comparing yourself to complete strangers? Interesting.
You might be healthier than the adults because you are younger, but I doubt you are healthier than the two young boys. You ran a marathon, but I bet they would smoke you at a track meet.
Stop arguing with me...give it up...you picked on ME but no one else. Hmmm...I wonder why???
ReplyThe challenge for all of us is to be happy where we are and yet strive to improve...
ReplyHeather- I may know you...maybe you should change your name and make up something that isn't your real name. If you are who I think you are, then all your relatives have died young because they are all inbred hillbillies!
ReplyI don't think Heather is too worried about remaining anon. After all, she has pics on her site, linked here. And while I'm not sure about the history between you too, calling her relatives "inbred hillbillies" is harsh.
ReplyJan, It takes one to know one. I'm an inbred hillbilly so I can say that.
ReplyOh I see, so it is in a Jeff Foxworthy kind of way...
ReplyYes! You might be an inbred hillbilly if your friends are hooked on meth...
Interesting book, eh?
ReplyYes, I really really want this book now. I put a pre-order for it in a local bookstore. I just don't want to pay the shipping from the US.
And my mom had a couch on the porch, which qualifies me for the hillbilly thing. And while I'm personally not inbred, I got cousins that are married to their cousins, haha.
ReplyHah!
ReplyNot sure if you know me or not, but I don't think my family has been accused of being hillbillies.. we're dayum yankees!
Nice Girl--
Woah, now, calm down! No need to be all pugnacious!
It certainly wasn't a personal attack on you that I responded to you. I absolutely apologize if that is how it came across. I simply took exception to what you said-- it seemed to reflect common misconceptions and judgements.
Also, I was comparing myself because I'm the only example I have on hand that I have enough knowledge of to speak of-- convenience.
The comments here are public-- I suppose I assumed that meant open for discussion. Please do not view my attempts to do so as a personal attack. You simply are the only one I saw who had expressed the views I disagreed with.
ReplyFor the record, there is plenty of studies that show that people with overweight BMIs are healthier than people who are in the low-end of the healthy BMIs or slightly under it... So waist line IS related to health, if we are talking a 50" waist line, but not if we are talking about 24" vs. 34".
ReplyI checked this out from the library, and it's a definite must read, and I will even be buying it. There's a lot more than just photos of a weeks' worth of food -- there's also their budgets (including how much they spend on "other" items like cigarettes), recipes, and discussions of the families' attitudes toward and relationship with food.
The book is really a must-read to get the whole picture, also -- for example, the rural Chinese family's diet was mostly vegetables, while the Chinese family who lived in downtown Beijing was almost a carbon copy of many of the Western families!
@dela --
I was referring to the Sudanese family who's currently living in a refugee camp in Chad, and making do with rations distributed by the UN. It is quantity, not quality, that I found depressing. And based on what I read of them in the book, they feel the same way and are always worried about rationing and budgeting.Reply