Fair fare

Another bright and promising morning and a good 25 minute run.

Yesterday’s post highlighted the unsustainable and parasitic chain of providing animal-based protein to the developed world. Following the logic leads unavoidably in the direction of vegan sources of protein, unless we are fortunate enough to keep our own free-range chickens/cows/goats, or to have access to wild meat like venison or rabbit. What is more, importing any basic food from the other side of the planet is not environmentally helpful either. So vegan and local.

The UK government advice is somewhat contradictory about how much protein we actually need, basing one guide on a proportion of body weight (0.75g per kg) and another on a proportion of total calories we should eat (15%, at 4 calories per gram of protein). Taking the average, for a 140lb person, results in a quota of 65g of protein per day.

In Scotland, living off the fat of the land has always been a bit of a challenge but here goes:

A bowl of porridge (1 cup of oats)             10g

2 slices wholemeal bread                            5g

1 medium potato                                         5g

150g beans/pulses                                    30g

1 medium bagel                                           9g

1 cup of broccoli                                          6g

Total                                                           65g

Dull fare perhaps, and obviously only the protein part of a balanced diet, but nevertheless an indication of how we should be eating if we are to stop acting as parasites in under-developed countries.