Last week marked ConnPIRG's first annual Food Stamp Challenge. For six days, about 20 UConn challengers committed to eating only what they could afford for $24, or broken down - $4 a day - which is the nationwide average food stamp benefit, according to ConnPIRG. According to the group, more than 26 million low-income people utilize the food stamp program to provide for themselves and their families. More than half of food stamp recipients are children.
As soon as I heard about the challenge, I wanted in. Mainly, I just wanted to prove to myself (and others) that I could do it. My initial reaction was that the challenge would be hard (after all, a frappucino from Starbucks costs more than the daily food stamp allotment) but that just added to my determination. Here I offer a day-by-day account of my experience.
The Premise:
"I pledge to live off $4/day from midnight Sunday, March 30, to 11:59 p.m. Friday, April 4 … I will only eat food I purchased for the project, not items that I already own, excluding condiments … I will avoid accepting free food or meals from family, friends or coworkers - including meeting or reception drinks, snacks and meals."
Sunday: Day One
My trip to the market ends up being very technical. I check prices, compare bulk to retail and weigh everything that can possibly be weighed. I forego fruits and vegetables for more filling staples: multigrain bread ($2), brown rice ($1.50), potatoes ($3), and beans ($1.50). I also buy anything that seems dirt-cheap (under $1): Three bags of popcorn, a carton of green tea and Easy Mac. I give in and buy green grapes at a price that is really, truly, to good to pass up, and lastly, a jar of peanut butter. The food comes out at $18, leaving me with $6 for emergencies. Everything looks good. Who said this would be hard?
But when I put all the food on the checkout counter, it doesn't look like much. And it all fits into one bag. My sister catches me eyeing it. "Nervous?" she asks. "No," I answer resolutely. "I would be," she says, paying for her snacks that will supplement her trips to the dining hall.
Monday: Day Two
Today I eat a little of all my food: a peanut butter sandwich for breakfast, macaroni and cheese for lunch (made without milk or butter, thank you very much) and rice, beans and a potato for dinner. I never feel hungry; on the contrary I feel full, almost sickly full. Too many carbohydrates, I guess. What I really want is anything fresh: fruit, vegetables or juice. Also, I'm a little worried because my throat hurt a lot tonight, and I really don't want to blow my last $6 on orange juice and lozenges. Hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow.
Tuesday: Day Three
Today I wake up and immediately realize two unfortunate things: first, my throat is killing me and second, I can't stand the thought of rice and beans. I can't pinpoint when the latter occurred, but it must've been sometime between last night's dinner and 8 a.m. this morning. In fact, the thought of everything I ate yesterday (which I bought in bulk) makes me feel nauseous. If it were a regular day, I would make myself hot chocolate, drink plenty of OJ and stock up on pudding and popsicles. It's not a regular day. I drag myself to Grand Union to check prices on tea ($3) and chicken broth ($2). Both are too expensive. After all, I only have $6 left. Finally, after scouring the aisles, I decide on Ramen (I can get three packages for $.75!). As I check out and pay, I realize this is the least amount of money I've ever spent at a market. It feels weird. I mean, even if I grabbed a piece of candy, or a soda from one of the coolers near the front, it would cost more than this.
Throughout the day, I eat the food that doesn't yet gross me out (a peanut butter sandwich, grapes and popcorn), but by evening I'm hungry again. And it hurts every time I swallow. Back at Grand Union, I pick up the cheapest thing I can find - ice cream. It comes in at $2, is offered in only one flavor and is extremely unhealthy. It kills me to pass over tons of other varieties - nearly all of which are better for me - to get the cheapest item.
Wednesday: Day Four
Today I ate ice cream for breakfast, ice cream for lunch … and ice cream for dinner (my doctor would not be happy). I wanted to incorporate other foods, but all I'm really working on at this point are popcorn and grapes, both of which I have to ration (I only have about 10 grapes left). I am beyond bored with my food choices and basically sworn off macaroni and cheese, ramen and rice and beans for life.
Today I went cycling and felt incredibly lethargic (go figure). I thought spending less on food would make me feel lighter - from eating so little - but it's really the opposite. The only affordable foods are fattening and make it harder to exercise. Nutritious food is so overpriced, it's like even personal health is a commodity. What it comes down to is this: when you don't have a lot of money, you have to choose between feeling full and feeling healthy.
Thursday: Day Five
Today was not the best day. I finished the ice cream (yes, the whole carton), the peanut butter, the popcorn and the grapes. This freaked me out a lot because I knew I'd soon have to start eating the other food, the stuff I had sworn off of and pushed to the back of the pantry. I started getting hungry midday. My friends noticed: my roommate offered to sell me one of her bananas for a penny (against the rules), my boyfriend offered to go to a soup kitchen and "get some food to go" (impossible) and my sister nonchalantly asked if I were allowed to scavenge through the trash - she planned to drop some perfectly good food in one nearby (against the rules and disgusting).
At night I went to the bar with friends, but I couldn't afford any drinks (having only $3 left). It seemed stupid to waste money on alcohol anyway, since - new revelation - it offers nothing good for the body. I felt left out - just the tip of the iceberg for how low-income kids must feel around wealthier peers who can afford things they can't.
Friday: Day Six
Since today was the final day of the challenge, I went crazy and I blew my remaining $3 on chai at a campus café. I ate my last peanut butter sandwich and ramen noodles. Then I waited. Well, I read and went cycling and drove to work, but all along I waited. The challenge officially ended at midnight and in anticipation I refused to eat any more bread. The end was so near I could literally and figuratively taste it! I went grocery shopping around dinnertime so I'd be prepared when the clock stroke twelve.
Here's some of what I bought: strawberries, apples and grapefruit. Pudding, yogurt and cottage cheese. Lettuce, turkey and shrimp. In short, every delicious, colorful, fresh-looking thing I could reach. My purchases filled two bags and came in at $68.
The hours stretched and stretched. I started feeling weak - really weak, like I might pass out. I started calculating how much less sugar I'd eaten this week, and wondering if my blood sugar level were dangerously low. What if my cells were starving for protein or vitamins?
Finally, at 11:45 p.m., I prepared a turkey and cheese wrap with tomatoes and a pickle. At midnight, I ate it. It was delicious.
Reflection
I've always loved the market: it's like a restaurant but with unlimited choices. You roam the aisles, checking this and that, brainstorming your dinner, finding the ripest fruit. Before this week, nothing at the market was too expensive for my budget. Yes, I check for sales, but if I really want that pineapple, I'm going to buy it - sale or not. For the past week, however, my trips to the market have not been enjoyable. They've been stressful, depressing and frustrating. And the thought that some people live this way - without the thought of relief at the end of the week - is devastating. I realize that even if people aren't literally starving, they are going hungry for want of protein, vitamins and minerals or simply variety. I don't know what the solution is for this hunger epidemic, but now I better understand the problem.
Contact Brittany Dorn at
Brittany.Dorn@UConn.edu.
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