The Donated Diet

Tonight for dinner I am having something not unusual for me. I am having a savory roasted Turkey breast with garlic mashed potatoes and gravy. Whole wheat bread and a garden fresh salad with Vidalia Dressing and grated parmesan cheese. Dessert will be apple pie with 4 yr old Cheddar cheese. Sound good? It will be…. Is it the different from what I cook at home most nights? A little bit but not that far from what I have.
I am a foodie… Self confessed person who loves to cook and enjoys the gastronomic delights a kitchen can hold. I grow my own spices in the summer along with garlic onions and tomatoes.
I used to be a Kitchen Manager for a 200 seat Fine dining restaurant, ran a pub and was the Food and Beverage Manager of a couple of golf courses.

But tonight in Halton and across our region will be people who are wondering what they are going to have. Whether they will have enough to afford both food and the hydro bill. Deciding if the few extra bucks will go to the car repair, new winter coat or for dinner.
We were asked today to think of the first thought we had that morning when the alarm went off. Was it about paying your bills, wondering where the next meal is coming from or a the need for a pair of winter boots? Probably not.
One of the items that was raised at the Halton Poverty Summit was the Donated Diet. The donated diet is designed to highlight the fact that a single person in Ontario would be required to live on $585 a month. That is after all assets and savings are exhausted.
WOW.
The idea of the Donated diet is that Community Leaders would be asked to live on 3 days worth of food that would come from a local food bank. The cost of the food would be donated so that no food is taken out of circulation or anyone needing the food would go without.
Doing the diet in Halton with me is; Gillian Tuck Kutarna is the HDSB trustee for Halton Hills and works at the legal clinic as a staff lawyer, Barbara Burton is the CEO of the United Way of Oakville, Brennan Carson is a board member of Food for Life, Dr. Bob Nosal is the Medical Officer of Health, Halton Region, Sheldon Wolfson is the Commissioner, Social and Community Services Department, Halton Region, Michael Bird is the Bishop of Niagara of the Anglican Church of Canada. Bishop Bird grew up in the Kerr St. area of Oakville and Ted Arnott, is the MPP for Wellington-Halton Hills.
It should be interesting. I immediately noticed a huge difference from what given to us. I had bread, coffee, sugar, a squash, flour and salt in my box. While others had ground beef, recipes, fresh fruit and vegetables. That is in addition to macaroni, pasta, box of cereal, pasta sauce, soup and canned fish and meat.
Some boxes looked pretty grim and empty by comparison. One I saw was so empty I was taking items out of mine and adding it to the other one. But all of us were given the addresses of where food agencies will be tomorrow for fresh fruit in our area.
As I was leaving I had someone come over and tell me that the reality would be I would look at the sandwiches and fruit left over. With that in mind I picked up 3 oranges. Dropped one into a box that was skimpy and took the other 2 home.

I will keep you posted as to what I create. My plan is to stick as close to the box as I can. If I need butter, milk or any other ingredients they will be used sparingly. My morning coffee will be from the box, instant. Spices? Not unless I have too. I know I have a lunch this week. My lunch that day will either be brown bagged or will be reminiscent of the contents in my box.

Some have suggested we do it for a month or 2 months to get the feel of it. While 3 days may seem like a small time to do it will provide a window into what some people face each day.
Stay tuned.