The Value of Food

Have you heard about EasyJet launching an easyFoodstore where everything costs 25p? Would you be surprised if I told you it sold out within a matter of days? We often think that chronic hunger or malnutrition are not part of our lives, that it’s a problem for the developing world. However, 100’s of thousands in the UK do struggle with access to quality foods. Malnutrition in the UK has risen by 50% in the last 4 years and the health issues associated are rife. When it comes to our food shopping habits, we often opt for quantity and not quality. This is a recipe for disaster!

Let’s get down to the facts of malnutrition:

Mal= bad
Nutrition = …nutrition?
So clearly, bad + food. Though this often means not enough food, it can also be the fact that a malnourished person is just not getting the RIGHT food. The human body requires a balanced diet of protein, healthy fats, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins and other nutrients, in order to perform at its best.
Although obesity may be public enemy number one in the sphere of poor dieting, the true impact of an unhealthy diet (whether it be too much of the wrong stuff or not enough at all) is pervasive.
Unfortunately, there are people in the UK who can’t afford to feed themselves. But there are also families, schools, hospitals and more which have the funds to buy wholesome food, but instead sacrifice quality in the name of convenience and getting more “value for money”.

But we have to question; is that really what they are getting? Value?

So how do we battle malnutrition in the UK?

We believe triumph lies in education not knock-down prices. Convince people to make smart choices on food. Seeking out value is not just about seeking out cheap food. A microwave pizza/can of coke/bag of crisps may be half the price of a bag of nuts or fruit and vegetables, but the latter is a hell of a lot more than twice as valuable (even more so when you add a dollop of the good stuff!).

Realising the true value of food is about more than getting people to read the label, it’s about understanding the nutritional content and the wonderful meals you can create with it.
Valuable food brings people together over delicious and wholesome meals which are fun to cook or prepare. The ingredients can be simple, the recipes can be quick, but they have to be a delight to make and eat. Valuable food is not a 25p can of processed junk bulked up with salt sugar and fat.

What’s Manilife doing about it?

Well other than continue to produce our super-natural (that’s right…) peanut butter, we want to create a new culture of food. Food that is good for your body. Food that tantalizes your tastebuds. Food that livens up your life. We want to share our belief that when you invest in healthy alternatives, good things happen to you and to those around you. And it doesn’t have to clog up your time or break the bank.
Stay tuned as we churn out easy and delicious recipes, nutritional tips, and more! Le t’s harness the power of the peanut and get the UK eating properly.
Spread the love. Spread the peanut butter!