Chocolate Oatmeal-Yogurt

My part as a Food Blogger against Hunger

"What's the difference between Easter and Thanksgiving? They both just involve a lot of food, right?" my international friend from Burma asked me.

Another friend mentioned how her roommate from Brazil doesn't understand why every event on campus offers "FREE DINNER" as an incentive or why "meeting up" always has to be at a cafe or restaurant.

I can't even begin to count the number of anecdotes, ranging from "food porn" Instagram posts to catfights at grocery stores, that shows how obsessed we are with food. With the prevalence of this food-addicted culture, which is especially visible through social media, No Kid Hungry is correct: child hunger is invisible.

Food Insecurity 48.8 million Americans—including 16.2 million children— live in households that lack the means to get enough nutritious food on a regular basis. As a result, they struggle with hunger at some time during the year.

Food insecurity is most common in large cities but still exists in rural areas, suburbs and other outlying areas around large cities − 25 % of households with children living in large cities are food-insecure.

~ No Kid Hungry

That sad part is, being a student at Georgetown University, that DC has the highest rate of childhood food insecurity of 30.7%. Those of us involved heavily with service and social justice have probably seen and undoubtedly know this firsthand. Whenever we head out to a service site, typically in southeast DC, the impoverished neighborhoods, the prevalence of fast-food, and the consequences of gentrification, which is a dynamic that results in the displacement of a location's original and poorer residents, are all too obvious.

The growing gap between socioeconomic classes is happening right in front of our eyes, especially here in Washington DC. It is funny to see how much food—just the sheer volume— there is on campus: take-out, catering, snack shops, food court, break rooms, dorms, dining hall. As laden as the campus is with food are exorbitant prices of eating out within the locale. I can't reliably extrapolate, but within the nine months that I've been here, my observations inform my opinion that the number of fast food chain stores like Chipotle and high-end eateries like Sweetgreen is going to rise. By culture, because we're social eaters, the problem of obtaining affordable, healthy options outside of the home.

But what about those who cook at home? After all, 8 in 10 families cook at home five times per week. 61% are making dinner from scratch...85% say that eating healthy meals is important to their families. I wouldn't be quick to say that there is a dearth of typical grocery stores, like Safeway, but often the unhealthy, processed, calorie-dense that seem to be the most cost-effective, and convenient food items that are highly demanded. So of course unhealthier options would appear more viable to purchase.

This particular reason is why I joined this cause. It's not exactly because I'm a college student on a budget. It's not because want to staunch the conception that "college" and "healthy" are incongruous. But it's more that I can empathize (to at least a small degree) with this growing predicament from my experience of having to cook multiple-course meals for various UNICEF events on an extremely tight budget. I believe that with a little bit of ingenuity and prestidigitation, bloggers like me can aspire to at least alleviate some of the hunger.

However, I don't believe that we will be able to win against child hunger by sharing budget-friendly recipes in the spirit of the adage, "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." Teaching families how to cook nutritious food does not prevent the accessibility to nutritionally devoid options.

We need to foster an environment that, as feasibly as possible, supports the consumption of fresh options as opposed to packaged soy-, wheat-, or corn-based products. This is especially important in schools. Statistics say, "We currently spend a mere $1 per week per child in school meal programs. Food stamp participants are only allocated $4 a day to survive." It's upsetting that kids have little control over their options in, essentially, their second home. But I am not here just to share a recipe, but as a platform to reach out to others.

The first step we can take towards making a difference is by taking a mere 30-seconds out of our lamentably busy lives to sign a letter in support of anti-hunger legislation. Secondly, it doesn't hurt anyone to be more informed. A Place at the Table is a new documentary by the studio of Food, Inc with opening dates nationwide coming soon. By becoming better informed, I hope that we are motivated to find ways that we can become that change that Naomi Klein encourages us to be.

Chocolate Yogi(urt) Bear Serves 5-8 Simply three ingredients. Minimal preparation (you can't really consider boiling milk "cooking"). An affordable, antioxidant-rich, fiber-filling, protein-satisfying, probiotic-laden, phytic acid-reduced, raw chocolate-base breakfast for your body and budget. 1 qt. milk 1 spoon yogurt with live, active cultures 3 cup yogurt 1 1/4 cup rolled oats 2 tbsp cocoa powder Making the yogurt Boil 1 qt. milk (takes ~15 minutes). Cool for about ~30 minutes, or until warm and no longer scalding hot to the touch. Stir in one spoon of yogurt, and place pot in warm or lighted oven for at least 4 hours. When desired tartness is reached, place into refrigerator to store. Combining Combine everything preferably in a bear-shaped container. If you don't have one, it's ok. I won't judge. Just in either a plastic or glass container will do. Mix, and store overnight in fridge. With the rest of the yogurt, feel free to make a non-chocolate version, or a polar bear. Your call. Serving Serve in small bowls with additions such as honey, flaked coconut, cinnamon, or even coffee grounds—whatever chocolate combination you feel up to that day.