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The Economy of Food

The Economy of Food by Andrew Castillo

Have you ever heard someone say that healthy food is too expensive? Well I’m about to show you how I personally calculate the cost of my own food – in this example, my favourite breaky: eggs!

Eggs contain the highest quality of nutrition of all protein sources, and as many as 11 different vitamins, minerals and even contain Omega-3 fats for heart health.1 They are also a valuable source of folate for pregnant women. All great reasons to eat eggs! I’ve been eating eggs every breakfast for as long as I can remember. That’s at least 33 years! But it never dawned me to figure out how much I really need and how much it was costing me until I learned the metabolic value of food. So here is my break down: Dietary science says that males between 19-50 years old should consume on average 64 grams of protein per day (0.84 g/kg of body weight/day)2.  For strength/power training athletes like myself, a little more protein is required for repair and growth, at approximately 84 – 119 grams of protein per day (1.2 – 1.7 g/kg of body weight/day)3. Since I weigh 91kg, I choose the higher value of 1.7g, so 91 x 1.7 = 154.7g of protein I need a day. If my daily meals consist of five per day (three meals including post workout protein shake plus two snacks), this means I should eat 30.9g of protein per meal (154.7 / 5).  I’ll round my value up to 31g per meal to make it easier. Now for a very important question: How much protein is in an egg? To find this answer, I usually refer to the label on the food packaging or to the following website link: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/120/2 (NutritionData uses the American USDA’s National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference3) According to this website, one large egg contains approximately 7g of protein. So 31g per body weight divided by 7g per egg = 4.42 eggs that I need for breakfast. (I’ll just round that up to 5 eggs.) Now, I personally buy a 30-egg tray of free-range eggs from a local egg farm for $7.00 a tray. So one tray will give me 6 breaky’s at a whopping $1.16 a serve! If I eat eggs for breaky 30 days a month, that’s 5 trays I need costing me $35.00. A year’s worth would cost me $420. Does $1.16 a serve or $35.00 a month seem too expensive?  Not when you compare it to the average cost of eggs benedict at your local café, or a bottle of wine, slab of beer, or pack of cigarettes! Imagine if you did the maths for the carbs and fats you need from all the foods you eat? Only then could you accurately determine whether healthy food is too expensive to buy for yourself and your family. If you would like to learn to calculate the cost effectiveness of your groceries, come and see me or one of PARC’s Personal Trainers today!   http://www.eggs.org.au/facts-and-tips/ Australian Egg Farmers Consumer Site 2,3 Understanding Nutrition, Australia & New Zealand Edition (2nd Ed.) Cengage Learning. 4 Nutritiondata.self.com

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Meet Rachel, one of our wonderful Group Exercise Class Instructors! 💃🪩

Rachel has been a member at PARC since 2019 and loved it so much that she joined team PARC as an instructor in 2023! She is known for her high energy, bubbly personality and action-packed classes! 

You may have caught snippets of her fun and high energy classes on our socials. She teaches both Zumba and Power Zone, and is trained in Zumba, Strong Nation, Zumba/Lift. 

Rachel’s classes are always a favourite among our members, so if you get the chance, book into one of her sessions and experience the fun for yourself!
🇳🇿Lest We Forget - ANZAC Day 2026🇦🇺
A friendly reminder that PARC opening at 1pm today, with reduced hours. 

Centre Hours: 1pm – 7pm 
Waterslides: 1pm - 6pm
Cafe: 1:30pm - 5:30pm 
PARC Swim: No Classes 
Group Exercise Classes: No classes. Book a virtual or on demand class via the Customer Portal or Peninsula Leisure Xplor app. 

Please visit our website to see a full list of our opening hours, as well as any alterations to operations over this time. 

#PARCFrankston #ANZACDay2026 #lestweforget
What an amazing time we had at Frankston Skate Park last Saturday for their  20th Anniversary 🥳🎂

Shoutout to the Frankston Skate team @frankston_skatepark  and the incredible community who showed up to celebrate! It was such an fantastic event, and we had so much fun! 🤩
Anzac Day 2026 🇦🇺🇳🇿🌹 
Just a friendly reminder that PARC will be open with reduced hours on Saturday 25 April, with the Centre opening at 1pm. 

 Here's what services we'll be running this ANZAC Day Public Holiday. 
🏢 Centre Hours: 1pm – 7pm 
🛝 Waterslides: 1pm - 6pm 
☕️ Cafe: 1:30pm - 5:30pm 
🏊 PARC Swim: No Classes 
🧘‍♀️ Group Exercise Classes: No classes. Book a virtual or on demand class via the Customer Portal or Peninsula Leisure Xplor app. 

Please visit our website to see a full list of our opening hours, as well as any alterations to operations over this time. 

#PARCFrankston #ANZACDay2026 #Lestweforget #CentreUpdate
As the weather cools down, we’re making a small change to our waterslide hours. 

From this weekend, our raft waterslides will be open on weekends from 10.00am to 4.00pm. 

All other operating hours and services will remain the same, including our Aquatic Playground hours. 

To check our Centre operating hours and see what’s open before your visit, please visit our website.

We look forward to seeing you in Centre soon!
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We want to understand how attending PARC:
💪 Impacts your physical health and mental wellbeing 
💙 Helps you feel connected to community 
⭐️ Adds value to you or your family’s life 

Your answers will help us measure the value to our community and the real world impact of our programs and spaces - not just how often they’re used, but how they genuinely make a difference. 

The survey is open until 26 April 2026 and will take around 10 minutes. Participants can go in the draw to win 1 of 3 x $100 Rebel Sport vouchers! Complete the survey via the link in our bio.

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