We are what we eat, but to what extent do our eating habits reflect who we are?
To learn more, photographer Gregg Segal traveled around the world capturing images of children from different countries holding objects that represent their source of self-gratification. In three years, the professional photographer visited nine different countries, including Brazil, Senegal, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, France, Italy, India and the United States. To describe his experiences, he wrote Daily Bread: What Kids Eat Around the World. “I focused on children because eating habits start young and if you don’t get into the habit of eating healthy at age 9 or 10, it’s going to be a lot harder when you’re older,” he explains.
1. Kawakanih Yawalapiti, 9, Mato Grosso, Upper Xingu region of Brazil
Kawakanih Yawalapiti, nine years old, is from Mato Grosso, Brazil’s Upper Xingu region. He was pictured on August 19, 2018 in Brasilia. Kawakanih resides in the Amazon Basin of Brazil’s Xingu National Park. He is a member of the Yawalapiti tribe.
2. Chembur, Anchal Sahani, 10,
Mumbai, India
The photo was taken in Chembur, Mumbai, India on March 11, 2017, by ten-year-old Anchal Sahani.
He lives in a small tin shack on a construction site in Mumbai with his parents and two brothers. Her mom earns enough money to make lentils, flatbread, handmade okra, and cauliflower curry, while her dad earns barely $5 a day. Anchal hopes to return to her birthplace on a farm in Bihar, attend a mainstream school, and eventually pursue a career as a teacher.
3/11, Meissa Ndiaye, Senegal, Dakar
On August 30, 2017, Meissa Ndiaye (11) was photographed in Dakar, Senegal. Parcelles Assainies, a district of Meissy, means “clear plots”. He shares a single room with his parents and brother. In the 1970s, Parcelles Assainies, a desolate, sandy area in Dakar, was built to house impoverished individuals fleeing the city. The Meissa neighborhood has an open-air market with hundreds of stalls selling everything from wedding dresses to fresh fish, right across the street from the soccer field. Goats tied with sashes line the streets ahead of Eid al-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice, which falls at the end of August.
4. Brazilian Davi Ribeiro De Jesus, 12, Brasilia
Photo taken in Brasilia, Brazil on August 18, 2018, of 12-year-old Davi Ribeiro de Jesus. Along with his father, stepmother, and three brothers, Davi lives in a tidy one-room house in the favela of Santa Luzia, a slum near the largest landfill in Latin America. Davi usually eats rice and beans, maybe with some meat. However, he refuses to eat bitter vegetables. He can make his noodles, porridge, and fried eggs. Now and then there are treats like delicious popcorn. He is never hungry at night.
5. Francisco Ademilson Dos Santos
(11) Almas Boulevard, Goiás, Brazil
Photo by Ademilson Francisco dos Santos
(11) This photo of Vão de Almas, Goiás, Brazil was taken in BrasÃlia on August 19, 2018. Ademilson is a resident of Vão de Almas, a town in the Cerrado region of Goias with 300 families.
The nearest town is 200 kilometers from Ademilson’s residence. Crops grown by the family include rice, manihot (manioc), sweet potato, squash, beans, cucumber, okra, jillo, orange, lemon, melon, corn, coffee, and sugar cane. Many indigenous fruits are also harvested, including buriti, mangaba, mango, jatobá, pequi, caju, and coconut in India. They produce coconut oil, ammonia oil — also referred to as castor oil — sesame, and peanut pacoca.
6. Hank Segal of Altadena, eight,
California
It was taken on January 30, 2016, by eight-year-old Hank Segal in Altadena, California. Hank lives in Northeast Los Angeles, near the San Gabriel Mountains, with his parents, a photographer and singing teacher, as well as their dog, Django. Among the produce Hank and his parents have grown are artichokes, yams, pomegranates, pea pods, watercress, rosemary, thyme, basil, Serrano peppers, berries, Kyoto grapes, raspberries, strawberries and watermelon. Hank likes to take risks.
7. Beryl Oh Jynn, 8, Malaysia/Kuala Lumpur
Photo taken in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on March 25, 2017, of 8-year-old Beryl Oh Jynn. Beryl lives in a quiet house with her parents and two brothers. Chinese National School,
S. Her house is just a short distance from J. K. Han Ming Puchong. Beryl’s mother owns a nursery school and her father is an engineer. Cake and oats are the first foods that come to Beryl’s mind. She likes pasta with carbonara sauce.
Beryl grows spinach and a side of cabbage in her balcony yard. He refuses to eat ginger and can’t drink soda.
Her dream job would be a cheerleader.
8. 11-year-old Sira Cissokho from Dakar, Senegal
Born on August 30, 1997, Sira Cissokho is eleven years old and lives in Dakar. Tambacounda, about seven hours north of Dakar, is where Sira is from. He is among nine children. Sira’s mother is a housewife and her father is a singer. Sometimes Sir doesn’t eat enough. When important occasions arise, Sira’s mother prepares her favorite dish, chicken. Much of the food Sira and her family eat is grown in their backyard, including millet and peanuts.
Sira now knows how to prepare Ngalakh, a millet-based porridge originating from Senegal. If she had enough money, she would buy her parents a trip to Mecca. More than anything else that she owns, Sira adores the band that her grandfather gave her before he died.
9. Rosalie Durand, age ten, from Nice, France
Ten-year-old Rosalie Durand is pictured on August 18, 2017, in Nice, France. Rosalie’s parents are no longer together, so she now lives with both of them. From his house, he has a view of the French Alps and the Mediterranean Sea. Her father owns a restaurant and taught her how to make lentils and sausage, one of her favorite dishes. He maintains his health by eating a lot of fresh fish such as sardines. He won’t eat anything but rasta and spinach and cucumber.
10. Ten-year-old Adveeta Venkatesh from Mumbai, India
Adveeta Venkatesh, 10, was photographed in Mumbai, India on March 11, 2017. An only child, Adveeta lives with her parents and maternal grandmother, who prepares most of her meals. He lives in a spacious apartment with a balcony view of the Deonar area of ​​Mumbai. She adores South Indian cuisine and is a vegetarian. Her favorite food is dosa, which are pancakes made from fermented rice and beans, combined with yogurt and hot chutney. A few years ago, Adveeta was very careful about what she ate. She didn’t eat most of the food she now eats. During the photo shoot, her father discovered that she still consumes more snacks and sweets.
June 11 Grosser, 8, Germany, Hamburg
Photo taken in Hamburg, Germany on August 11, 2017, by 8-year-old June Grosser. Mom June is a fashion photographer, but she hasn’t taken a photo of her daughter yet. June’s favorite food is schnitzel. She didn’t enjoy vegetables until recently, but now she does. She feels satisfied after eating, but hunger quickly returns. June is silent during dinner. Rather, they hear their parents discussing politics, upcoming elections, and global events. Her long eyelashes, hair, and dreams are some of her favorite aspects of herself. Although she would much rather dream about dreams that come true, she wishes to fly to the moon. June often imagines vampires when she’s in bed trying to fall asleep because she’s reading The Vampire Diaries.
12. California’s Leona “Nona” Del Grosso Sands, 6. Glendale
13. Yusuf Abdullah Al Muhairi, 9 Mirdif, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Yusuf Abdullah Al Muhairi, 9, from Mirdif, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was photographed on August 12, 2018.
After leaving Ireland, Yusuf’s mum moved to Dubai where she worked as a baker and chocolatier. Before their separation, she married an Emirati man and the two had a son. Although he can make toast and scrambled eggs by himself, Yusuf enjoys it when his mother cooks. Yusuf likes to read, write, climb, ride horses, and work on science projects.
When he grows up, he wants to be a policeman or a fighter. If he had the money, he would.
Batman and his mother are heroes to him. Yusuf dreams of having siblings and his mother remarrying. When he lies in bed at night, his dreams include building a birdhouse with his grandfather, fishing in Irish rivers, and visiting Warner Brothers with his grandmother.
14. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Tharkish Sri Ganesh (10) and Mierra Sri Varrsha (8)
Sri Ganesh (age ten) and Sri Varrsha (age eight) on March 26, 2017 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
To improve his lot in life, their great-grandfather traveled from southern India to Malaysia. However, he could only work as a rubber tap until 1943, when the Japanese forced him to build a “death railway” between Siam and Burma. Their mother takes care of the household and prepares most of the meals, while their father works as a gaffer in the film industry. However, on weekends they eat Chinese, Pizza Hut, or KFC. Mierra is bothered by the overwhelming smell of flesh and blood. Cakes and sweets are her favorites. The Thark’s favorite cuisine is puttu, which is boiled ground rice with coconut, bananas, and palm sugar. Onions give off an unpleasant smell and taste, which is why Tharkish dislikes them.
15. Malaysian Siti Khaliesah Nataliea Muhammad Khairizal, 9
Siti Khaliesah Nataliea Muhamad Khairizal, 9, from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was photographed on March 26, 2017. Siti lives outside Kuala Lumpur with her stay-at-home mother, her father, a car salesman, and her four siblings. In addition to cooking, the mother establishes table rules that include saying the Du’a, not drinking water before eating, and not talking while eating. But the family usually doesn’t have dinner together because everyone is so busy. Siti likes the smell of fried instant noodles and spaghetti carbonara. He studies Mandarin, plays the Melodian, and practices Taekwondo at his Chinese school. Every night before she goes to sleep, Siti asks her father to put money under her pillow. He collects various coins and currencies from many nations. When Siti gets enough money, she buys an iPad.
16. Hamburg, Germany Greta Moeller, 7
On August 11, 2017, Greta Moeller, 7, from Hamburg, Germany, was arrested. In addition to his mother and younger sister, who also live in Hamburg, he spends a lot of time with his grandparents. Her grandparents’ house is located near a large chestnut tree. Greta and her younger sister look for chestnuts in the autumn leaves. Greta’s favorite food is fish sticks with applesauce and mashed potatoes. Rice pudding is not her thing. Greta can snap her fingers with both hands quite skillfully. When Greta goes to sleep at night, she thinks about her mother. Her mother is usually in the next room watching TV.
17. Dakar, Senegalese Frank Fadel Agbomenou, eight years old
On March 20, 2016, Isaiah Dedrick, a resident of Long Beach, California, turned sixteen. His mother and
He was raised by his grandmother, who also prepares most of the meals at home. One day, he hopes to have enough space to cultivate his garden. Fried rice and orange chicken are two of Isaiah’s favorite meals. He also likes the smell of apples cooked in cinnamon. After this photo shoot, Isaiah decided to give up snacks because his mom wouldn’t let him drink soda. He asks God to grant that there will be no hunger on earth. Isaiah plays the flute and drums and is training to be an actor. He wants to fly like Stark and have the same sense of humor as Eddie Murphy or Tyler Perry.
19. Cooper Norman, 12 (10 at the time of photo), of Altadena, CA
At the time of filming, Cooper Norman (12) was ten years old in Altadena, California, USA. captured on January 30, 2016. Cooper lives in the Altadena Mountains of California with his father, a human resources professional, and his mother, a school principal. Cooper was invited by the bride’s uncle to join them because of his impeccable dining. At Odyssey Charter School, Cooper grows a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. When it comes to food, he is willing to try almost anything, but his mother is from Thailand, so Thai food is his favorite. My first food memory is eating Cheerios in my stroller.
20. Hintze, John, 7, Hamburg
Germany
On August 11, 2017, 7-year-old John Hintze was arrested in Hamburg, Germany. He lives with his parents in a quiet area of ​​Hamburg where there are more trees than cars in a large apartment with a yard. According to John, it consumes everything. He likes to eat his morning meal in bed.
His parents always bring him toast and oatmeal before school. John’s favorite foods include Chinese takeout with cashews, Grandma’s Roast, and Orange Fanta. However, Fanta is limited to weekend consumption. During the week there is only water. He doesn’t like mushrooms like he used to. Once he and his friend Henry made a fruit plate with a sushi knife.
21. Jessica (8, right) and Alexandra (9, left) Lewis, Altadena,
California
Photographed on February 21, 2016, Jessica (8, right) and Alexandra (9, left) Lewis, residents of Altadena, California, USA. Jessica and Alex’s parents are engineers who work at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Canada, California. They have fruit trees, vines, and blackberry bushes in their yard. Bananas, mulberry, jujube, guava, peach, pomegranate, and figs are among them. They also own chickens, from which they consume eggs practically every day. Jessica likes sweets and ham pizza but dislikes peppers, beans, sushi, and chocolate. She enjoys thinking and drawing. Alex likes to prepare her meals and cook. Cheese and macaroni are her favorite food. Broccoli or Brussels sprouts, which are still too moist from the night before, are forbidden for her. A large portion of leftover food from the photo shoot was brought home by Alex and Jessica to feed the chickens.
22. Paolo Mendolaro from Sicily, 9, Belpaso
This photo of nine-year-old Paolo Mendolaro was taken in Belpasso, Sicily on August 23, 2017. Paulo and his four children live in an apartment in Belpasso, a historic small village on the east coast of Sicily that dates back to 1305. Paolo’s mother makes pasta alla Norma and Sicilian cannolo for the family after work despite working full-time for a cosmetics company. Paolo’s favorite food is roast chicken or pizza, which they have once a week. Paulo is the ultimate pizza, spaghetti, cookie, and donut maker. Paolo helped his grandfather harvest tomatoes, peas, olives, eggplant, zucchini, peppers, strawberries, peaches, and beans from his huge garden. Paolo wrote a weekly notebook for Daily Bread. He went to the beach with his family that week and indulged in a less nutritious meal than usual. They consumed a lot of fast food. He offers his daily prayers for his parents.
23. Brasilia, Brazil – Henrico Valias Sant’anna De Souza Dantas, 10,
On August 18, 2018, Henrico Valias Sant’anna de Souza Dantas (10) was photographed in Brasilia, Brazil. Henrico, his two brothers, and his mother – a film producer and owner of an advertising agency – live in a pleasant part of Brasilia. Henrico likes to make his snacks, although his mother, grandmother, and maid prepare them for him every day. Feijoada, a Brazilian stew made with pork and black beans, is his favorite dish. It is served with white rice, collard greens, and “farofa” (fried cassava flour). In addition, Henrico likes chocolate soufflé, Toblerone and Talento bars, anything with Nutella, “brigadeiro” which is a baked ball of condensed milk and chocolate, bread and butter sprinkled with Nescau powder (a treat his uncle used to make), and food. he created himself, which consists of a steak wrapped in banana slices.
24. Daria Joy Cullen of Pasadena, age six,
California
This photo of 6-year-old Daria Joy Cullen was taken in Pasadena, California on February 21, 2016.
She enjoys treats like bacon, pasta, buttered popcorn, milk chocolate, and mint chocolate chip ice cream. He refuses to eat any fruit or vegetables, not even mashed bananas or applesauce. Daria’s parents are concerned that she may have an overly strong gag reflex, and her doctor is concerned about her low weight and limited nutrition. Because her older sister is outgoing and has good violin technique, Daria looks up to her. For fun, he pretends to be a monkey to make his classmates laugh. When Daria grows up, she wants to become a dog trainer. If she got enough money, she would buy a puppy and a horse.
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Photographer Gregg Segal’s project, *Daily Bread: What Kids Eat Around the World*, offers an in-depth look at how children’s diets reflect their lives and environment. Through her compelling images and stories from nine countries, Segal reveals not only the foods children eat, but also the socioeconomic and cultural contexts that shape their eating habits. Each photograph is a snapshot of everyday life and shows how food connects us to our traditions, families, and personal aspirations.
From a young girl’s lentil curry in Mumbai to a boy’s homemade pizza in Sicily, these images and stories highlight the diverse yet universal nature of food. Segal’s choice to focus on children underscores the idea that eating habits formed early in life can have a lasting impact on health and well-being. His work encourages us to reflect on our eating practices and consider how they fit into the wider tapestry of global food cultures.
The stories behind each dish reveal both challenges and joys, from the scarcity of resources in Dakar to the abundance of fresh produce in Altadena. Through these glimpses into the lives of children around the world, Segal invites viewers to appreciate the richness of our collective human experience and the simple yet profound role that food plays in our lives.Â
Overall, *Daily Bread* serves as a reminder of the shared human experience that unites us across cultures and geographies, highlighting that despite our differences, we are all united by our daily meals and the memories they create.