The Minister of social policy Andrei Reva was broadcast on television said: prices for food in Germany and the Ukraine about the same, but the Ukrainians eat a lot and therefore spend more. The statement of the official has caused rough reaction in social networks and media coverage. The website “Today” to understand whether the Ukrainians eat wrong and so spend a lot, and how you can rectify the situation.
Food Ukrainians spend more than half their budget
“Our people have this historical tradition: the famines, the war forced them to treat the problem of power not like in other countries… the Germans eat a little differently. They have a different diet. Their food culture is very different from ours. Given that food prices are about the same in Ukraine and Germany, they eat less, not because they have no opportunity, but because such a culture. And so they spend less compared to our people,” – said Alexander Reva in the broadcast channel “112 Ukraine”.
Do Ukrainians spend on food lion’s part of their income. According to the latest data of the state statistics, the average Ukrainian family 53% of its budget spends on food. The Germans, according to a study by the European research company Statista spend on food only 11.7% of its budget. And the poorer the country, the greater the percentage of its citizens spend on food. So, the Italians spend on food, which is 14.2% of their income, the Bulgarians of 19.7%, Romania – by 27.5%.
Photo: Pixabay
To food is affected by two factors, said the head of the Department of research of the standard of living of the Institute of demography and social studies national Academy of Sciences Lyudmila Cherenko – income and food culture. In Ukraine, the expert said, there are problems with the first and second factor.
“The caloric intake of the average Ukrainian is much higher than recommended by health authorities regulations. This is due to the twofold excess of fat in the diet. We do eat a lot of calories through fatty foods. However, low income fuels other problems,” explains the academic.
Protein foods (meat, fish) that Ukrainians consume less than normal, is more expensive, so people buy more cheap, but rich foods – potatoes, flour products, etc.
“The caloric intake of the average Ukrainian is much higher than recommended by health authorities regulations. This is due to the twofold excess of fat in the diet. We do eat a lot of calories through fatty foods. However, low income fuels other problems,” explains the academic.
Protein foods should make up about 15-20% of the total diet, says nutritionist Marina Pucker. Ukrainians replace proteins fats and carbohydrates. “I would say we eat much worse than necessary. We have a national cuisine is very fatty. Borscht, bacon, fried potatoes, all generously seasoned. This is oily and junk food” – says nutritionist.
Lyudmila Cherenko sure if the level of income of Ukrainians has grown, and the structure of power changed, and the amount of seafood, fish and meat in the diet increased. By the way, according to UN estimates, 60% of Ukrainians are below the poverty line, that is, can’t afford the required set of products and services. At the same time, according to the Institute of demography, this year in the amount below the subsistence minimum in Ukraine is home to 42% of the population.
Ukrainians eat much worse than the Germans, said the Expert Fund public safety Yuri Gavrilechko. The amount of carbohydrates exceeds the norm, but the required number of proteins, as noted Havrylchenko, not enough money.
“The Germans per year consume about 44 pounds of veal and beef, 45.5 pounds of pork and a few pounds of chicken meat and offal. Ukrainians consume over the year, only 51 kilograms of meat,” – says the expert.
“The Germans per year consume about 44 pounds of veal and beef, 45.5 pounds of pork and a few pounds of chicken meat and offal. Ukrainians consume over the year, only 51 kilograms of meat,” – says the expert.
How to change the situation
“We do not die of hunger, we have together with the problem of low income is the culture of overconsumption”, – says Lyudmila Cherenko. Ukrainians, says a scientist, you need to consume less fats and carbohydrates and saturate your diet with protein, consume more vegetables and fruits.
“I understand that not everyone has the money for beef. But calculate how much you spend on mayonnaise, on pasta, a cheap sausage, sausages, sodas, beer. If it is just to buy chicken, you can reduce the intake of carbohydrates and consume more protein. It is primarily culture, not the financial situation,” explains nutritionist Marina Pucker.
Photo: Pixabay
“I understand that not everyone has the money for beef. But calculate how much you spend on mayonnaise, on pasta, a cheap sausage, sausages, sodas, beer. If it is just to buy chicken, you can reduce the intake of carbohydrates and consume more protein,” explains nutritionist Marina Pucker.
At the same time, Yuri Gavrilechko sure the only problem is the low level of income. “Only the very poor countries are characterized by the fact that in the structure of consumption more than half is occupied by the products. This does not mean that we eat a lot. If we in the structure of consumption of utilities is third, it means that we have a lot of wash? No, it characterizes the state of the economy”, – says the expert.
We will remind, even in 2015, according to the Institute of demography, the poverty line was 58% of Ukrainians this year – about 42%. On poverty, primarily influenced by the growth of the minimal salary in half. In addition, it is expected that in October the Ukrainians “will asurement” pensions – more than five million people will receive an increase from 50 to more than 1,000 hryvnia. To change the structure of expenses of Ukrainians is only reducing the level of poverty.
