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The Economy of Food

The Economy of Food by Andrew Castillo

Have you ever heard someone say that healthy food is too expensive? Well I’m about to show you how I personally calculate the cost of my own food – in this example, my favourite breaky: eggs!

Eggs contain the highest quality of nutrition of all protein sources, and as many as 11 different vitamins, minerals and even contain Omega-3 fats for heart health.1 They are also a valuable source of folate for pregnant women. All great reasons to eat eggs!

I’ve been eating eggs every breakfast for as long as I can remember. That’s at least 33 years! But it never dawned me to figure out how much I really need and how much it was costing me until I learned the metabolic value of food. So here is my break down:

Dietary science says that males between 19-50 years old should consume on average 64 grams of protein per day (0.84 g/kg of body weight/day)2.  For strength/power training athletes like myself, a little more protein is required for repair and growth, at approximately 84 – 119 grams of protein per day (1.2 – 1.7 g/kg of body weight/day)3.

Since I weigh 91kg, I choose the higher value of 1.7g, so 91 x 1.7 = 154.7g of protein I need a day. If my daily meals consist of five per day (three meals including post workout protein shake plus two snacks), this means I should eat 30.9g of protein per meal (154.7 / 5).  I’ll round my value up to 31g per meal to make it easier.

Now for a very important question: How much protein is in an egg?

To find this answer, I usually refer to the label on the food packaging or to the following website link: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/120/2

(NutritionData uses the American USDA’s National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference3)

According to this website, one large egg contains approximately 7g of protein. So 31g per body weight divided by 7g per egg = 4.42 eggs that I need for breakfast. (I’ll just round that up to 5 eggs.)

Now, I personally buy a 30-egg tray of free-range eggs from a local egg farm for $7.00 a tray. So one tray will give me 6 breaky’s at a whopping $1.16 a serve! If I eat eggs for breaky 30 days a month, that’s 5 trays I need costing me $35.00. A year’s worth would cost me $420.

Does $1.16 a serve or $35.00 a month seem too expensive?  Not when you compare it to the average cost of eggs benedict at your local café, or a bottle of wine, slab of beer, or pack of cigarettes! Imagine if you did the maths for the carbs and fats you need from all the foods you eat? Only then could you accurately determine whether healthy food is too expensive to buy for yourself and your family.

If you would like to learn to calculate the cost effectiveness of your groceries, come and see me or one of PARC’s Personal Trainers today!

 

http://www.eggs.org.au/facts-and-tips/ Australian Egg Farmers Consumer Site

2,3 Understanding Nutrition, Australia & New Zealand Edition (2nd Ed.) Cengage Learning.

4 Nutritiondata.self.com

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Celebrate National Children's Week with a fun day for under 5s! 

Join our 'More People Can Swim' Team on Wednesday 22 October  at Jubilee Park Stadium, where we will be running important, interactive water safety activities for children and parents as part of Frankston City Council's Children’s Week Celebration Event! 

This year’s theme is “Everyone should know about Children’s Rights”. 

 🗓 When: Wednesday, 22 October 
 📍 Where: Jubilee Park Stadium, 83R Hillcrest Rd , Frankston Vic 3199 
 ⏰ Time: 10:00am – 1:00pm 

The event is free but numbers are limited so please RSVP via this link below: 
https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1425350
Restart a Heart Day at PARC this Saturday ❤️💙

Join us this weekend, on Saturday 18 October, for Restart a Heart Day, a vital community event that raises awareness about cardiac arrest and empowers people with lifesaving CPR skills. 

Hosted by Monash University Paramedicine, this educational pop up in PARC's foyer will help build a safer, more prepared community.

Did you know that only 1 in 10 people survive a cardiac arrest? Most cardiac arrests happen in the home, so learning how to act fast could save the life of someone you love. Restart a Heart day will teach you how to respond in just three simple steps: CALL, PUSH, SHOCK.

Drop by PARC on Saturday morning between 9am – 12pm to learn from paramedics and paramedic students, who will be on hand to guide you through these critical steps and boost your confidence in delivering CPR. 

Every minute counts when restarting a heart – let’s work together to improve survival rates!

#PARCFrankston #MonashUniversity #Savealife #CPR
You're invited to participate in our PARC Customer Satisfaction Survey. 🗣️ 

By participating in the survey, you will help us to improve our services, facilities and programs here at PARC. 

This survey should take around 10 minutes to complete and is open until Sunday 26 October. 

COMPLETE OUR SURVEY: Link in bio

All completed surveys go into the draw to win 1 of 3 $100 Rebel Sport Vouchers. 
Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback. 

#PARCFrankston #Satisfactionsurvey #Haveyoursay
✨ Member Spotlight - Anca Anderson ✨

Meet Anca - a passionate runner with the ambitious goal of completing all 7 major world marathons. She has already completed London and Sydney and now her eyes are set on her next major marathon! Anca has been a member at PARC for 10 years and credits her PARC fit run club peers for all their encouragement and support.

When Anca isn't conquering the world she promotes health and wellbeing as the founder of her own supplement brand and believes its important to be proactive with your health.

Well done Anca! 

Check out our blog to learn a bit more about Anca’s journey - https://peninsulaleisure.com.au/news/member-spotlight-anca/

#parcfrankston #Memberspotlight #marathonrunning
Meet Aaron 👋 

Aaron has more than 17 years of Physio experience across a wide variety of clinical settings, including private practice and elite sports, spending 6 seasons at the Melbourne Storm Rugby League Club. 
 
Aaron also works part-time as a local distance running coach and loves to assist people in achieving their long-term functional goals. 

You can learn more about Aaron and the Davenport Physiotherapy team, located at PARC Allied Health Suites, through our website - Link in bio
 

#PARCfrankston #DavenportPhysiotherapy
Daylight Savings Reminder ☀️⏰

Daylight savings start tomorrow!

Remember to set your clocks forward and to plan ahead if you've booked a class or plan on attending our centre tomorrow.

We hope to see you in centre soon.

 #PARCFrankston

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