I’d definitely define myself as a food and beverage snob. I love to eat out and buy fancy Icelandic butter at Whole Foods Market and drink expensive hard cider. About the only discounts I look for are Foursquare specials and happy hours.
Since I first left for college, my mom has been on my case about spending too much money on food. When she told me about an event going on back home in Seattle that involved eating on a food-stamp budget, I’m pretty sure her intent was to get me thinking about those less-fortunate than I — not to motivate me into taking a challenge that essentially turned into an exercise in starvation.
The Hunger Challenge is an experiment organized by United Way of King County that challenged people to eat on a $7 budget each day, which is the maximum food stamp benefit for an individual in the state of Washington.
I took on the challenge, with a few adjustments. After budgeting $35 for the five-day challenge, I allowed myself to use olive oil and spices from my kitchen, even though one of the rules of the challenge is that you can’t eat anything you already own (alongside no eating out and no accepting free food).
I did my grocery shopping in two trips at Sunflower Farmers Market and made sure to bring reusable bags for a 10-cent redemption (yes, I was a little paranoid about going over the budget). The results of my first shopping trip surprised me. After filling my basket rather frugally and weighing all of my bags of bulk food, I was still concerned that I spent too much. But I didn’t, and here’s the proof:
First shopping trip: $17.11 Can of black beans $0.99 Spaghetti noodles $0.99 Green lentils $0.60 Brown rice $0.93 Cheddar Cheese $3.64 Five bananas $0.92 Three apples $1.20 Celery $1.50 Carrots $0.89 Oatmeal (1 lb) $0.97 Brown sugar (because I refuse to eat oatmeal without it) $0.29 Two potatoes $1.20 Frozen edamame $2.69 Second shopping trip: $3.38 Clove of garlic $0.50 White onion $0.21 Organic Split Green Peas (1 lb) $2.27 Ginger $0.40
All in all, five days worth of food came out to just over $20.
The biggest challenges for me were expected. As a vegetarian, I eat a wider and more expensive variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as a lot of dairy products. Cutting out pricey berries and yogurt was manageable, but those are luxuries I would like to keep in my diet.
Two things that I don’t typically categorize as part of my food budget are alcohol and my daily $4 iced chai. Living on the food-stamp budget meant no unnecessary beverages, which was a hard reality for a Seattleite who was practically breast-fed on Starbucks.
I think the greatest thing I took from the Hunger Challenge and the corresponding research I conducted about budgeted diets is that sticking to the rules and making a perfect $7 meal plan is not important whatsoever.
The reason the Hunger Challenge exists is not just so that individuals can empathize with those who live on food stamps. It is also about inspiring individuals to take action by helping to end hunger for those whose means are within this difficult reality.
With that said, here are a few ways you can directly help end hunger in your community: • Donate the free item from a “buy one, get one” discount • Grow your own vegetables or fruits and donate them to a food bank (who doesn’t have a thousand lemons and grapefruits in their backyard?) • Plan a food drive with your club or organization • Volunteer with an organization like Meals on Wheels or at a local food bank
Eating delicious food on a budget is easier than it seems, though, as long as you have a range of spices available for flavor. Here’s a long-lasting split pea soup recipe given to me by a friend. Curried Split Pea Soup
Ingredients: Large pot with lid 2 cups (about 1 lb) dried split peas 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium white onion, diced 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced 3 cloves garlic, minced 8 cups water 1 carrot, grated (optional) Spice blend: 2 teaspoons curry powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin ¼ teaspoon ground coriander ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom 2 teaspoons salt Generous pinch cinnamon
Directions: • Sauté the onion in the olive oil at medium heat for about five minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and spices. Sauté for two more minutes. • Add the water and stir well. Add split peas; cover and bring to a boil. • Bring heat back down to medium; let soup simmer for about an hour or until peas are tender. • Grate in carrot and serve.
Contact the reporter at melody.parker@asu.edu
