Plumpy-Nut: the paste that fights starvation?

Last updated on: November 4, 2011 at 5:00 am by Rachel Marie Stone

Plumpy-Nut: the paste that fights starvation? 2011-11-04T05:00:24-04:00 Rachel Marie Stone

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Have you heard of Plumpy’nut?

It’s a brownish goo made from peanut paste, vegetable oil, powdered milk, powdered sugar, vitamins, and minerals known as a Ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF). A month of Plumpy’nut can bring back from the brink of death to starvation to a place of stability and health. It’s saving lives in Somalia as we speak.

One of the things that makes Plumpy’nut so highly effective is the fact that it can be administered at home with no preparation or special equipment. Whereas famine relief efforts have typically involved fortified milk, that milk had to be given at feeding stations (where patients had to reside) and was subject to the risk of contamination.

Plumpy’nut, on the other hand, can be eaten anywhere, right from the packet, and contains the nutritional equivalent of a meal at 500 calories to a mere 92 grams–a density that is a major advantage to the tiny, wizened stomachs of children who’ve endured starvation.

A child can even feed Plumpy’nut to herself:Obviously, Plumpy’nut is not a long-term solution to the world’s food problems, but it’s a darn good stopgap when you consider that, according to the UN, a child dies from hunger *every five seconds–*more than the combined number that die from AIDS + TB + malaria. It costs $1 to feed 1 child 1 days’ supply of Plumpy’nut.

When famines are so far away; when they seem to happen so frequently; when their causes are complicated and enmeshed in political messes, it sometimes feels easier to put them out of our minds altogether–what can we really do, anyway?

We could create the next best RUTF.

We could donate some Plumpy’nut (or equivalent)

And we could pray for eyes that see and love these children as much as God does.

Previous Post

November 3, 2011

A truly frugal outlook has a long view.

Next Post

November 5, 2011 100 Posts!

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category "health" activism agriculture animals anorexia Anticipating anxiety art autumn Baking beauty beer Bible Big Food binge eating blogging body image Books Bread of Life breastfeeding brokenness candy cartoons celebrity chefs children chocolate Classical Duckfaces Connecting consumption cooking creation care creativity current events death Dessert diabetes Dieting Eating Together Emotional Eating fair trade Faith Family Fannie Farmer fast food fat talk Films Food Food Policy formula feeding Gardening gluten free Grace gratitude guest posts guilt HIV/AIDS holiday hospitality housekeeping Jesus Joy just for fun Justice kindness Local media moment of joy north fork, long island OI parties personal pharmaceuticals photo photography plumpy'nut popular culture poverty pregnancy Preserving real food recipes rest restaurants School Food Seasons spring starvation summer Table Talk taste television theology travel Tuesdays With Fannie Uncategorized winter

Select a Month April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 August 2014 May 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

In 2 Peter, what does Peter say he will make every effort to help believers do?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Stand firm in faith Avoid false teachers Grow in grace Always remember these things after his departure