This remarkable photo series, meticulously crafted, yielded results contrary to the initial expectations of the photographer.
In 2019, Gregg Segal, an American photographer, unveiled his special book titled Daily Bread. His photo series “What Children Eat Around the World” captured media attention. Segal spent several years documenting the lives of 52 children from various countries through a unique method: by showcasing the food they consumed over the course of a week.
The process of creating the images for this project was elaborate and costly. Initially, producers in each country sought out children to record everything they ate in a week. Following this, a team of chefs would shop for and prepare the meals. Segal then arranged all the food in a studio and photographed the children surrounded by their weekly meals.
What surprised the photographer the most was the similarity in the diets of children from different countries. A significant number of packaged foods and fast food items appeared.
Segal shared: “The children I met have distinct personalities and diverse tastes, but they often eat in strange ways. For example, comparing the diets of Paulo from Sicily and Isaiah from Los Angeles. In the past, a Sicilian boy would have eaten very different foods compared to his American peer, but now their diets are becoming increasingly similar. Both Paulo and Isaiah eat fries, burgers, pizza, pasta, and white bread. They live continents apart, yet it seems as if their parents shopped at the same global supermarket!”
Below are 12 images from Daily Bread showcasing what children eat in a week around the world:
Yusuf Abdullah Al Muhairi, 9 years old from Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Tharkish (10 years old) and Mierra (8 years old) from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Rosalie Durand, 10 years old from Nice, France
Nur Zahra Alya Nabila Binti Mustakim, 7 years old from Kajang, Malaysia
Meissa Ndiaye, 11 years old from Dakar, Senegal
Kawakanih Yawalapiti, 9 years old from the Xingu region of Mato Grosso, Brazil
Isaiah Dedrick, 16 years old from Long Beach, California, USA
Greta Moeller, 7 years old from Hamburg, Germany
Beryl Oh Jynn, 8 years old from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Anchal Sahani, 10 years old from Mumbai, India
Altaf Rabbal DLove Bin Roni, 6 years old from Gombak, Malaysia
Alexandra (9 years old) and Jessica (8 years old) from Altadena, California, USA
