Eating on a Bangladesh budget: Day two

Inspired by a visit to Bangladesh with Save the Children, I’m trying to eat on 40p per day – like the villagers we met.

Dreaming of dinner

Last night I dreamt about food – I’m becoming obsessed! I’ve failed so far to eat enough or achieve a remotely balanced diet. I’m beginning to think it’s not possible on this budget.

However, it’s been a good day today. A friend gave me an apple from their tree. A delicious cox which could have blown my budget in one go, but it was free.

Then I found a nearly empty pack of powdered milk – only two years past its sell-by date – so I stayed within budget and nearly hit my calorie target.

The difference 20p makes

A magazine article from years ago came to mind. It described how families in a developing country sent their children out to work for 20p a day. I couldn’t understand why they would do that – but I do now.

An extra 20p makes a huge difference to food options.

I’m also beginning to realise how brilliantly the villagers we met must manage with the limited food available to them. I suspect that the diet I’ve been eating would give me scurvy or a similar life-threatening illness within a few months.