What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets

What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets documents a single day of food consumption for 80 people across the globe. Each portrait includes detailed photographs of the subject's daily food intake alongside their caloric totals and personal stories. The subjects range from a Maasai herder in Kenya to a Japanese sumo wrestler, and from a Chinese diver to an American long-distance truck driver. The book presents statistics about nutrition, food costs, and cultural eating habits while exploring how occupation, location, and economic status influence diet. The photographs capture every meal, snack, and beverage consumed over 24 hours, arranged on tables alongside the subjects in their environments. Each profile includes information about the individual's lifestyle, daily routine, and relationship with food. Through these intimate portraits, the book reveals global patterns of consumption and scarcity while examining how modernization and cultural traditions shape our daily sustenance. The work raises questions about food security, nutrition, and the increasing industrialization of food systems worldwide.

Readers appreciate the detailed photographs and nutritional data showing real people's daily food consumption across cultures. Many note the book helps put their own eating habits in perspective and challenges assumptions about diet and wealth. Positive comments focus on: - High quality photography - Clear nutritional breakdowns - Diverse representation of eating patterns - Educational value for children Main criticisms: - Limited depth on cultural context - Some subjects seem staged/unnatural - Price point too high - Physical book size makes reading awkward Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (397 ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (77 ratings) Representative review: "Fascinating look at how people eat around the world. The photos are stunning but I wished for more background on why people eat what they do." - Goodreads reviewer Several teachers mention using it successfully in nutrition and social studies classes, though some note the book's weight makes it impractical for younger students to handle easily.

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🌏 Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio traveled to 30 countries across the globe to document exactly what 80 people ate in a single day, photographing each person with their daily food consumption laid out before them. 📸 Each portrait includes a detailed calorie count and breakdown of the subject's diet, ranging from a low of 800 calories for a Maasai herder in Kenya to a high of 12,300 calories for a British competitive eater. 🔍 The subjects include people from diverse walks of life: sumo wrestlers, models, astronauts, shark hunters, and competitive hot dog eaters, offering a unique glimpse into cultural food habits and socioeconomic circumstances. 📊 The book reveals stark contrasts in global nutrition, showing how factors like wealth, culture, and geography influence daily food choices and availability—sometimes within the same country or region. 🏆 This work is part of a larger series by the husband-and-wife team that includes "Hungry Planet: What the World Eats" and "Man Eating Bugs," which have won multiple awards including the James Beard Foundation Award.