Hunger challenge day 1: I can do this
Can I feed myself for just $7 a day for five days?
That's the question I'm going to try to answer by participating in United Way's hunger challenge.
The goal is to live for a week in the life of a food stamps recipient; $7 is the maximum amount allotted to an individual under Washington's Basic Food Program.
And there are rules, like don't eat the food you already own -- that includes oils and spices, salt and pepper not included. You also cannot accept free food, not even samples at the grocery store. And you should try to eat fresh produce and healthy protein every day.
My initial thought: I can do this. I'm pretty frugal, and I don't require much. I mean, heck, I still eat Lunchables on the regular, for better or worse.
But for this exercise, I'm aiming for a well-balanced diet. So I picked out a few healthy recipes and made enough of each to last me the week's worth of lunches and dinners.
For lunch, I made a big pan of vegetable lasagna: thin slices of squash and zucchini layered with pasta, store-bought sauce and a thin layer of fresh mozzarella on top - and for dinner, a three-bean salad and corned beef - not my first choice of protein, but it was on sale.
I bought five apples, rice cakes and peanut butter to eat as breakfast and snack. I also grabbed an emergency carton of tomato soup just in case I run out of things to eat. Oh, and three bars of dark chocolate, because my sweet tooth refuses to be denied.
I visited three different stores to hunt for bargains. And in all, I spent just under $31. I don't plan on spending the remaining dollars in my budget since I'll be drinking coffee I already own. Plus I also used in my dishes olive oil and a pinch of cumin from my kitchen that I've got to make up for somehow.
Looking ahead to the week, I'm not too worried about my food intake. I am, however, worried about not having the option to run into a coffee shop for an emergency cup later in the week.
I reckon this is not a big concern for the typical food stamps recipient. Obviously, I don't know the first thing about hunger, at least not yet.
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Editor's note: Martha Kang took the hunger challenge during the week of March 14, the week before the official Hunger Action Week, due to a scheduling conflict. Stories about her experience will run this week.
That's the question I'm going to try to answer by participating in United Way's hunger challenge.
The goal is to live for a week in the life of a food stamps recipient; $7 is the maximum amount allotted to an individual under Washington's Basic Food Program.
And there are rules, like don't eat the food you already own -- that includes oils and spices, salt and pepper not included. You also cannot accept free food, not even samples at the grocery store. And you should try to eat fresh produce and healthy protein every day.
My initial thought: I can do this. I'm pretty frugal, and I don't require much. I mean, heck, I still eat Lunchables on the regular, for better or worse.
But for this exercise, I'm aiming for a well-balanced diet. So I picked out a few healthy recipes and made enough of each to last me the week's worth of lunches and dinners.
For lunch, I made a big pan of vegetable lasagna: thin slices of squash and zucchini layered with pasta, store-bought sauce and a thin layer of fresh mozzarella on top - and for dinner, a three-bean salad and corned beef - not my first choice of protein, but it was on sale.
I bought five apples, rice cakes and peanut butter to eat as breakfast and snack. I also grabbed an emergency carton of tomato soup just in case I run out of things to eat. Oh, and three bars of dark chocolate, because my sweet tooth refuses to be denied.
I visited three different stores to hunt for bargains. And in all, I spent just under $31. I don't plan on spending the remaining dollars in my budget since I'll be drinking coffee I already own. Plus I also used in my dishes olive oil and a pinch of cumin from my kitchen that I've got to make up for somehow.
Looking ahead to the week, I'm not too worried about my food intake. I am, however, worried about not having the option to run into a coffee shop for an emergency cup later in the week.
I reckon this is not a big concern for the typical food stamps recipient. Obviously, I don't know the first thing about hunger, at least not yet.
---
Editor's note: Martha Kang took the hunger challenge during the week of March 14, the week before the official Hunger Action Week, due to a scheduling conflict. Stories about her experience will run this week.
