#bringyourownlunch

[arthurwhwong]

#covid19 #newnormal #bringyourownlunch #poachedchickenbreast #babyspinachandrocket #cherrytomatoes #sundriedtomatoes #sweetcornkernels #balasmicdressing #bonappetit (at Lee Garden Two) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDaqU8YDIScwzypQCwjY4OiwUSnDWu7LEgC8nA0/?igshid=1muczjwg0scu2

[whimsicalsterling-blog]

Eating healthier! Leg of chicken boiled, half cup of f rice with dried shredded pork and a cup of spinach! Going for a lunch walk. #sterlingwong #fitnessmotivation #FITNESS #eatingright #eatinghealthy #lunch #chicken #homemade #bringyourownlunch #protein (at Long Beach, California)

[asprinkleofhotmess-blog]

🍙 For someone who hates cooking I sure post a lot of food 🤔 #onigiri #pinksalmon #sushi #japanesefood #homemadefood #cooking #foodie #foodstagram #sushilovers #diysushi #homemadesushi #nori #healthyfood #fitfood #healthylunch #healthydinner #fitlunch #fitdinner #mealprep #bringyourownlunch https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl25maYgmE7/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1s11kotc5zb51

[tammiejjordan]

Did you know that if you brought your own lunch to work, you could be saving up to 5000 a year Tak...

Did you know that if you brought your own lunch to work, you could be saving up to 5000 a year Tak…

Did you know that if you brought your own lunch to work, you could be saving up to $5000 a year? Take the time to prepare, save and get ahead. . . . #lunch #foodprep #mealprep #mealprepping #budgetlunch #lunchonabudget #budgeting #budgetingforfood #foodbudget #bringyourownlunch #bringyourownlunches #budget #save #savemoney #moneysavingtips #budgettips #budgetingtips #moneytips

[ciciks]

Green Tuna Salad with Cheesy Kale Chips and #Avocaco #lunchatwork #bringyourownlunch #lchf #keto #lowcarb #realfood #foodporn #grainfree #ketoadapted #cleaneating #KetoDietChallenge #foodstagram #healthylifestyle #ketofam #ketogenicindonesia #ketogenic #ketogeniclife #ketogram #ketofit #lowcarblife #ketoliving #ketojourney #getlean #eatspiration #mindfuleating #fearnofat #goodfats #eatfatlosefat #strippingbodyfat

[thatbaldwinlife]

Today’s kid lunch. Peanut butter/jelly, orange slices and butter beans. #packyouownlunch #bringyourownlunch #healthy #butterbeans #yeahimthatmom

[grizzlygrizzle-blog]

When you have no other choice but to eat cafeteria food at the school.

[thehungerblogger-blog1]

How goeth the BYOL Challenge, you wonder?

Weeks of Jan 11th and 18th have gone ok - so far I have refrained from buying food or snacks or coffee at work. Fun things have opened up in the process.

I have found some great take and make tea options (found everything from Cardamom tea to Ginger tea and Masala tea that you can "make" by just adding hot water. Also, the TJ's mint tea works as a refreshing afternoon drink and got recommendations for some great Teavana teas to try! 

The other thing is becoming smart about having chopped veggies in hand so meals are easier to toss together; and getting into a rhythm of cooking on the weekend to store for the weekday. I daresay my weekday meals are healthier given that I made them have better control over what went into it. I am concerned about getting tired of my standard menu - but that's a bridge to cross another day! 

I have discovered people who can cater meals for the week for all varieties of food - and no I don't mean things like Blue Apron even:)!

BUT my primary goal remains two-part - ensuring I don't throw away money and using that instead to connect with those in need. I haven't felt that my rules are constraining me.

The Starbucks card stands at about $65. I only got to buy a meal or two over these two weeks. It's been rainy and blustery over the past few weeks - and I am hopeful that the homeless I usually see have found shelter - somewhere to stay dry, if not warm. So, I wonder everyday - where do the homeless go on a rainy day? That vet, that young kid, that old woman with the breathing tube... where do they go?

Is there a service that gives them a ride to shelter? Lots to learn and address.

[thehungerblogger-blog1]

Book list + something wonderful!

Online papers and articles aside, I am trying to explore the roots of hunger and homelessness. Here are the books I found from some article on the topic - and then some Amazon recommendations.

Encyclopedia of Homelessness by David Levinson

Tell them who I am by Elliot Liebow

The Working Poor by  David K. Shipler

Stories of the Search for Home and Healing on the Streets by Craig Rennebohm

If you have other recommendations, will you please share?

PS: Day 7 of hunger challenge - forgot to bring lunch and had to buy frozen lunch again. But something wonderful happened. I shared my BYOL challenge with a colleague - who went out to buy her lunch and then ended up buying lunch for an individual on the street. Touched!

[thehungerblogger-blog1]

Hunger and politics

When I started working in the city, I decided to take the bus to work and back because it was convenient and I could avoid the stress. I get an occasional ride into Seattle these days because Venkat has to go into the city as well. I not only don’t make my step count for the day (ah that endless first world problem!) but I also feel very disconnected from reality and what I am looking to learn. It’s so hard to absorb this problem sitting in a car because all you are battling is the snarling traffic and the bicyclists!

As I continue to read about hunger, I am realizing that it is also a very political issue - different publish dates on reports show the take of different leaders on how their policies have positively addressed hunger and homelessness. 

*Face palm* for my naivete! Only time - and more exploration - will tell!

On another note - day 6 of BYOL - successful. Amount on Starbucks card - $11. Venkat recommends using another gift card and topping it to track my progress because SBUX is a bit expensive. True but need to make the time! Recommendations anyone?

[thehungerblogger-blog1]

The avoidable public health issue called hunger

Jan 7.

Scraped together last night's left overs to make a meal - hoping I can plan better on the weekends. Got a ride into work so didn't come across anyone to buy a meal. Meal card (that Starbucks card) stands at $27.

Learned a new term - food insecurity. It refers to the lack of access to enough food to meet basic needs due to a lack of financial resources. The term can apply to an individual, family or household. It's side effects are chronic physiological hunger and malnutrition. The US produces enough food to feed all its citizens and has the technology and resources to distribute the food. But millions cannot afford enough to eat and current programs are not filling the gap. Food insecurity and hunger in America is an avoidable, public health threat.

[thehungerblogger-blog1]

If I put my life on the line for the country... shouldn’t the country take care of me?

Jan 6.

Day 3 of my BYOL challenge and packed lunch the previous night, so no excuses. Bought tea to take to work so the Starbucks Oprah Chai wouldn't tempt me. I got off the bus and came across a marine vet holding a board asking for assistance of any kind. When I offered to buy him a meal and something warm to drink, he accepted so gracefully. I want to reiterate - he is a veteran who had served in the marine corp. We should be ashamed of how we treat the people who put their lives on the line for us (I mean every country).

I handed him his meal and he again thanked me so graciously. I think we can all agree that he shouldn't be thanking me - it's the other way around. I headed towards my building and saw two more homeless people but had a meeting to get to - and not sure how I can scale to buy them all a meal...

It is estimated that about 1,000 veterans experienced homelessness in the city of Seattle in 2015 (the city was hoping to end chronic homelessness by 2014 but met unexpected challenges in trying to scale - more on that when I learn more). On a single night in January 2015, across the United States, fewer than 48,000 veterans were homeless, and only 34 percent of those were on the street. Apparently, this is actually a positive thing because it reflects that veteran homelessness fell by 36 percent between 2010 and January 2015, including a 47 percent decline in unsheltered veterans due to some programs that made sure veterans got access to services they need more easily.  

[thehungerblogger-blog1]

Chronic is not a word I would have associated with hunger:(

Jan 5.

I am reading a paper on homelessness and hunger. Apparently, people experiencing chronic hunger have low energy levels, cognitive abilities and emotional resilience. Their focus is on the next meal that finding and holding a job becomes likely. Which decreases their odds of exiting homelessness:(

And it was day 2 of my BYOL (bring your own lunch) challenge - forgot to bring lunch from home!! As in, packed but left at home in the morning rush. I was pretty annoyed at myself. What the hell - it's just day 2 and I am already not keeping to my commitment. Tempted to use this as an excuse to go grab lunch from Wild Ginger's take out service "Tiffin". But headed to Target instead to get a frozen Amy's organic lunch. Didn't find anyone for whom I could buy a meal in any of my routes to and around the buildings I had meetings in, no one on my way home either.

[thehungerblogger-blog1]

BYOL* Challenge - Day 1

*Bring Your Own Lunch

Jan 4.

Got off the bus ready to buy breakfast for any of the homeless individuals I typically see in the morning. No one I saw on my route to work - or I was not looking hard enough. Managed well with the food I brought in and the Lipton tea in the kitchen. There was a homeless woman near the bus stop in the evening. I asked her if she wanted me to buy her something to eat. She declined. And went back to reading the book she was reading, squatting on the cold ground in the crazy, damp weather. I have seen her a few times before - and she seems in pain but declines help. Not sure what I can do to help. Ideas anyone?

[thehungerblogger-blog1]

My Big BYOL* Challenge

*Bring Your Own Lunch

So, two habits I have fallen into since starting to work in Seattle (truth be told for a long while before that even):

Buying lunch and or chai (roughly $7-$12 per day)

Ignoring the issue of hunger and homelessness staring right in my face

As I spend more time learning about hunger and homelessness as a personal passion, I’m realizing how wasteful and indulgent I am being. And I’ve challenged myself to change my ways. There’s no point in trying to find solutions to solve hunger/ homelessness if I can’t change myself in small ways. Here are my resolutions related to the above:

Stop spending money at work for food and BYOL — as in bring my own lunch + snack + tea + whatever from home. I’ll top my Starbucks card with the money I would have used to buy myself a meal.

I’ll use the money I save to buy breakfast/ lunch/ dinner for someone in need (I will ask them and not presume)

It’s not that I hadn’t realized what I was doing before but in not committing to it I could let myself slide into old habits. I am sharing this with you so you can hold me accountable. I’ll post my daily progress (and what I learn on hunger) here! Appreciate your support:)