I read with interest Gwyneth
Paltrow's acceptance of the Food Bank Challenge. She posted the
picture of the groceries she purchased for $29. which are supposed to
last for one week. The idea is that people on food stamps, now called
SNAP, only receive $29 per week for groceries, and Paltrow intends to
attract attention to their plight by taking the challenge herself. I
have no comment on the politics of this, beyond everybody needs to
eat.
As far as I can see, the
real challenge here is making meals out of the groceries she brought
home. I always keep limes around, but buying seven limes at one time
seems a bit excessive to me. However, in Florida, limes can be fairly
cheap, sometimes only 5 for $1. so no worries. The only real protein
in her basket is the eggs. I know, I know, beans and rice are a
perfect protein combination. However, if you live on a diet of beans
and rice and are not a vegetarian by choice, you will find yourself
craving meat within the week. Try it. I don't know where you can find
corn on the cob in April. I'm sure it grows somewhere, but isn't in
season here, and I doubt corn on the cob is in the grocery stores
here at all right now.
In Florida the average
amount of SNAP benefit is $34.50 per person per week. Not the $29 per
week as it apparently is in New York. Or, maybe that is the amount New York is threatening to
lower SNAP to, not sure, and don't really care for this particular
experiment.
Here is the picture of Gwyneth Paltrow's grocery basket for $29.
And here is the list, as
close as I can figure:
black beans - dry - looks
like a 12 oz or 16 oz bag
whole grain brown rice -
can't really tell the size of the bag
a dozen white eggs
romaine lettuce
one avocado
one onion
one ear of corn
one tomato
one jalapeno
kale
bag of green peas - frozen I
think
corn tortillas - looks like
a package of 18
a bunch of green onions
seven limes
one sweet potato
My challenge is to buy that
list of food as inexpensively as possible. I am pretty sure it won't
come anywhere near $29. Then I'm going to spend whatever I have left
over out of the $29 on more food that can actually be turned into
meals. And I'm going to see if I can feed my husband and me for a
week on the $29. I'll let you know how it goes.
