Friday, I had grits and toast for breakfast, crackers and a banana for lunch and two hamburgers from White Castle ($.51 apiece) for dinner.
On Saturday, I skipped breakfast. We held a press conference at the Discount Grocery in Berkeley, which is one of the few places where people on a low budget can get some […]
Breakfast - a bowl of grits and a piece of toast
Lunch - a banana and crackers
Dinner - Chicken thigh and rice (with hot sauce from Taco Bell) and a can of peas
This is such an unhealthy diet. I am trying to eat the most healthy food I can afford, but I have no problem imagining […]
Breakfast - 1 bowl of grits and a banana
Lunch - beef soft taco from Taco Bell ($.79)
It’s hard to concentrate for any length of time on anything except food. I don’t know how people with no money for decent meals do anything - study, work, exercise, read, have fun, etc. It’s all about just making […]
I began my food stamp challenge on Monday, June 4th, and it has been challenging. I would say that I’m surprised by the fact that it’s been more of a mental than physical struggle. One thing that is for sure, I realize what I had been taking for granted- the accessibility to quality, tasteful food. […]
One of our participants asked me if you could use food stamps at Farmers’ Markets. You can shop there if the markets accept EBT cards. Food stamp recipients used to get coupons but now everyone gets electronic benefits. The idea was to lessen the stigma by not making it so obvious that someone was on […]
Last night I made 2 burritos and ate some crackers. I baked 4 chicken thighs and froze 2 for next week.
Today I ate a bowl of grits and a slice of toast for breakfast, a chicken sandwhich for lunch (made at home) and 4 crackers around 5pm. Tonight, I will eat another chicken […]
In recognition of National Hunger Awareness Day, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) began the “Food Stamp Challenge” on Tuesday. The challenge is an effort by Members of Congress to experience first-hand the challenges food stamp recipients face on limited assistance and highlight the importance of the Food Stamp Program. Abiding by the rules, Norton […]
My name is Congresswoman Barbara Lee, and I represent California’s Ninth Congressional District, and today I began the Food Stamp Challenge. Over the next seven days, I will live on $21 worth of food, the average weekly benefit for a food stamp recipient.
In my district, there are approximately 65,000 people enrolled in the food […]
Yesterday, I noticed my two last bananas were turning brown and mushy. I decided to refrigerate them which made me start singing, “but you must never put bananas in the refrigerator, oh no, no, no.” Well, I should have heeded the song because when I awoke and checked on the bananas, they had turned dark […]
This will be a long first post, but I have a lot to share. I’m three days into my Food Stamp Challenge. I started at an advantage. I don’t have to worry about getting to a store that has a wide variety of products including fresh fruits and vegetables or relying on public transportation or […]