I have now eaten
tasteless cornflakes with watery milk for four days, bland rice, bland veg, dry
oranges and bland noodles. I am
bored. I cannot afford to add salt or
spices to anything so everything tastes much the same – of not much. And it all looks pretty similar too – pale
and uniform, a substance in a bowl. I
have started to notice that the boredom of palate has led to some unusual behavior. While the lack of nutrition may be taking its
physical toll, the lack of variety seems to be taking its psychological toll.
Even though I am
feeling hungry most of the time, when I do sit down to eat these anemic dishes,
I have no appetite for them. I eat them
quickly and unthinkingly; the aim is to get fuel inside as quickly as possible
and they are gone before I have noticed I have eaten them. Three times today I forgot to take
photographs of the food before eating because the mindless need to consume
something took over before I had a chance to think about my photo-journal. I love food.
I love flavours and textures and colours and spice; but this is
sustenance not food.
I have also started
gazing absentmindedly but longingly at anything more appealing; be it a
colleagues lunch, an advert that features food on the tube or any edible item
that happens to fall into my frame of vision.
Suddenly I will realise that I am staring at it and wonder how long I
have been captivated. It is a most
peculiar experience and I am sure it is not based on simple hunger but rather a
psychological and physical need for more variety and therefore more varied
nutrition. I didn't think I would care
that much and I didn't think I valued variety and interest so highly when it
comes to diet but I will certainly be more appreciative of every aspect and
sensation of the food I eat next week!
I am both apprehensive
and excited about tomorrow. Apprehensive
because I have to drive to and around Gloucestershire and, while I have been
happy to put up with my slightly dazed, slightly dizzy state at home, in the
office and on the tube, I am not sure how safe I will feel behind the wheel
while less than 100% alert. I have
however taken some precautions and it is these that lead me to be excited.
By calculating the
cost of the 1/2 bag of rice I have not used and the 1/5 packet of
cornflakes I have not eaten and
deducting the cost of the 2.5 teaspoons of soup mix I took from my cupboard, I
have an extra budget of 10p to spend tomorrow!
This means that I can eat cornflakes and a toasted tea cake for
breakfast to set me up for the first long drive. I will cook rice, vegetables and Quorn
sausages in the morning to take with me to eat for lunch so that I am
well-nourished for the afternoon driving.
Then the real treat happens!
I will have ten whole
pence to spend as I so wish during the afternoon on something new and exciting
that I have not yet consumed this week. This
is both functional because it means I will not be too dizzy to drive but also
genuinely quite a thrilling prospect. I
have no idea how far I can make 10p stretch.
Perhaps I will find something reduced, and absolute bargain, and end up
eating an egg sandwich or a chocolate muffin.
I my find some budget product that I have never noticed before that
delights me with its newness and its not being beige. And if all else fails, I can buy 10p worth of
penny sweets – although I do not think that means 10 actual sweets these
days. Whatever it is, I am sure I will
savour it more than I have ever savoured anything that cost me 10p before.
Day Five Tally:
Breakfast: 80g
cornflakes with 113ml whole milk, watered down.
Cost: 14p.
Calories: 381.
Snack: Toasted tea
cake.
Cost: 3p (reduced).
Calories: 188.
Dinner: 2 Quorn
sausages, rice, soup mix, carrots & cabbage.
Cost: 50p.
Calories: 561.
Lunch: Packet of
Tomato Pasta and an orange.
Cost:
31p.
Calories: 412.
Treat: Flumps
Twist.
Cost: 10p.
Calories: 30.
DAY FIVE TOTALS: Cost: £1.09 Calories: 1,572. Five-A-Day: 3.
No comments:
Post a Comment