I thought carefully about what was important to me from my diet—not just the taste of the foods I like, but the frequency with which I eat them, and my concerns about what lurks inside them. I worry about what chemicals I am ingesting, unknowingly, with every ‘healthy’ choice I make. With this in mind, I headed to the local Walmart, thinking about the kinds of staples that are the foundation of a healthy, well-rounded diet: vegetables, fruit, lean protein, and dairy. While Walmart is not known for its wide selection of locally-grown organic produce, there are some options, so I went around and compared prices on eggs, milk, chicken breasts, broccoli, and apples. Broccoli and apples are widely considered produce that exposes us to harmful chemicals and pesticides, due to their lack of a thick, inedible skin, and chickens (and their eggs) are often given genetically altered feed and antibiotics which are then ingested by the consumer. Without fail, I observed a significant price hike between the organic and the non-organic options for these foods.

In some cases, it was reasonably negligible: a bag of organic apples was a dollar more than a bag of non-organic apples, resulting in a price hike of approximately 20 cents per apple. In others, it was significant: the price of organic chicken breasts which claim the live chickens were exposed to no antibiotics or harmful chemicals was very nearly 3 times as expensive per ounce as the cheapest option, the bags of frozen chicken breasts. There is a growing body of research about the long-term effects of food additives and livestock exposure and its results on our health. On my limited budget, I will have to make some hard decisions between quantity and quality. My concerns about having enough food will often have to outweigh my concerns about having the right food—we have to feed ourselves, and our children, even if we are deeply concerned about the only food we can afford to put on the table.

I spent some time wandering around in the stores and doing some pre-pricing of things, so that I would be able to put together a workable meal plan. Even as I was doing this, I realized–this isn’t a normal or sustainable activity. If I were on this budget all the time in real life, I would probably not have an hour and a half to spend scrutinizing the aisles at Walmart, figuring out how I could eat for a week on $5 a day without perishing of boredom and angst. Still, I managed to put together a good plan for the week. It was a lazy plan, to be sure: the same thing for every meal, every day. I was fortunate enough to have a good family recipe for rice and beans–a cheap dish that can be made in bulk and which I sincerely enjoy.

So the week would not be that bad, but I know if I were to live like this permanently, I would have to have some sort of rotating system for meals. Or at least, until now I have experienced the privilege of prioritizing variety in my diet, and I felt uncomfortable and dismayed at the thought of having to give that up for long periods of time. I think perhaps that is the goal of the SNAP challenge. Is it possible to survive on such a limited food budget? Sure. (Though I also realize I live in an area where the cost of groceries and produce is relatively low.) But is it pleasant? It is not. Should anyone have to stress constantly about food? Aren’t we supposed to be a first-world society, where we are spoiled for choice and the least of us lives comfortably? I remember, when I started considering this challenge, I felt a bit cocky–I’d have no problem coming in at or under my $35 budget. But this week I realized, as I’m sure CFLS intended, that this is not simply an academic challenge, not for many citizens of our country. This is a very real problem. If the price of a bag of chicken goes up by $2, that’s an issue. And with $5 a day, there is no room to grab a convenience food on the go.

This week has changed my mind. Not because it was so difficult for the duration, but because I kept thinking, “next week I can…” and at some point, I realized: that’s the point. What if there was no “next week,” metaphorically speaking? I discovered that I was as guilty of everyone else of thinking, “That’s not so hard. I could totally do that.” And it’s true: I can totally do it. But could I live it? And should anyone have to?

The answer to that one is pretty easy. No one should have to worry that much, in this country that claims to be the greatest, about where their next meal comes from.

My Shopping List.

Green Pepper                         $ 0.68                          Apples                  $3.97

Onion                                      $ 0.90                          Potatoes                     $ 2.50

Brown Rice                            $ 1.16                          Sour Cream                $ 1.28

Black Beans                           $ 1.38                          Cheese                        $ 2.32

Chicken                                   $ 9.98                          Baby carrots              $ 1.38
(for approximately 14 breasts)

Oatmeal                                  $ 1.58

Eggs (dozen)                            $ 1.88

Green Beans (4 cans)              $ 3.00

Milk                                         $ 2.48                          Total                          $32.54

Beans & Rice Recipe.

n  1lb Black Beans

n  1 Green Pepper

n  1 Onion

n  White Vinegar

n  Cilantro (dried)

n  Garlic or Garlic Powder

n  Salt & Pepper

1. Fill sauce pot ¾ full with water; boil beans for 30 minutes
2. Chop & sauté pepper and onion with salt, pepper, and garlic (or powder)
3. Add vegetables to pot of beans, along with ¼ cup vinegar and Tobasco to taste
4. Cover and cook 5-8 hours on low.
5. Remove cover and bring to high boil for 30-45 minutes, stirring often, until beans thicken.

AND

I am very sick today so I did not have much of an appetite. All that I ate for the day is clam chowder that cost $2.88. Because I am sick the soup was enough for me and I did not feel extremely hungry. I am worried that I am becoming sick due to the lack of nutrition that I have had for the past few days. I would go and buy different vitamins to supplement what I am not getting through food; however, that would totally deplete my budget. This food situation is horrible. I am not sure how thousands go through this. The only thing that is getting me through this challenge is the knowledge that it’s only a couple more days before I can eat like I normally do. When I think about the proposed SNAP budget cuts I get sick. Families are hardly getting the nutrients that they need now, how on earth are they supposed to with an even smaller budget? It makes me angry to feel helpless. I become even angrier when I feel like there is nothing I can do about this situation. It’s this feeling of helplessness is what many women experience throughout their lives. I can only imagine that other people on this $5 budget feel like they don’t have a voice. This is what this course has been all about. It’s important that we find a voice in this situation and help others in need.

Day 6

I believe that today was the FIRST day that I shopped sensibly. I just so happened to walk into Target this morning to kill time waiting for a friend of mine and I felt like I struck GOLD. So far Target has some of the lower prices when it comes to different (convenient) food items. Today I purchased a 10-pack box of oatmeal for $1.74 and two cans of Campbell’s Chunky soup for $1.52 each. In total I spent $4.78 for three decent meals.

 I never would have thought that I would be so excited to catch different food items on sale! Honestly, I was starting to doubt that I could even find 3 hearty meals under $5. I was very content with my breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Although I am elated to finally have decent meals with this budget I have to admit that I would get tired of eating just oatmeal and soup all day. I think that many people within this certain dietary budget may just eat the same sort of meals day in and day out. This cannot be healthy for adults, not to mention growing children.

My main concerns with this SNAP challenge are hunger and nutrients. How can anyone avoid being malnourished with a $5 a day budget? How do babies receive all the vitamins/etc. that they need to survive on $5 a day? It irks me that there could even be budget cuts when families under SNAP can barely feed themselves already. I honestly want to know what is on the government’s mind when they decide to literally take food from the mouths of babes. We cannot help others if we do not start attacking the everyday barriers.

Day 7

Today was another successful day of the SNAP challenge for me. I ate some of the oatmeal that I bought yesterday for breakfast. I went back to Target to pick up some other things for lunch and dinner. I lucked out and was able to buy three cans of Chef Boyardee for $ 0.90 each. I also bought a snack pack of Tuna and crackers for $ 1.69. My total for the day was $ 4.39 and I was able to snack as well as eat real meals. I starting to think that if I knew how to shop smarter I might not have had to starve the beginning of the week. I cannot say that I have been eating delicious meals, however, the past few days have definitely became more filling for me.
I think this whole process has been a learning experience and a deep eye – opener. I do not think that I am the only person who was not able to shop wisely with my daily $ 5 budget. There are probably many people who had to struggle for a while before they could figure out how to make their money last. I also think that I might have been able to make more nutritional meals if I bought for the entire week with $ 35. After looking at the different meals I have been eating I can honestly say that I wasted my $ 5 budget on junk. I think that if I were to perhaps buy a decent amount of meat for the week, a box of oatmeal and maybe different pastas I would have been able to eat better for cheaper. Of course this is speculation, but I believe that if I had to continue this lifestyle I would desperately have to find a way to make it work.

Day 8

Today for breakfast I was able to eat the oatmeal that I bought a couple days ago. I honestly think that was the best purchase that I have made during this SNAP challenge. The oatmeal was cheap and filling. When I eat the oatmeal in the morning (8am) it tends to hold me over until my lunch (around 1pm). For lunch and dinner I ate two different kinds of Hormel Completes. The first meal was cheese manicotti with meat sauce and the second meal was Swedish meatballs. Each Hormel Complete cost me $2.49 at Publix. My total for the day came to $4.98.

I think that the SNAP challenge has helped me become a smarter shopper. Before this challenge I was big on convenience and I never really paid attention to how much I truly spend on food. While $5 a day is definitely not enough to eat healthily off of I can openly admit that have spent a good portion of my check on junk/fast food. The SNAP challenge has changed my perspective on my spending/eating habits. I think that this challenge has also helped me curve my appetite instead of eating all around the clock. Before this challenge it was a normal day if I ate about 5 decent size meals and snacked in between. After the SNAP challenge I am happy if I can eat three decent meals a day. This whole experience has absolutely been a humbling one.

After the SNAP challenge I have a better understanding of the issue we are trying to tackle. Poverty-stricken homes are living in horrible conditions and it does not seem to get any better. Proposed budget cuts to SNAP are only going to increase rates of starvation and ultimately death. I think that it’s important that we stay informed about these issues and fight to help those who are in dire need. This challenge has helped me develop a greater respect for SNAP and organizations like CFLS.

Homeless individuals are at a high risk for illness and have higher death rates than the general population. Patterns of mortality among homeless men have been investigated, but less attention has been given to mortality rates among homeless women (Cheung & Hwang, 2004). Research was conducted over 2.6 years in Toronto on 1,981 women not accompanied by dependent children. A study on mortality rates and causes of death on a group of women who used homeless shelters in Toronto was conducted. They compared their results with those of other distributed studies of homeless women and with data for women in the general population. Additionally, analysts studied data from published studies of mortality rates among six other cities including: Montreal, Copenhagen, Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Brighton, UK (Cheung & Hwang, 2004).

Results showed that in Toronto mortality rates were 515 per 100,000 people-years among homeless women 18-44 years of age and 438 per 100,000 people-years among those 45-64 years of age. Homeless women 18-44 years of age were 10 times more likely to die than women in the general population of Toronto (Cheung & Hwang, 2004). In studies from a total of 7 cities, the risk of death among homeless women was greater than that among women in the general population by 4.6 to 31.2 in the younger age group and 1.0 to 2.0 in the older age group. In 6 of the 7 cities, the mortality rates among younger homeless women and younger homeless men were not found to be significantly different (Cheung & Hwang, 2004). Excess mortality is much greater among homeless women under age 45 years than among older homeless women. Mortality rates among younger homeless women often approach or equal those of younger homeless men. 

Homelessness is an important problem in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Earlier studies have documented the high burden of illness among homeless people are due to mental illness, medical conditions, tuberculosis, infections, and traumatic injuries. These illnesses, in combination with severe poverty and the scarce access to health care lead to high mortality rates among homeless people (Cheung & Hwang, 2004).

In Philadelphia, the mortality rate among homeless adults was 3.5 times higher than the rate in the general population. In a study of homeless people in Boston, mortality rates among men were 5.9, 3.0 and 1.6 times higher than those in the general population for people 18-24, 25-44 and 45-64 years of age respectively (Cheung & Hwang, 2004). A study of people using homeless shelters in New York found age-adjusted death rates 2 to 3 times higher than those in the city’s general population. Among women using homeless shelters in Toronto, mortality rates were 8.3, 3.7 and 2.3 times higher than rates among men in the general population aged 18-24, 25-44 and 45-64 years respectively (Cheung & Hwang, 2004).

Although a significant proportion of homeless people happen to be women, very little attention has been focused on patterns of mortality in this subgroup. Among homeless people, single men, single women and women with children often to have different health problems and should be given detailed attention. 

Resource: Cheung, A. M., & Hwang, S. W. Risk of death among homeless women:

A Cohort and Review of the Literature, 170(8), 1243-1247.

Today was an unexpectedly lucky day. Running late to work I did not have the time to search for something within my budget to eat for breakfast, so I made a decision to omit breakfast. For most of the day I was STARVING. The hunger pangs seemed unbearable during the morning. I was extremely irritable and frustrated with myself and the SNAP challenge. I felt that if it wasn’t for this crazy challenge then I wouldn’t be starving myself. And then it hit me… I was having a very negative outlook on what thousands of people/families are going through. This gnawing hunger is what many growing children have to deal with. How selfish am I to complain over a couple of days?

I am starting to resent how “snotty” I have been about this entire challenge. In a way I feel like I am not close to my “sisters” like my story is nowhere near as important as theirs. Once upon a time I would have sworn that I knew what it was like to struggle, to be treated differently, etc.; but, now I am starting to realize that my oppressions are an extremely different battle than this. Right now, Moschkovich’s article: ”But I Know You, American Woman” comes to mind. Moschkovich writes “I believe that lack of knowledge about other cultures is one of the bases for cultural oppression,” (Moschkovich, pg 79). She is correct. My ignorance to others in this situation did not help me understand how important the need for better spending budgets when it comes to assistance. Naturally, when you hear of people that are barely making an ends meet you feel bad; however, until you WITNESS or EXPERIENCE what’s really going on you never truly understand. Due to production rates of my job the manager actually bought pizza/sodas/snacks for everyone at the community financial center to enjoy. This actually made my day. It was such a blessing to be able to eat free food and maintain my budget. I have to admit that I ate on my break as if I hadn’t eaten in years.

This SNAP Challenge is making a difference in Oriana’s life and we want you to be next! Contact Program Manager Jeannina Perez at jperez@cflsdc.org for more information. 

Day 3

Today I was actually pleased with the meal I chose. In the store, I bought soy milk and cereal and continued to eat it for the day. I believe that the fiber of the cereal and the protein from the soy milk definitely gave my hunger some sort of relief. I don’t think I would be able to eat cereal and soy milk every day, but I am pretty proud of my accomplishment. I do wish that it would not take me so long to figure out what to buy in the store though. I can spend an easy 30 minutes in the grocery store looking at different things, comparing prices, and analyzing how filling the meal should be. The soy milk cost $2.97 and the cereal cost $2.50 for a total of $5.47 for the day.

When discussing my dilemma with a few single mothers that I know they suggested that I try to shop at some of the dollar stores in my area. I have been told that for a single, childless woman it might be easier and cheaper for me to find more “on – the – go” meals instead of going to the actual grocery store. By seeking advice from my peers, I felt a better sense of community, which is something that I believe this course is all about. It’s definitely important to have others to help you in a time of need. Their willingness to help reminds me of the sort of sisterhood that many of the courses authors wrote about.

Oriana asked her peers for advice on how to find low cost meals. Do you have some good suggestions to share?