The Food Pyramid

Type II Diabetes in Saint Lucia is of epidemic proportions. Imagine. A lot of starch and sugar is eaten here. I spoke with a woman several months ago about her mother. She had her leg amputated. The woman said to me, “The doctors are very quick to amputate”.

Given this information it made sense to add Nutrition to the structure in the after-school program. An entire month was dedicated to teaching the children about basic nutrition and the food pyramid. They were taught serving size and quizzed about various foods.

Today I went to the store to stock up on regular stuff that I eat. When I brought it home, I studied my purchase carefully. I examined the food group chart and to my surprise the things I purchased fit very well into the pyramid. Maraschino Cherries and dried apricots checks off one serving of the “fruit” group and the Pringles fills the daily requirement for vegetables. Water…check that one. Top Raman – great for the pasta group. Chocolate goes into “fat, oils and sweets”, but doesn’t it count for something that it’s mostly dark chocolate?

Now I could “beef up” the meat group … pardon the pun. But I have a problem with that group. First, I don’t really like meat. I don’t eat anything other than fish and chicken breasts. I really don’t like anything with bones because it reminds me of what I’m eating. I find that thoroughly disgusting. Yes, I know, if I was starving I would eat anything. I’ve heard that argument before. It’s just that I’m not starving.
But there is a bigger problem. Chickens in our village are fully equipped with backs, legs and thighs, but they don’t have breasts – seriously. If they do, they are hiding them from me because I’ve never been able to find them in the store in my village. I stalked this chicken to see it was hiding a breast, but I couldn’t really tell. It doesn’t matter anyway because I don’t cook. Fortunately for me I love almonds and exist on peanut butter … so I can check off the “protein” group.

I was talking to a Peace Corps friend yesterday. (You know who you are but I’m keeping your identify a secret to protect you. I’m a good friend and you may thank me later.) She had potato chips and coke for dinner. I’m sure she washed it down with a boatload of dark chocolate, but she didn’t confess to that. We both laughed before silence overcame us as we quietly reflected on what she had just said. I said, “Do you think we are going to live through this?”