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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
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| Living on the Fife Diet | Living on the Fife Diet |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Should food come in one of these? By Finlo Rohrer BBC News Magazine Food miles have become a burning issue in the climate debate as campaigners call for people to eat more local food. What happened when a family tried to survive on food only from Fife? | |
| Whether it's avocados from Peru, green beans from Kenya or lamb from New Zealand, people are constantly being told that their dietary choices have an impact on carbon emissions. | Whether it's avocados from Peru, green beans from Kenya or lamb from New Zealand, people are constantly being told that their dietary choices have an impact on carbon emissions. |
| In the US, the term "locavore" has been applied to people that eat locally-sourced food. | In the US, the term "locavore" has been applied to people that eat locally-sourced food. |
| And in response to this, green activists in Canada conceived the "100-mile diet", with volunteers trying only to eat food from within a hundred-mile radius of their home. | And in response to this, green activists in Canada conceived the "100-mile diet", with volunteers trying only to eat food from within a hundred-mile radius of their home. |
| But another group of volunteers in Fife have adopted and adapted the idea. They've created the Fife Diet and are trying to live on a diet of food that is largely from within the area, shunning air-freight goods. | But another group of volunteers in Fife have adopted and adapted the idea. They've created the Fife Diet and are trying to live on a diet of food that is largely from within the area, shunning air-freight goods. |
| Green beans are one of many air-freighted vegetables | Green beans are one of many air-freighted vegetables |
| Writer Mike Small is one of the volunteers and he and his wife Karen and children Sorley and Alex have now been on the diet for two months. | Writer Mike Small is one of the volunteers and he and his wife Karen and children Sorley and Alex have now been on the diet for two months. |
| "Its incredible we've come to the situation where people find it inconceivable to eat food from near where you live," Small argues. | "Its incredible we've come to the situation where people find it inconceivable to eat food from near where you live," Small argues. |
| "Our food system is failing us all and is unsustainable. In a few years local will be as mainstream as organic and it will be thought ridiculous to purchase air-freighted goods that you could get from Scotland or your own region." | "Our food system is failing us all and is unsustainable. In a few years local will be as mainstream as organic and it will be thought ridiculous to purchase air-freighted goods that you could get from Scotland or your own region." |
| Here is a week in the life of the Fife Diet, as well as the likely menu for Christmas lunch. | Here is a week in the life of the Fife Diet, as well as the likely menu for Christmas lunch. |
| MONDAY | MONDAY |
| Breakfast:Porridge | Breakfast:Porridge |
| WATCH/LISTEN - 20 DECEMBER Mad About Food - this week BBC News is exploring the global food supply chain and its impact on the environment - on TV, radio and onlineCatherine Marston on how supermarket shoppers decide what is sustainable, BBC One, 1800Richard Scott on local food in Tesco, BBC One, 1800 Send questions to News 24 | |
| Lunch:"Minestrone del Leven" [Leven is on the Fife coast] with curly kale, parsley, carrots, onions, and chilli | Lunch:"Minestrone del Leven" [Leven is on the Fife coast] with curly kale, parsley, carrots, onions, and chilli |
| "All our vegetables come from an organic farm in north Fife," says Small. | "All our vegetables come from an organic farm in north Fife," says Small. |
| Dinner: Homemade rolls and bacon (from Auchtertool, west Fife) | Dinner: Homemade rolls and bacon (from Auchtertool, west Fife) |
| "Our flour is from a mill in Kirkcaldy and we make our own bread. | "Our flour is from a mill in Kirkcaldy and we make our own bread. |
| "We probably eat less meat than before and little or no 'snacks' or processed food like biscuits, and we're definitely getting our five portions of fruit and veg." | "We probably eat less meat than before and little or no 'snacks' or processed food like biscuits, and we're definitely getting our five portions of fruit and veg." |
| TUESDAY | TUESDAY |
| Breakfast: Homemade bread toast with Fife butter and raspberry jam (from a firm in Newburgh) | Breakfast: Homemade bread toast with Fife butter and raspberry jam (from a firm in Newburgh) |
| Lunch: Leek and potato soup | Lunch: Leek and potato soup |
| "As a family of four we'd previously have shopped at, say, Lidl and Sainsbury's. We haven't been to a supermarket in a month and have cut our costs by a few pounds per week. It's a myth that eating locally needs to be expensive." | "As a family of four we'd previously have shopped at, say, Lidl and Sainsbury's. We haven't been to a supermarket in a month and have cut our costs by a few pounds per week. It's a myth that eating locally needs to be expensive." |
| Dinner:Stuffed cabbage and pork chops (again from Auchtertool) | Dinner:Stuffed cabbage and pork chops (again from Auchtertool) |
| WEDNESDAY | WEDNESDAY |
| Breakfast:Scrambled eggs and toast (with eggs from Kingsbarns, St Andrews, Fife) | Breakfast:Scrambled eggs and toast (with eggs from Kingsbarns, St Andrews, Fife) |
| Potatoes are winter fare | Potatoes are winter fare |
| Lunch:Parsnip soup | Lunch:Parsnip soup |
| "The most difficult thing has been preparation time when cooking from raw ingredients. The most rewarding has been meeting people, and discovering what's available from your region." | "The most difficult thing has been preparation time when cooking from raw ingredients. The most rewarding has been meeting people, and discovering what's available from your region." |
| Dinner: Omelette and chips | Dinner: Omelette and chips |
| THURSDAY | THURSDAY |
| Breakfast:Toast and bacon | Breakfast:Toast and bacon |
| Lunch: Carrot soup | Lunch: Carrot soup |
| Dinner: Venison stew (from Auchtermuchty) | Dinner: Venison stew (from Auchtermuchty) |
| "We used to eat more of a Mediterranean diet. We ate lots of pasta and aubergine and salad. People now are used to opening up a packet of salad. We as a family have moved away from that," says Small. | "We used to eat more of a Mediterranean diet. We ate lots of pasta and aubergine and salad. People now are used to opening up a packet of salad. We as a family have moved away from that," says Small. |
| "Now we often eat stews and casseroles, something that feels appropriate as its bloody freezing up here. Yesterday it was minus five. Would you want to be eating a salad?" | "Now we often eat stews and casseroles, something that feels appropriate as its bloody freezing up here. Yesterday it was minus five. Would you want to be eating a salad?" |
| FRIDAY | FRIDAY |
| Breakfast: Porridge | Breakfast: Porridge |
| Lunch:Stovies (Scottish potato-based cooked-up leftovers dish) with baby swede, onions, yellow carrots and Fife butter, all from Bellfield near Newburgh | Lunch:Stovies (Scottish potato-based cooked-up leftovers dish) with baby swede, onions, yellow carrots and Fife butter, all from Bellfield near Newburgh |
| Dinner:Colcannon - consisting of mash potato, kale, butter, and a little pepper and salt - and sausages from Auchtermuchty | Dinner:Colcannon - consisting of mash potato, kale, butter, and a little pepper and salt - and sausages from Auchtermuchty |
| Salt and pepper are examples of things that are difficult to source in Fife. | Salt and pepper are examples of things that are difficult to source in Fife. |
| "It is not possible to entirely self-sufficient, it is not even desirable. We are not advocating complete self-sufficiency or independence, that would never be a true state of affairs. People have always traded," says Small. | "It is not possible to entirely self-sufficient, it is not even desirable. We are not advocating complete self-sufficiency or independence, that would never be a true state of affairs. People have always traded," says Small. |
| SATURDAY | SATURDAY |
| Breakfast:Scrambled eggs on toast | Breakfast:Scrambled eggs on toast |
| Lunch:Shepherds Pie | Lunch:Shepherds Pie |
| Dinner:Organic Beef Stew (from a farm in Abernethy) | Dinner:Organic Beef Stew (from a farm in Abernethy) |
| Bramble Crumble | Bramble Crumble |
| "Although fresh fruit is limited in this season, you can still get pears and apples which store well, and frozen summer fruits: raspberries, strawberries and brambles are available," says Small. | "Although fresh fruit is limited in this season, you can still get pears and apples which store well, and frozen summer fruits: raspberries, strawberries and brambles are available," says Small. |
| CHRISTMAS LUNCH | CHRISTMAS LUNCH |
| Starter:Borscht - Beetroot soup with a circle of yoghurt,served with Aberdour oatcakes | Starter:Borscht - Beetroot soup with a circle of yoghurt,served with Aberdour oatcakes |
| The bird: Roast Bronze organic turkeys (from Falkland, near Cupar) with roasted seasonal vegetables - parsnip, potatoes, carrots | The bird: Roast Bronze organic turkeys (from Falkland, near Cupar) with roasted seasonal vegetables - parsnip, potatoes, carrots |
| The pudding: White chocolate ripple ice cream with Fife raspberries (from Dairsie) | The pudding: White chocolate ripple ice cream with Fife raspberries (from Dairsie) |
| Drinks:Bouvrage (Alloa, Clackmannanshire) raspberry drink made from Fiferaspberries and Christmas ale from Fife | Drinks:Bouvrage (Alloa, Clackmannanshire) raspberry drink made from Fiferaspberries and Christmas ale from Fife |
| Of course, the range of alcoholic drinks would be limited if the Fife Diet was taken to extremes. | Of course, the range of alcoholic drinks would be limited if the Fife Diet was taken to extremes. |
| "As far as wine goes, we get fruit wines from Perthshire, some of them aren't that good and some of them are OK. But there is Cameron Brig single-grain whisky distilled in Fife." | "As far as wine goes, we get fruit wines from Perthshire, some of them aren't that good and some of them are OK. But there is Cameron Brig single-grain whisky distilled in Fife." |
| It's fine to have the odd bit of chocolate or wine or spice from outside Fife. Those on the diet are not extremists but are experimenting for the future, Small says. | It's fine to have the odd bit of chocolate or wine or spice from outside Fife. Those on the diet are not extremists but are experimenting for the future, Small says. |
| "Some people are shocked by this experiment but it's nothing special." | "Some people are shocked by this experiment but it's nothing special." |
Send us your comments using the form below. | Send us your comments using the form below. |
| I'm a Fifer now living in India. I'm very impressed with the Fife diet. It's a marvellous step in the right direction towards responsible citizens taking action to reduce carbon emissions. It is no doubt a lot more work than the convenience of supermarket shopping. Perhaps supermarket chains should be persuaded of the benefits to all of a locavore diet. Great job!Liz Lewis, New Delhi, India | I'm a Fifer now living in India. I'm very impressed with the Fife diet. It's a marvellous step in the right direction towards responsible citizens taking action to reduce carbon emissions. It is no doubt a lot more work than the convenience of supermarket shopping. Perhaps supermarket chains should be persuaded of the benefits to all of a locavore diet. Great job!Liz Lewis, New Delhi, India |
| I think their diet sounds DELICIOUS! Can I come for Christmas lunch please? That way I might get a white Christmas too!Rebecca, London | I think their diet sounds DELICIOUS! Can I come for Christmas lunch please? That way I might get a white Christmas too!Rebecca, London |
| Laudable, but maybe a little misguided. If this became a worldwide phenomenon, then what would happen to the economy of Scotland? No exports of Whisky or seafood would rather dampen people's enthusiasm I suspect! I think it's about being sensible. Sure, shun air-freighted fresh foods, but remember that trade helps give people in developing and developed countries a better life. Richard Luscombe, Bath | Laudable, but maybe a little misguided. If this became a worldwide phenomenon, then what would happen to the economy of Scotland? No exports of Whisky or seafood would rather dampen people's enthusiasm I suspect! I think it's about being sensible. Sure, shun air-freighted fresh foods, but remember that trade helps give people in developing and developed countries a better life. Richard Luscombe, Bath |
| Xmas lunch without decent champagne and wine?Ash, Tunbridge Wells | Xmas lunch without decent champagne and wine?Ash, Tunbridge Wells |
| I commend these people for what they're doing. It sounds like a commendable New Year's Resolution to me! Of course, if everyone were to do this, it may not mean a loss of jobs at the larger factories but certainly a redistribution of labour. This in turn may lead to less efficient production techniques being used. However, I do agree with the people in the article that this is most definitely the way forward.Benjamin West, Whitehaven, UK | I commend these people for what they're doing. It sounds like a commendable New Year's Resolution to me! Of course, if everyone were to do this, it may not mean a loss of jobs at the larger factories but certainly a redistribution of labour. This in turn may lead to less efficient production techniques being used. However, I do agree with the people in the article that this is most definitely the way forward.Benjamin West, Whitehaven, UK |
| Sounds marvellous! Simple, hearty and healthy fare; both for the consumers and the planet. I shall be trying a more diluted version of my own in the new year. Thanks for inspiring me.Anne-Marie, Dorchester, Dorset | Sounds marvellous! Simple, hearty and healthy fare; both for the consumers and the planet. I shall be trying a more diluted version of my own in the new year. Thanks for inspiring me.Anne-Marie, Dorchester, Dorset |