We have all heard a myriad of claims telling us that we need to eat a certain way. Eat the rainbow. Eat five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. Eat a varied diet. Eat local. Eat seasonal.

You know the saying.

Humans are generalists — collectively we tend to eat somewhere around 200 different varieties of food. On average there are only 40 varieties sold in supermarkets. Big agriculture focuses on cultivating 12 staple crops and 5 animal species— these 17 beings constitute 75% of our diet.

As a beekeeper, I would also like to point out that 12 of those plant crops are almost exclusively wind pollinated and not insect pollinated, an observation that is worth developing in future writing.

The truth is that there are about 300,000 different edible plant species known on planet Earth. All of this added up means we are eating less than 1% of the potential foods.

‘They’ say that biodiversity is important. But what does it mean to encounter this biodiversity on our plate?

Is it quantified by the number of species that you consume in a day?

Is it known by understanding your body’s subtle cues and cravings?

I designed this prompt for myself in 2019 during a ‘psychology of food and eating’ lecture. I remember sitting in class at ‘the’ slow food university and thinking that I did not even truly understand my own consumption patterns. I sure did spend a lot of time thinking and talking about food but I wanted to actually see what my daily choices reflected.

I really wanted to understand which plants and animals I needed to be grateful towards for supporting my life. I found that this practice is something I would come back to often and share with anyone willing to participate. It began as an examination of the food on my plate and in my pantry but now six years later it continues to open my mind to appreciate the material objects I collect.

Grab a pencil and some paper and join me.