Taking on the $31 per week food challenge
An interesting food challenge is making the rounds. No, it’s not about eating a 6 pound burger. For 1 week (starting Oct 27), you must eat only based on the average food stamp allotment.
This means, if one takes up the challenge, you can eat about food costing no more than $31 in a week. This, according to FWPF comes to spending a $1.50 per meal.
This is intriguing. The objectives of issuing the challenge are not immediately obvious. FWPF claim that only by actually eating like a beneficiary of the food stamp program, will we be able to understand the importance and the pitfalls of the program.
There is a detailed plan if you wish to take up this challenge. This includes writing down a detailed spending chart, eating food which one has purchased for this challenge and writing about this challenge.
It’s really tough for New Yorkers. NYC does not have too many options for a meal which is priced under $2. The only meals that come to mind are veggie samosas from the halal cart or a toasted bagel without cream cheese. Sheila Steffen, a producer for CNN blogs about her experiences during the challenge in NYC.
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) has taken up this challenge and has blogged about it on the Huffington Post. As has Rabbi Steve Gutow President and Chief Executive Officer of the Jewish Council of Public Affairs. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn) and his family are also living on a food stamp budget as per this report by ABC News.
What was truly interesting was the shopping list which Rep. Schakowsky had planned out - the list has veggies, meat and protein.
Rep. Courtney tweeted about one of his meals on Day 6 :
Day 6
#snapchallenge lunch: cheese sandwich, carrot sticks and an apple.http://yfrog.com/nx3g0mtj
The challenge seems to have provided food for thought. There are 45 million users on the Food Stamp program as per CNN Money, an all time high. According to the report
The rise in food stamp use comes as the U.S. job market continues to sputter, and food prices across the country climb.
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