<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>reasonable_diet-assertions.txt</title>
  <script>
    (() => {
      let storedTheme = null;
      try {
        storedTheme = localStorage.getItem("theme");
      } catch (error) {}

      if (storedTheme === "dark") {
        document.documentElement.dataset.theme = "dark";
      }
    })();
  </script>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="/%25latex/styles.css">
</head>
<body class="document-page">
  <button class="theme-toggle" type="button" aria-label="Switch to dark mode" title="Dark mode">
    <svg class="theme-icon theme-icon-moon" viewBox="0 0 24 24" aria-hidden="true">
      <path d="M20.4 14.5A8.2 8.2 0 0 1 9.5 3.6a8.7 8.7 0 1 0 10.9 10.9Z"></path>
    </svg>
    <svg class="theme-icon theme-icon-sun" viewBox="0 0 24 24" aria-hidden="true">
      <circle cx="12" cy="12" r="4"></circle>
      <path d="M12 2v2M12 20v2M4.9 4.9l1.4 1.4M17.7 17.7l1.4 1.4M2 12h2M20 12h2M4.9 19.1l1.4-1.4M17.7 6.3l1.4-1.4"></path>
    </svg>
  </button>
  <script>
    (() => {
      const button = document.querySelector(".theme-toggle");

      const setTheme = (theme) => {
        const isDark = theme === "dark";
        if (isDark) {
          document.documentElement.dataset.theme = "dark";
        } else {
          document.documentElement.removeAttribute("data-theme");
        }

        button.setAttribute("aria-label", isDark ? "Switch to light mode" : "Switch to dark mode");
        button.setAttribute("aria-pressed", String(isDark));
        button.title = isDark ? "Light mode" : "Dark mode";

        try {
          localStorage.setItem("theme", isDark ? "dark" : "light");
        } catch (error) {}
      };

      setTheme(document.documentElement.dataset.theme === "dark" ? "dark" : "light");
      button.addEventListener("click", () => {
        setTheme(document.documentElement.dataset.theme === "dark" ? "light" : "dark");
      });
    })();
  </script>
  <header class="site-header">
    <a class="back-link" href="/outline/reasonable_diet/">Back to directory</a>
    <h1>reasonable_diet-assertions.txt</h1>
    <p class="path-label">outline/reasonable_diet/reasonable_diet-assertions.txt</p>
  </header>
  <main class="document-shell">
    <pre class="document-text">## Assertions

the aim is to create the most useful recipe platform possible
	designed for clarity, not search engines
		no clutter, ads, or SEO filler
		recipes written for humans, not algorithms
	supports both casual cooks and power users
		quick lists for microwave meals
		advanced features for everyday chefs
	helps people make sense of their own kitchens
		“what can I cook with what I have?”
		“how can I eat better for less?”
		“what’s actually healthy here, and why?”

and a calm, practical framework for eating well and cheaply
	built on objective science and genuine care for people’s health
	draws from the *Perfect Health Diet* by Paul and Shou-Ching Jaminet, with full attribution and permission
	we believe they’ll be supportive of the project
		their work already extends into curing chronic illness and cancer
		they seem like good people — dedicated, thoughtful, and quietly ambitious
		their intention has always been to help people live healthier, longer lives
		this project continues that same impulse, at a grassroots level

	to make good nutrition accessible to everyone, not as a brand but as common sense
	to bring the research of passionate scientists into everyday life
	to show that simple, well-understood food can heal and sustain
	to support the original authors in their broader mission
		reasonable.diet can help promote their work
		and create opportunities for new initiatives
			like working together on Reasonable Health retreats
				(inspired by their previous work doing health retreats)
			or community programmes focussed on assisting or even curing chronic illness
	to focus on people — to help them as effectively as possible, wherever they live, and whatever their circumstances



## Nutrition Basics

	potato
		potato is perhaps the most adaptable vegetable on earth
			it grows almost anywhere, needs little infrastructure, and stores easily for months
			it can be fried, boiled, mashed, roasted, baked, stewed — or simply microwaved
			a single potato cooked in a microwave takes only a few minutes
				just poke holes in the skin and cook — no pan, no oil, no fuss
			it’s one of the simplest, cheapest, and healthiest meals possible
		nutritionally, potatoes are exceptional
			high in potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, magnesium, and resistant starch
			provide roughly 90 calories per 100 grams — mostly slow-digesting carbohydrates
			contain enough protein and fibre to keep a person nourished and full
			their glycaemic impact is moderated by high satiety — they fill you before you overeat
		compared to packet ramen
			potatoes are cheaper, cleaner, and naturally balanced
			no additives, no refined oil, no sodium overload
			require less time and effort to prepare — even a single potato in a microwave outperforms ramen nutritionally
			they feed more people per dollar, per square metre, and per minute of preparation
		as a crop, they’re quietly remarkable
			early, mid, and late-season varieties grow at different times, giving year-round supply
			they transport well, tolerate imperfect storage, and stay edible far longer than most produce
			underground cellars or simple cool stores are enough to keep them fresh
			they can be grown in almost any soil and by almost anyone — no previous experience needed
		potatoes are nutritionally rich, calorically dense, and globally scalable
			they form the perfect foundation for an affordable, nutritious diet
			and any surplus can be redistributed easily without spoilage
			it’s no exaggeration to say the potato could feed the world — calmly, cheaply, and well

	additions
		potatoes alone can sustain most needs, but a few simple foods fill the rest of the picture
			onion and carrot grow easily almost everywhere
				cheap, durable, and improve both nutrition and flavour
				add carotenoids, antioxidants, and subtle sweetness that balances the starch
				they’re grown in bulk in nearly every region and can be stored for long periods
			together with potatoes, they create meals that are simple, colourful, and satisfying

		mussels
			one of the most sustainable animal foods on the planet
				they need no feed, purify the water they grow in, and thrive without industrial farming
				every kilogram of mussels improves the ecosystem instead of harming it
			they’re incredibly nutrient dense
				packed with complete protein and micronutrients rarely found together in one food
				contain zinc, copper, iodine, selenium, omega-3s, vitamin B12, and other trace minerals
				many of these are hard to obtain — or poorly absorbed — in modern or plant-exclusive diets
			even a small serving once or twice a week fills essential nutrient gaps
				it’s a quiet, efficient way to cover the bases most people never think about
			and they’re kind of cool — simple, healthy, and surprisingly easy to cook

		liver
			liver is one of the most nutritionally complete foods known
				packed with fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) and the full B complex
				rich in iron, folate, and copper — nutrients many people are low in without realising
			it only takes a small amount to make a difference
				a portion once a week provides almost everything the body can’t make itself
			it may not be for everyone’s taste, but it’s an option worth knowing
				it’s kind of cool in its own way — strong, simple, and efficient
				like a natural multivitamin that’s been here all along

		overall
			the goal isn’t to prescribe what everyone must eat, but to show what works
			the combination of simple, high-yield foods — potato, mussel, liver, and common vegetables — covers nearly all human nutritional needs
			it’s adaptable for each person and each culture
			the focus is to share the best, cheapest, and most realistic ways to reduce malnutrition for as many people as possible
			a calm, scientific approach that still feels human and grounded in everyday life

	messaging line
		“two packs of ramen will tide you over. two bucks of potatoes will feed you all day.”

	core messaging points
		potato is great
		add one or two standard servings of mussels (six mussels a week) for complete nutrition
			cheaper
			healthier
			better than packet ramen
			better for you
			keeps you fuller for longer



## A Really Useful Website

	the site is one thing with two faces
		the everyday recipe side you see and touch
		and the nutrition underneath that quietly keeps you healthy
	the aim is that it just feels like a really good recipe site
		and only later people notice it has been gently looking after their health the whole time

### The Recipe Site
		the goal is to create a site that is simply, quietly, the best place on earth to find and share recipes
			not just good — but genuinely loved by the people who cook
			the kind of site that feels like it understands what you actually need, right when you need it

		it isn’t about competing for clicks or attention
			it’s about clarity, calm design, and usefulness
			no SEO tricks, no filler paragraphs, no clutter

		it’s not the fault of cooks that they’ve had to optimise their sites for search engines
			the internet made it harder to be seen unless you played the algorithm’s game
			this site removes that burden entirely
				recipes are written for humans, not machines
				the best content rises because people love it, not because code demands it

#### Recipe Structure
			recipes stored as simple structured entries
                    as a note for developers, i.e typescript
				title, ingredients, steps, allergens
				time, cost, difficulty
				region and availability hints
				mood and goal tags
				short summary at the top
				photos optional — and encouraged
					people can add their own photos
						and lightly tag them
						or follow photographers whose style they like
					a quiet, creative layer without becoming social media

			this structure makes recipes easy to:
				filter
				fork
				export
				remix

#### Short Summary
			each recipe has a short “do this → then this → done”
				lets people cook without rereading the whole page
				especially useful if they are tyred, stressed, or cooking on a small screen

#### Difficulty
			easy, medium, or hard
				with a short note on why
			local-only skill level
				the site quietly learns what feels easy for you
				and suggests slightly more complex recipes over time if you want that

#### Learning
			recipes link to skills on learnstuff.today
				knife basics
				heat control
				simple sauces
			a recipe can say “watch this first”
				then drop you straight into a short, calm video or guide
			skills tracked locally
				so suggestions improve
				but nothing needs to leave your device unless you choose
			the flow is often:
				learn a tiny skill → cook a simple recipe → pick the next skill
				so cooking itself becomes the practice ground for learning

#### Tags
			each recipe can be tagged by:
				meal type
				cuisine or country
				region (through hexagons.world)
				prep time
				difficulty
				allergens
				“bulk cook” and “leftovers-friendly”
				high-protein, vegetarian, or light
				illness-friendly meals
				mood or feeling
				goals (cheap, comfort, fitness, low cleanup)
				occasions and seasons
				kitchen constraints
					microwave-only
					kettle-only
					one-pot and minimal equipment
				low-packaging and sustainability
			the underlying assumption is that:
				a lot of people only have a microwave, kettle, or single pot
				and the site should treat that as normal, not as a limitation

#### Filters
			you can narrow recipes by:
				ingredients to include or exclude
				prep-time range
				difficulty
				allergen exclusions
				illness states
				mood (stressed, depressed, tyred, celebratory, social)
				goals (cheap, comfort, high-protein, minimal cleanup)
				occasions (holidays, exam week)
				region and ingredient availability
				environmental preferences
				kitchen constraints
			filters can stack
				and every filter has a shareable link
				so a friend can open exactly what you see

#### Search
			full-text search across recipes
			tag and keyword combinations
			shareable search URLs
			instant narrowing as you type
			aim is that it feels like asking a calm friend “what can I make with this?”

#### Substitutions
			valid swaps that still taste good
			region-aware options
				“if you can’t get this, use that instead”
			community-confirmed substitutions
				people quietly mark what worked
			helps reduce waste, panic-buys, and unnecessary shopping

#### Random Recipes
			filter-first randomiser
				you set time, difficulty, equipment
				add allergens, region, mood, goals, occasions
			“Surprise me” then picks something that fits
				and shows a short reason why it was chosen
			useful for decision fatigue
				or when you want to explore but not think too hard

#### Regional Awareness
			integrated with hexagons.world
				per-region pricing bands
				local availability hints
				tags like “common locally” or “speciality store”
			region-based substitutions
				suggesting what is normal where you live
			each recipe can also name a “home hexagon”
				the local area it best represents
				so people can see where dishes really live in the world
			recipes feel familiar rather than imported
				while still letting you try new things if you like
			over time, this maps:
				which staple patterns show up in which places
				and how local cultures already solve nutrition quietly

#### Moods and Goals
			recipes can be tagged for how you feel and what you need
				low-effort
				soothing
				shareable
				celebratory
			goals can be:
				high-protein
				very cheap
				veg-forward
				minimal cleanup
			mood and goal state is stored locally
				used only to suggest recipes that feel right for that moment

#### Emoji Reactions
			quick reactions that help you sort your own recipes
				❤️ favourites
				🔥 high-protein
				🥔 budget
				🤒 illness-friendly
				💤 low-effort
			saved into personal views or folders
			not a public score
				or only ever shown as very soft aggregates if needed

#### Grocery Lists
			add one or many recipes into a single list
			the site:
				combines ingredients
				removes duplicates
				groups by store section if possible
			export formats:
				plain text
				markdown checkboxes
				Obsidian
				Notion
				Todoist
			custom templates
				people can define their own format
					like: `- [ ] {{quantity}} {{unit}} {{name}}`
				templates can be shared like small user scripts
			shared lists for circles
				households, friends, clubs
				assign items, mark what is bought, and keep it private by default

#### Flows and Leftovers
			each recipe has a “flows” view
				shows what leftovers can turn into
				which other recipes share many ingredients
				how a weekly shop can chain together
			weekly flow mode
				helps plan one main shop
				and then a chain of simple meals
				with very little waste

#### Simple Mode
			each recipe can have a “simplified” version
				fewer steps, fewer dishes
				same basic flavour
			useful for first tries, rough nights, or small kitchens
			sits beside the main version rather than replacing it

#### Variations and Forks
			recipes can have branches
				cheaper
				cultural
				vegetarian
				fewer ingredients
			for people who care, there is a “developer view”
				diff summary between versions
				a small fork tree
				optional GitHub link if someone's recipe lives in a repo
			behind this sits the idea of a “meta recipe”
				the core structure that different cultures adapt in their own ways
				with discussion focussed on:
					why people change things
					what each variation preserves
					what trade-offs they chose on cost, effort, or taste
				so over time, each meta recipe becomes:
					a small map of local wisdom
					rather than one “true” version

#### Community Recipes
			people can submit recipes through a simple on-site form
				no markdown needed
			they can:
				add photos
				add short audio guides
				add calm video versions
				link their own cooking blogs or sites so credit flows back to them
			the site supports:
				audio-only mode (listen while cooking)
				picture-step mode for quiet or low-bandwidth kitchens
				tiny webm instruction clips

			cooking together
				a small WebRTC “cook together” option
					lets two or more people cook the same recipe at once
					with low-pressure voice chat
				useful for:
					students away from home
					friends in different cities
					anyone who wants company while cooking

			self-evaluation includes:
				difficulty
				moods and goals
				substitutions
				frugality

			passport attribution:
				created, adapted, or updated

			public comments stay short and useful
				not a place for performance


### The Health Site
		underneath the recipes is a simple, calm health layer
			it is not a brand or a diet
			it is a place to understand what tends to keep people well
			while still letting you eat however you want

		it leans on the Perfect Health Diet and related work
			not as dogma
			but as a clear reasoning framework for:
				inflammation
				gut health
				nutrient sufficiency
				immune balance
				energy production and repair
				long-term healing patterns

		the aim is to make these ideas usable in everyday life
			through routines
			through food
			through gentle tracking
			through patterns that help you feel more stable

#### Everyday Tools
			you log what you cooked with one tap
				or by clippy command:
					`/ate stew`
			optional logs for:
				sleep
				mood
				energy
				pain or flares
				illness days
			all local-first
				nothing leaves the device unless you choose

			over time this creates:
				a quiet picture of your days
				what helps you recover
				what triggers flares
				what stabilises you when life is difficult

#### Planning the Week
			weekly planning lives in the health side
				because planning food is one of the most effective ways to stay well

			the planner:
				shows your week by meals
				lets you drag recipes in
				marks leftovers or eating out

			local-only nutrition summary:
				rough balance of protein, starches, and fats
				how often nutrient-dense foods appear
				consistency of mealtimes
				how often you rely on simple routines

			soft nudges only
				no judgement
				no scoring
			the point is clarity
				so future-you has fewer difficult days

#### Condition View
			if you’re dealing with something specific
				there are calm, human pages to orient you
			light, practical summaries of:
				what tends to help people
				what foods matter
				what routines stabilise symptoms
				what patterns people commonly see

			examples include:
				gut issues
				autoimmune flares
				long COVID
				chronic fatigue
				multiple sclerosis
				mood instability
				pain cycles

			these are orientation pages
				not treatment pages
				always optional
			written so anyone can understand
				with clear links into the mechanisms underneath

#### Mechanism Blocks
			for people who want a deeper dive
				the site explains:
					inflammation
					gut lining and microbiome
					nutrient deficiencies
					immune balance
					blood sugar stability
					myelin repair
					mitochondrial energy
			short, clear explanations
				of why each mechanism matters
				what foods affect it
				what routines affect it
				what evidence supports it
				how people combine these ideas in real life

#### Patterns Over Time
			as you use the site, gentle patterns emerge:
				“your bad days often follow poor sleep”
				“warm meals seem to help your digestion”
				“your energy is steadier on weeks with mussels or liver”
			descriptive, not prescriptive
				a mirror, not a plan

#### Integration
			clippy ties everything together
				slash commands update health logs automatically
				cooking becomes the anchor for your data
			all optional
				and all quietly useful

#### Grounding
			the underlying nutritional approach is simple:
				potatoes and other safe starches
				enough protein
				micronutrient-rich foods (like mussels and liver)
				vegetables and flavour
			these act as:
				stable defaults
				a way back to balance
				a foundation for chronic illness support
			never a rulebook
				just a clear path back to “good enough”
				when life gets messy


## Clippy
	clippy is the small helper that lives across Peaceful Foundation tools
		it shows up in the same quiet way on reasonable.diet, calm.college, learnstuff.today, and others
		it is there when you need it, and invisible when you don’t

	clippy just wants to help

	a simple command line for people
		clippy is our gentle command line
			you type short instructions
			it makes small, predictable changes
		it is not a chatbot
			it is not trying to sound human
		it is closer to a text editor that speaks a clear, small dialect
			you ask for something simple
			it either does it, or asks for more info

	why a command line at all
		all of the important data in Peaceful Foundation projects lives as text files
			markdown
			simple metadata
			small configuration files
		a command line is the cleanest way to work with text
			it lets people combine tools
			it makes it easy to add new ones
		clippy is a friendly shell around that
			a very small language for doing useful things
			without needing to learn a full programming language

	what clippy can do on reasonable.diet
		use short commands to:
			adjust servings
			simplify steps
			switch to dairy-free or gluten-aware versions
			export grocery lists or posters in different formats
			filter recipes by cost, time, mood, or equipment
			log that you cooked a recipe
				so the health site can see patterns over time
		all of this happens on top of the same simple recipe files
			no hidden formats
			no lock-in

	learning calm tool fluency
		clippy helps people learn basic tool fluency in a calm way
			without jargon
			without pressure
		over time, people can learn:
			how to chain small commands together
			how to make their own tiny helpers
		this fluency carries across Peaceful Foundation projects
			the same style of command works in many places
			so once you learn it in one site, you recognise it everywhere

	extending clippy
		because everything is text, people can add their own commands
			as small scripts
			or shared snippets
		advanced users can publish tiny tools for others
			a new formatter
			a favourite flow
			a clever filter
		the aim is that anyone who wants to can grow from:
			using clippy
			to lightly customising it
			to building small tools for their own community

	local-first and sync
		all core data is stored locally first
			recipes you save
			notes
			health logs
			preferences
		sync happens only when *you* want it
			and only through small, encrypted text bundles
		passport-linked devices form a tiny P2P cluster
			your phone, laptop, tablet
			automatically sync with each other via WebRTC
			no central server owns your data
		you can add or remove devices at any time
			the cluster updates quietly
			in the background
		full export always available
			a single zipped folder of plain text
			forever readable
			forever portable
		the aim is:
			stability
			privacy
			interoperability
			and the feeling that your data is *yours* — not rented from us

## Sharing

    posters
        export simple recipes to posters
            especially potato-based ones
            and illness-friendly or ultra-cheap meals
        put them in bathrooms, kitchens, common rooms, and campus spaces

        the two-pronged poster pattern
            the two posters work together
                the first lowers friction
                the second deepens understanding
            the idea is:
                catch someone the moment they realise they have no food
                then help them again three steps later, when they’re actually cooking

            poster #1 → the “you can eat right now” poster
                goes where cheap staples live
                    ramen shelf, rice shelf, boarding-house pantry
                absurdly simple microwave-potato steps
                    poke holes
                    microwave
                    done
                almost entirely white space
                    deliberately friendly and slightly funny

            poster #2 → “food for thought”
                goes at the exact point of action
                    next to the microwave, rice cooker, kettle, or hotplate
                short, well-written block of text
                    heading: “Microwaved Potato”
                realistic tiny permutations:
                    add butter or oil if you have it
                    add salt
                    add carrot or onion for colour and sweetness
                deliberately minimal
                    only enough to build a small mental model
                gives people a conceptual frame:
                    start simple → add what you can → stay fed → stay steady
                written like a human helping their housemates
                tiny QR code at the bottom, only if someone wants it

        how the two posters interact
            poster #1 removes the first barrier:
                “you can eat something warm for almost nothing”
            poster #2 removes the second barrier:
                “here’s how to make that warm thing feel like a meal”
            together they:
                normalise potatoes as the default warm staple
                make cheap healthy eating socially normal
                make sharing food feel human instead of awkward

## Cooking Circles
            once people have used poster #2 a few times
                the next step naturally appears:
                    small, quiet cooking groups
            the “cooking circle” is simple:
                a few people agree on meals for the week
                they keep a shared list of what needs buying
                they split tasks and ingredients in a calm, practical way

            shared shopping list (local-first)
                each circle keeps a tiny shared list
                    lives as text on each member’s device
                    syncs peer-to-peer via WebRTC
                        no central store
                        nothing leaves your devices
                anyone can add an item:
                    “6 potatoes”
                    “1 carrot”
                    “salt”
                tasks can be assigned or left open
                when someone buys something
                    they tick it off
                    optionally attach a small photo of the receipt or item
                if someone double-buys by accident
                    it’s just quietly handled
                        small notes, small adjustments, settle-up in person
                the aim is:
                    reduce waste
                    lower cost
                    help everyone eat better with minimal coordination

            recipe planning
                cooking circles lightly coordinate:
                    what meals people want this week
                    what ingredients overlap
                    what can be bulk-cooked
                    what leftovers can chain together
                flows from the recipe site help:
                    showing what can turn into what
                    and which simple meals chain neatly

            bucket culture
                many circles keep a “bucket of potatoes”
                    anyone can take one
                    anyone can refill it when they can afford to
                if there is surplus
                    it goes to nearby neighbours or friends
                    a quiet, normal act of care

            gentle onboarding via Peaceful Passport
                no one has to sign up
                but if people want:
                    they can create a Passport
                    and link their devices together for syncing
                    and keep a calm record of what they’ve contributed
                the Passport is not a scoreboard
                    it’s a way to coordinate more smoothly

## Public Poster (“potato Is...”)
            this one is outward-facing:
                campuses
                noticeboards
                bus stops
                public walkways
            simple pattern:
                “potato is ”
                    cheaper
                    easier
                    healthier
                    safer
                    (or left blank for people to fill in)
            this is the broad visibility layer:
                light humour
                soft presence
                steady reminder that warm, cheap food is normal and okay
            safety line if needed:
                packet-ramen hand burns are common
                a potato avoids that entirely

        the whole poster chain
            is meant to feel like housemate culture, not a programme
            small steps
            small improvements
            food that brings people together
            and a path that grows only when people want it to


### Universities

			clear promise
				show plainly that, if things get tight, you can still eat for under twenty dollars a week
					with real example shops and real receipts
					and simple recipes that actually work in dorm kitchens
				make “you can feed yourself for $20” a campus in-joke and a quiet safety net at the same time

			dorms and shared housing
				seed kitchens, hallways, and bathroom mirrors with the simplest posters
					“you can eat right now” beside the ramen shelf
					“food for thought” near the microwave
				normalise the “bucket of potatoes” in common rooms
					a crate or bucket that anyone can take from
					refilled quietly by whoever can afford it that week
				let it feel like housemate culture, not a programme
					“we just keep potatoes around because no one should go hungry”

			using the same people and channels
				reuse the same volunteers who already hang Quiteasily posters
					they know which noticeboards stay up
					they know which bathrooms and stairwells everyone actually reads
				share the poster pack through existing student Discords, group chats, and calm.college / LearnStuff.Today links
					one PDF → dozens of printers → hundreds of kitchens
				for many volunteers, reasonable.diet becomes the “soft entry”
					it’s normal to put up a food poster
					once they’re comfortable, they often branch into other Peaceful campaigns

			on-campus culture
				treat potatoes and staples as something you casually share with friends
					“grab a potato if you’re broke this week”
					“bring a carrot or onion if you can”
				make cheap, warm food feel socially normal
					not charity, not shame — just how students look after each other
				use tiny, honest lines on posters and whiteboards

			student organisations and bodies
				work with welfare officers, residential advisors, and student guilds
					give them ready-to-print packs: posters, $20 shop lists, dorm-kitchen recipes
				if national student bodies are interested
					offer a simple “$20 weekly shop” challenge they can rebadge as their own
					they bring reach; the recipes stay neutral and open
				keep ownership local
					campuses adapt staples and posters to their own tone
					reasonable.diet stays in the background as the quiet source of recipe info

### Middle and High School

			the real distribution layer
				the most effective vector isn’t parents — it’s kids themselves
					kids ask for things loudly and repeatedly
					and parents usually follow through if it’s cheap and harmless
				so the core pattern is:
					“please send potato”
					and then kids keep asking until it becomes normal
				this spreads far faster than any official messaging
					memes
					short videos
					screenshots of thermos lunches
					and the simple line:
						“bring potato to school tomorrow (we’re begging you)”
				parents eventually think:
					“everyone’s child seems to want potato now… fine, it’s cheap anyway”

			why this works
				it doesn’t require any explanation
					no one needs to know about the wider campaign
					kids just want warm food that’s easy to pack
				it’s socially neutral
					no one is marked as “the potato kid”
					because half the school ends up in on the joke
				kids feel included
					it’s easy to join in
					costs almost nothing
					and actually keeps them fed

			safeguarding anonymity
				if only one student brings mash after a poster appears
					it points back to them
				but if hundreds of kids are suddenly asking for potato
					the link disappears
				the idea spreads through:
					kid-to-kid memes
					youth Discords and TikTok edits
					older siblings
					players in other Peaceful Foundation projects
				this “launders” participation
					no single origin point
					no spotlight
					just a trend kids pick up and parents support

			the thermos pattern
				keep it stupidly simple:
					make extra mash
					pre-heat the thermos
					put in hot mash
					take it to school
				it works every time
					no fridge needed
					no cooking at school
					no teacher supervision required
				kids like it because it's warm, comforting, cheap
				parents like it because it costs cents, not dollars

			school culture
				the meme becomes:
					“bring potato to school tomorrow...”
				half-serious, edgy joke, fully functional
					it’s a food trend that also eliminates hunger
				it’s not about status or health moralising
					it’s more like:
						“we’re a school, we look after each other”
						“everyone deserves warm food”
				and quietly:
					“you can be part of something good without needing a group around you”

			teachers
				teachers are already overstretched
					we don’t add new duties
				they can signal support by:
					mentioning healthy eating when appropriate
					letting potato be normal in the classroom
					allowing kids to heat water if rules permit
				the reasonable.diet ideas map neatly into curriculum topics
					home economics
					health classes
					basic nutrition
				this is light-touch, not another programme

			canteen staff
				most school canteens run on thin budgets and very limited staff
					and in many cases the menu is not their choice
						it is constrained by:
							departmental guidelines
							procurement contracts
							the Traffic Light System
							centralised approval lists
					canteen workers often get blamed for choices they didn’t make

				potatoes, carrots, onions, and simple veg
					are some of the few foods they can freely shape
					they fit inside every health guideline
					they scale easily
					they’re cheap
					they are already “green” under most systems
				this gives canteen staff a tiny pocket of freedom
					a place where they can create something good
					without waiting for approvals from above

				when students start asking for these foods
					it gives canteen staff real cover
						they can justify purchasing decisions
						principals can justify menu changes
						district staff see demand rather than risk
					it becomes:
						“we’re serving this because the kids want it”
						instead of:
						“we’re changing the menu without permission”

				the quiet student groundswell matters
					kids can signal their preferences as a group
						light slacktivism:
							asking for mashed potato
							asking for simple veg cups
							requesting less junk on default rotation
					when enough students ask
						the canteen gains leverage
						and the principal gains confidence
					it lowers the fear of backlash
						“we know the kids will support this — it’s already popular”

				canteen staff usually entered this work to feed and protect kids
					they want students fed, happy, and steady
					Reasonable.Diet gives them:
						simple recipes that are already compliant
						easy prep that fits into their workload
						dishes kids will actually buy and eat
				with student demand behind them
					the canteen can:
						reintroduce older, healthier items that were approved years ago
						add vegetable sides without bureaucracy
						shift portions toward real food rather than processed defaults
					all while staying safely inside departmental rules

				the goal is not to fight the system
					but to quietly align:
						students who want to eat better
						canteen staff who want to help
						principals who need a clear signal
					once those three line up
						healthier food becomes the obvious, low-risk option

				the deeper undercurrent
					kids learn — quietly — that they can change their school
						not through drama
						but through calm, collective requests
					the pattern is:
						you ask for something small and sensible
						you get it
					it builds responsibility without preaching it
						you look after yourself
						you look after each other
						and the environment around you improves because kids asked for potatoes



## Online and Media

	use the volunteer base
		Peaceful Foundation already has a huge network of ambassadors, editors, meme-makers, and quiet influencers
		Reasonable.Diet gives them something extremely useful to spread
			cheap recipes
			potato culture
			simple nutrition
			the best version of “what can I eat right now?”
		they know their communities better than we do
			we just hand them tools
			and they take it as far as it can realistically go

	creator ecosystem
		people can make:
			cooking videos
			short recipe edits
			$20 weekly shops
			“this fed me all week” breakdowns
			photo posts of what they cooked
			quiet fridge tours and pantry tours
			audio-only instructions for background listening
			tiny webm clips showing single techniques
		creators get clout directly in the Passport
			when they contribute recipes
			when they fix mistakes
			when they film or photograph their meals well
		clout is not a ranking
			it’s more like a personal footprint
			a record of things you’ve helped with

		open standards for everyone
			Clippy is open-source
				any website can integrate it as a small command shell
				any blogger can use it to structure their recipes
			Reasonable.Diet becomes the shared, simple “recipe file format”
				title, ingredients, steps, allergens, tags
				mood, difficulty, region, equipment
			this lets:
				independent bloggers import their whole archive in minutes
				volunteers help clean and standardise older recipe sites
				chefs and teachers fork and remix recipes easily

		integrations
			programmer-volunteers can reach out to small cooking sites
				help them fix usability issues
				help them add structured fields
				offer Clippy integration as a gift
			they can:
				export their recipes to Reasonable.Diet
				keep their own site fully intact
				and link back in both directions
			this builds goodwill
				“your work is great — let’s help more people see it”
				not “move everything to us”

		creator links
			creators can link to their own support pages and social presence
				Ko-fi, IndieWeb, personal sites, social media
			Reasonable.Diet does not handle money
				no internal tipping
				no subscription packs
				no premium paywalls
			the site is the calm layer underneath
				not a marketplace
				not a social network
				not an algorithmic feed
				just a place where your work lives cleanly
				and people can find you if they want to

		content freedom
			we don’t mandate what kind of content people make
				silly edits are fine
				serious cooking is fine
				chaotic uni-kitchen videos are fine
			the only pattern is:
				make something useful
				make something honest
				make something that helps someone eat well tonight

		memes and reframes
			small, highly shareable lines:
				“two bucks of potatoes will feed you all day”
				“here’s what I ate for $17 this week”
				“microwave cuisine supremacy”
			these travel through TikTok, Discord, and student circles
			the site itself becomes the quiet centre of gravity
				people come for recipes
				they stay because it actually works

		organic spread first
			advertising only if necessary
				and even then, calmly
			the real power is organic:
				volunteers who care
				students posting what they cooked
				people showing off what they learned
			Reasonable.Diet grows because it is useful
				and people tell each other about things that help



## Collective Purchasing

	scope focussed on university campuses
		since they are a contained testbed with trust, infrastructure, and scale
		the aim is to create a working model that can expand outward naturally using cooperative approaches on campus (and in the supply chain)
		university campuses already have the networks, coordination, and social momentum to begin

	baseline mechanism
		the first step is defining the baseline cost of feeding everyone on campus well
			calculating what it would take for every student to eat nutritious, balanced meals
			using simple, transparent models that anyone can understand
		this baseline becomes the shared target
			once reached, everyone knows that food security has been achieved locally
			additional contributions then flow outward to others
		surplus funds scale organically
			first to other university campuses
			then to nearby local communities
			and eventually to global regions still facing malnutrition
		this creates a calm, self-balancing network
			where well-fed campuses quietly lift up others
			and abundance flows toward need without spectacle

	critique of existing student guilds
		most student guilds do not currently prioritise wellbeing
			they often become spaces for politics and performance
			more about debate and status than action
		student politics rarely results in tangible change
			it consumes time and energy that could go into helping people directly
			power games replace calm governance
		a healthier structure focuses on service, not ideology
			the guild’s purpose should be resolving disputes, improving student life, and ensuring mental health
			not competing for influence
		under the reasonable.diet framework,
			the guild takes on a calm, functional role
				liaising between students, producers, and the university
				handling logistics, accounting, and basic coordination
			governance becomes clear and boring — as it should be
				the goal is food on plates, not endless motions in meetings
		ideally, guilds would partner with local cooperatives and producers
			working only with suppliers that meet fair, democratic standards
			cooperatives must show transparent pricing and voting systems
			no exploitation, no empty branding — just good, honest structure
		the guild becomes a steward of calm governance
			responsible for oversight and fairness
			ensuring the machinery runs well, but never becomes the machinery itself

	food and labour flexibility
		the system ensures that everyone on campus eats — no exceptions
			the baseline guarantee is universal access to healthy food
                at the very least, students pooling funds for bulk vegetables works rather well
			no one is left out, regardless of background or contribution
		beyond that baseline, different campuses can experiment with how meals are provided
			some may prefer cooking facilities where students make food together
			others may want fully cooked meals provided for everyone
		if a wealthy family or benefactor wants to fund a fully cooked-meal approach
			it can happen — but only if the entire student body votes for it
				the decision must reflect collective agreement, not private preference
			the proposal must serve everyone, not a select few
			all funding is anonymous, through the Peaceful Passport system
				no one earns social credit or recognition for giving
				the act remains quiet and private
		the system encourages practicality and fairness
			donations cannot distort the shared structure
			resources first cover the essentials — feeding everyone
			only then do they expand outward to nearby communities and global campuses
		the guild helps facilitate this process
			coordinating logistics, managing student labour where needed, and ensuring equity
			if cooking or delivery roles are required, they become paid opportunities
			the process stays transparent and calmly managed

	equity and scaling
		every student contributes what they can afford
			the system equalises cost through scale
			and surplus always benefits others
		the model expands naturally
			first through university networks
			then to neighbouring communities around each campus
			eventually linking to local communities and the wider region as a whole
		each level strengthens the next
			universities feed their surroundings
			local communities feed back trust and skill
			the network becomes a quiet, expanding web of shared provision

	impact
		makes healthy food normal, accessible, and fair
		creates visible proof that malnutrition can be solved locally and scaled globally
		provides opportunities for paid student work and community involvement
		builds an auditable, transparent food system based on trust
		reduces waste and complexity — more meals, less noise
		and shows that calm, shared provision is not utopian — it simple, and just works
</pre>
  </main>
  <footer class="site-footer">
    <a class="back-link" href="/outline/reasonable_diet/">Back to directory</a>
  </footer>
</body>
</html>
