Laander

For some time I’ve thought about doing something…. different. Daily life can easily become very trivial and sometimes i really miss doing something out-of-flow. So, therefore i decided to do a new series of ‘experiments’/challenges, where the main purpose is to push myself and test my boundaries. I’ve always thought it’s important to keep moving by doing stuff you’ve never done before – ‘change’ can be your friend or foe, it’s just a matter of perception.

First experiment in the “Challenge of the Week“:
Rice, rice, rice!

For the next week (starting Monday morning > Sunday evening), I will live only by eating rice + 1 optional ingredient/supplement for the sake of nutrition. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner will all consist of rice with either Ketchup, Chicken, sauce, a vegetable or something alike. In average, one probably eats around 2 dl1½ dl of rice per meal. Multiplying this by 3 meals a day in 7 days, i will eat 42 dl (= 4.2 litres) 31.5 dl of rice the following week. Major parts of the world live by these means, where rice is the only affordable option. Rice Congee – a porridge made of rice spiced up with chicken or alike – is the most common recipe in great deals of Asia, especially China (learn more about it). If they are able to live a healthy life based on this simple meal, why can’t we?

I will keep a diary of how it progresses here so you will know how my appetite shrinks each day

1. Monday 14th of July
   First day’s over. Think it’s gonna take some days to get used to it, but i could also imagine getting reaaally tired of rice within the end of the week!
   • Breakfast: 1½ dl of rice with fresh apple slices (a little weird, but pretty nice actually)
   • Lunch: About 1½ dl of rice and fish (decent, but fine)
   • Dinner: 2 dl of rice and a whole lot of Ketchup!
      
2. Tuesday, 15th of July
   Still going strong, but my fellow colleagues tempted me with Nachos today… hmmm..
   • Breakfast: Rice with creme fraiche (ughh, rice in the morning isn’t good with anything!)
   • Lunch: Rice and mackerel is actually quite good! Thanks Jens
   • Dinner: Rice + the classic: Heinz Ketchup once again
      
3. Wednesday, 16th of July +
   Thursday, 17th of July
   I wish i could remember, but these days just seem to have melted together in my remembrance. I guess it’s because of the fact, that the three meals a day only serve the purpose of survival now – it doesn’t matter what i eat together with the rice, as long as it ends in my stomach. Anyhow, i do remember eating threeparticular things: mackerel (again), king-size shrimps (a little dry without any sauce) and Hoisin sauce (thanks for the tip once again Jens and/or wife - good stuff). God, monday still seems so far away
    
4. Friday, 18th of July
   • Breakfast: Rice and tuna isn’t that bad actually (as long as there’s plenty of the oil included in the can)
   • Lunch: I actually skipped it today – a lack of appetite suppressed my hungry stomach. The others at work ate awfully delicious open face sandwiches + Nachos today…..
   • Dinner: To make up for no lunch, i had two china boxes this evening – one at around 6 pm and one later at 9 pm. The sweet & sour sauce is awesome – i just wish i could have coupled it with some chicken! Just a few pieces, please? No? Ughh…
      
5. Saturday, 19th of July
   Wohoo – only two days to go! What I’ve experienced so far, is that rice (at least the parboiled white rice i eat) keeps you satiated no matter how much you eat! Not once the whole week have i felt full – i might rename this challenge to “the rice famine”..
   • Breakfast: Some late breakfast resulted in 2 dl of rice and Ketchup.
   • Lunch: When you’re eating your first meal at 2pm – is that breakfast or lunch? Hmm..
   • Dinner: Uhh, inspiration struck me this evening: Uncle Ben’s Tikka Masala! Eating right now as i write actually, yum.
      
6. Sunday, 20th of July (last day)
   • Breakfast: Same as yesterday – late breakfast with Ketchup (booring)
   • Lunch: See above..
   • Dinner: Finished off the day with some rice in the microwave topped with Tikka Masala again – too lazy to come up with anything else

Challenge’sover. After a week full of rice, I’ve had the chance to get a peek into the everyday of an average Chinese man – at least nutrition-wise. Rice makes a good solid meal, but it gets boring real quick. It’s been fun though - challenging admittedly, but fun  I made it through the whole week resisting all the temptations (delicious chocolate bars, chips, fresh fruit etc.) so tomorrow mornings agenda will include a long-awaited craving: fresh milk and chocolate müsli.. Yum!

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