End of day 5. So here's the food diary for days 4 and 5.

Again, if this is the first time you're seeing this, some context:

From 23-28 July, I'm Living below the line - £6 for 6 days food (total) in order to raise awareness of food poverty in the UK, and more specifically, I'm aiming to try and raise as large a proportion of £2500 as possible. (That would help 100 families in need in manchester).

For more info, and/or to sponsor me, please visit/share this justgiving link.

If you can't sponsor, please share the justgiving link!

Anyway, as I said, here's the food diary for todsy and yesterday. (And as before, RDA calories for me is 2327...)

As per other days, I'm using 3 flasks to take tea and hot food to work.

Day 4: Wednesday 26 July 2017 - 1898 Kcal

Morning - 510 Kcal

• Tes
• 3 slices toast, jam, marg (8nstead of porridge)
• 1 budget flap jack

Afternoon - 437 Kcal

• Tea
• Not pot moodle - with added grsvy and mustard (to give a soy sauce effect - worked quite well)
• Tea

Evening - 732 Kcal

• Tesco value mash (1/3rd of a new batch)
• Peas
• 3 Asda smartprice sausages
• Gravy and mustard
• squash
• 1 ginger nut

Night - 219 Kcal

• Tea
• Chocolate mousse
• 3 ginger nuts (somethinh nice late)

(Late evening really)

Summary

Calorie Deficit: ~350 calories

The addition of mustard and gravy to the sorta pot noodle seems to have been a good idea. Skipping porridge today was a nice change. As per yesterday it's all a bit samey. Would be nice to have some variety, but that's not an option at the moment. No coffee is definitely a downside here. Super strong tea is a partial sustitute, but not the same.

Fundraising stalled today which is a bit frustrating, but breaking filter bubbles is hard, not everyone who sees this can donate, etc, and most people who see this probably donate to something, probably including foodbanks already. So thst's all good. If you read this, any suggestions for reaching £ 1000 would be great...

Day 5: Thursday 27 July 2017 - 2065 Kcal

Morning - 374 Kcal

• Tea
• Budget Flap Jack
• Tea
• Porridge

Afternoon - 467 Kcal

• Pasta 'Not Pot Noodle', with added gravy / mustard for seasoning
• Tea
• Squash
• Tea

Evening - 606 Kcal

• Tea
• 3 Asda smartprice sausages
• Tesco value mash
• Peas
• Gravy, Mustard

Night - 618 Kcal

• 1 Budget flap jack
• 2 slices toast, jam, marg
• 2 ginger nuts
• 1 tesco value chocolate mousse

(Late evening really)

Summary

Calorie Deficit: ~300 calories

Reached 920 today, which is pretty awesome, and makes 1000 seem possible. Also, now at the stage where I now know that the food left for tomorrow is all pretty much fair game. It's all pretty much the same stuff but it is something at least.

Even a small amount more (and people banding funds together) allowing some variety, fruit, veg would've been nice.

Also, despite consistently under RDA calories by a wide margin, I've gained 0.8kg this week. That's either just 'in transit' so to speak (lack of fibre?), or due to low nutritional content. Either way, it strikes me theres an issue with low cost diets that is probably related to obesity.

Unlike many I know tomorrow this ends. For others, often demonised by politicians and media, this goes on week in, week out, relentlessly, being kicked when they're down. That's the oppressive reality of Austerity, and we meed to do better. But for now, we can at least make the job of foodbanks easier...

Please do donate

Overall though, this is worth it. At the end of Day 5, the amount raised so far is £920. That's a fantastic amount, and will help a lot of people. Reaching £1000 would be amazong though!

If you'd like to help push me towards the goal of helping 100 families, in Manchester please sponsor me on justgiving.

Either way, thanks for your interest, and please share this, or the justgiving page.