I tried to do the Food Stamp Challenge yesterday. I didn’t have time to go to Shaw’s, to mindfully scan the aisles, to cook and to clean…and it occurred to me that very few Food Stamp recipients have that kind of leisure time, either. So I made up my mind that I would just stick to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches all day, no more than three of them, and did a little mental math to assure myself that I wouldn’t exceed my $3/day limit.
I cruised into the dining hall at 1:40pm, just as the staff in Davenport was starting to clean up and prepare for dinner—the woman at the ID station was kind enough to sneak me in. I went straight for the white bread. One of the women stepped back from her cleaning and offered me access to the deli meats.
“No thanks,” I told her. “I’m just looking for some peanut butter and jelly.”
“Peanut butter and jelly?” she repeated. You’re a growing girl, you should get some protein in you. Here, have some salami.”
There’s no way I can afford salami, I told myself. I smiled at her and crossed the servery to the pb&j. As I passed by a panful of sloppy joes and a tray of chocolate-frosted cupcakes, the dining hall never seemed so appetizing.
I headed back to my room, thirsty for a drink. I usually spend my days and nights nursing an addiction to Arizona Diet Green Tea. It costs a steep $2.20 per 20 oz. at the Law School, but I save $10+ by buying it in gallons at Shaw’s. Still, at $2.99 per gallon, it’s a luxury that I just can’t justify. Same goes for the BRITA filter that we keep in our suite fridge. I picked up a glass and filled it up to the top with tap water from the bathroom sink. It wasn’t quite the same. I drank enough to wash down the peanut butter, and spilled the rest down the drain.
I spent the rest of the day distracted, hungry, and cranky. Two more pb&js for dinner didn’t do the trick, either. I thought about how many busy days I had skipped lunch and/or dinner, only to realize later that I had completely forgotten to eat. But this day was different—I felt such a burden. I couldn’t stop thinking about food. I tried reading the blogs of other people who’d taken the Food Stamp Challenge for moral support. But I just couldn’t make myself concentrate—which was a real problem, because I had a paper due this morning. How are you supposed to produce quality work when you’re hungry?
Sometime in the evening, I caved—and proceeded to devour far more than my $3 share of rice and brisket. I never thought rice could taste so good.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Coffee Dates?
So I didn't find it so hard to eat for $3 for one day - it helps to have a kitchen and a car. I shopped at Price Rite in Hamden (great place, very cheap, nice people) and made a big pot of red beans and rice on Sunday. The whole pot probably cost $2.00, and I only ate about a third of it on Monday, the day I took the Challenge.
So I ate:
oatmeal with peanut butter for breakfast - probably less than $.50
Red beans and rice for lunch and dinner - about $.75
leftover cabbage and onions and string beans with lunch - about $.50
an apple - about $.30
ice cream before bed - it was on sale, $2.99 for a 1/2 gallon, and, although I ate more than I should, I didn't eat all that much, say, $.35 cents worth.
That's about $2.50 for the day.
But the day was pretty low on veggies - if I'd eaten a salad, I'd certainly have gone over $3.00. And I didn't have coffee or tea - homemade or store-bought.
And I didn't try to feed my kids on this food. Most of them don't want to eat red beans and rice. And they don't eat oatmeal, either.
And I'm getting pretty tired of that pot of red beans and rice.
I also had a coffee date with a student on Monday morning and was unsure what to do. If I had coffee, would that count? I decided it would, and just bought her her chai latte (which cost $3.59 - more than the allotment).
I was very aware how much people and events revolve around food - I avoided all the free food opportunities here, feeling that that would be cheating.
It takes a lot of attention and resources to keep within such a budget, and it's one thing to do for a day and another for months or years or a lifetime.
Rabbi Lina
So I ate:
oatmeal with peanut butter for breakfast - probably less than $.50
Red beans and rice for lunch and dinner - about $.75
leftover cabbage and onions and string beans with lunch - about $.50
an apple - about $.30
ice cream before bed - it was on sale, $2.99 for a 1/2 gallon, and, although I ate more than I should, I didn't eat all that much, say, $.35 cents worth.
That's about $2.50 for the day.
But the day was pretty low on veggies - if I'd eaten a salad, I'd certainly have gone over $3.00. And I didn't have coffee or tea - homemade or store-bought.
And I didn't try to feed my kids on this food. Most of them don't want to eat red beans and rice. And they don't eat oatmeal, either.
And I'm getting pretty tired of that pot of red beans and rice.
I also had a coffee date with a student on Monday morning and was unsure what to do. If I had coffee, would that count? I decided it would, and just bought her her chai latte (which cost $3.59 - more than the allotment).
I was very aware how much people and events revolve around food - I avoided all the free food opportunities here, feeling that that would be cheating.
It takes a lot of attention and resources to keep within such a budget, and it's one thing to do for a day and another for months or years or a lifetime.
Rabbi Lina
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Fast Food is Cheap
In preparation for today's Food Stamp Challenge, I spent the entirety of my $3 last night, at the Ezra Stiles buttery. I know that food is not sold for this cheap outside the Yale bubble (or even inside it), so maybe I was cheating. But I knew that I was probably getting the most food I could for the money I had - I bought a hot dog, two orders of french fries, a grilled cheese, and a bagel - and I think my calculating mentality was not irrelevant to the mission at hand.
The first surprise came when I was ordering my food. Without even trying, I began to recite verbatim the lines I hear from the guests at the Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen when I work there. For example, I tried one french fry, realized that it tasted bland, and asked, "Do you have salt?" I proceeded to dump as much salt as I could over my fries, hoping to get as much flavor out of my $3 as I could. I then realized that I'd have to carry my food back to my room, and possibly elsewhere over the course of the next day. First, I asked, "Do you have a bag I can use?" When the girl shook her head, I asked, "Do you have any foil I can wrap this with?" I know why people ask for salt, bags, and foil as often as they do, but it was still strange to say the same words as the people I serve so often. For some reason, I felt a little ashamed.
Today, as I munched on my french fries, carbs, and hot dog, I realized with surprise that I would have plenty to eat (In fact, I still have food left over). I also realized that I felt disgusting - the food was so oily (and by this time, cold and congealed) that it actually made me lose my appetite. I was not surprised that fast food seemed the best option - I know that fast food is cheap, linking poverty with obesity and other health problems. But I was surprised by how unpleasant it was to eat. I never considered my diet at Yale particularly healthy, but I've been spoiled since the macaroni-and-cheese-eating days of my childhood. I spent the day looking for free alternatives to what I had bought, something to relieve the greasiness, but all I could find was free candy on reception desks and water. I craved something fresh. It was very difficult watching other students eat the things that I always think of as free or cheap in Yale dining halls, like apples or lettuce.
If I had done the Food Stamp Challenge for a week, there's no way I would have eaten buttery food, or any fast food - I could barely make it through today. As it was, I sacrificed health for convenience, as I know many impoverished Americans must. I can only imagine the costs a diet like this would have on my health long-term...probably something along the lines of "Super-Size Me."
The first surprise came when I was ordering my food. Without even trying, I began to recite verbatim the lines I hear from the guests at the Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen when I work there. For example, I tried one french fry, realized that it tasted bland, and asked, "Do you have salt?" I proceeded to dump as much salt as I could over my fries, hoping to get as much flavor out of my $3 as I could. I then realized that I'd have to carry my food back to my room, and possibly elsewhere over the course of the next day. First, I asked, "Do you have a bag I can use?" When the girl shook her head, I asked, "Do you have any foil I can wrap this with?" I know why people ask for salt, bags, and foil as often as they do, but it was still strange to say the same words as the people I serve so often. For some reason, I felt a little ashamed.
Today, as I munched on my french fries, carbs, and hot dog, I realized with surprise that I would have plenty to eat (In fact, I still have food left over). I also realized that I felt disgusting - the food was so oily (and by this time, cold and congealed) that it actually made me lose my appetite. I was not surprised that fast food seemed the best option - I know that fast food is cheap, linking poverty with obesity and other health problems. But I was surprised by how unpleasant it was to eat. I never considered my diet at Yale particularly healthy, but I've been spoiled since the macaroni-and-cheese-eating days of my childhood. I spent the day looking for free alternatives to what I had bought, something to relieve the greasiness, but all I could find was free candy on reception desks and water. I craved something fresh. It was very difficult watching other students eat the things that I always think of as free or cheap in Yale dining halls, like apples or lettuce.
If I had done the Food Stamp Challenge for a week, there's no way I would have eaten buttery food, or any fast food - I could barely make it through today. As it was, I sacrificed health for convenience, as I know many impoverished Americans must. I can only imagine the costs a diet like this would have on my health long-term...probably something along the lines of "Super-Size Me."
Cold oatmeal is not so appetizing
I know it's not too realistic to be shopping for only one $3 day of food at a time, but I decided to see what I could get for $3. My friends suggested ramen, lunchables or easymac. As someone who has grown up on Whole Foods, I determined to find something more healthy. The food shopping was very frustrating. I could have bought a box of store brand saltines, but just crackers for a whole day? Cereal was too expensive and I couldn't even get easymac because that would require buying milk and butter as well. Being so limited was extremely frustrating, especially since it was so unlike any other time that I am food shopping. Normally if I see something that looks good, I buy it. Now, I had to carefully calculate how much I could get out of only a small amount. I settled on two bananas (after carefully weighing them to check the price) and a container of Shaw's oatmeal (quaker's was too expensive).
In the checkout line, the woman in front of me was buying a TON of ramen and also a ton of baby food. It made me think about how hard it must be to take care of children when you don't have much money. The woman behind me was buying fresh fruits and vegetables and gourmet tortellini. Whatever she was cooking for dinner looked good, but it probably cost almost as much as the cart full of bulk non-nutritious stuff that the woman in front was buying.
I really like oatmeal, but I didn't like it so much yesterday. In fact, I hated it. I don't get back to my room between classes on Monday, so I made lots of oatmeal in the morning and packed it to go. By lunch time, I was very hungry but with each bite of cold coagulated oatmeal, I got more and more tired of it and even disgusted with it. Usually, meals are enjoyable for me, but yesterday, I ate solely becasuse I was hungry. I found myself getting very excited looking forward to the banana I could have when I got back from class. I felt hungry all day and was surprised how much my food (well lack of it) affected my mood. Almost all day, I thought about what I would eat the next day. And then I got annoyed with myself for making such a big deal over one day of eating oatmeal and then I felt sorry for myself again. Argh.
While I doubt there are many people that eat oatmeal all day, it is probably true that most people do not get nearly the food variety that we do. I don't know that I've ever though of variety as a privilege before, but it definitely is. My experience probably doesn't really reflect the lives of people actually on food stamps, but I do feel like I understood a little bit of what it's like to have limited options. I am so thankful for the delicious, diverse and nutritious food that I get on a daily basis. And I doubt that I'll be eating oatmeal again for awhile.
-Kassie
In the checkout line, the woman in front of me was buying a TON of ramen and also a ton of baby food. It made me think about how hard it must be to take care of children when you don't have much money. The woman behind me was buying fresh fruits and vegetables and gourmet tortellini. Whatever she was cooking for dinner looked good, but it probably cost almost as much as the cart full of bulk non-nutritious stuff that the woman in front was buying.
I really like oatmeal, but I didn't like it so much yesterday. In fact, I hated it. I don't get back to my room between classes on Monday, so I made lots of oatmeal in the morning and packed it to go. By lunch time, I was very hungry but with each bite of cold coagulated oatmeal, I got more and more tired of it and even disgusted with it. Usually, meals are enjoyable for me, but yesterday, I ate solely becasuse I was hungry. I found myself getting very excited looking forward to the banana I could have when I got back from class. I felt hungry all day and was surprised how much my food (well lack of it) affected my mood. Almost all day, I thought about what I would eat the next day. And then I got annoyed with myself for making such a big deal over one day of eating oatmeal and then I felt sorry for myself again. Argh.
While I doubt there are many people that eat oatmeal all day, it is probably true that most people do not get nearly the food variety that we do. I don't know that I've ever though of variety as a privilege before, but it definitely is. My experience probably doesn't really reflect the lives of people actually on food stamps, but I do feel like I understood a little bit of what it's like to have limited options. I am so thankful for the delicious, diverse and nutritious food that I get on a daily basis. And I doubt that I'll be eating oatmeal again for awhile.
-Kassie
I Eat A Lot
So let me start by saying I cheated. A good amount. But I justified it to myself, and that's all that matters. I chose to do the Food Stamp Challenge today, knowing that I would have a free Indian dinner after a religious ceremony that I attended at 8 pm. I know, I know, it doesn't really count. But I figure that was the only way I would physically be able to get through a day with just $3. When people are on food stamps, they get $21 to buy in bulk, and can also use their own income, so I figured this would level the playing field by my free dinner. Wouldn't be bad, right?
Wrong. I usually eat breakfast most mornings, and when I woke up, I swore when I remembered that today was my Food Challenge day. So, after my stomach started rumbling during my 9 am class, I knew I was not cut out for this. I went at 11 to go grab Pad Thai from the cart by OML for $3, and I knew that would be the end of food for me till night. I looked at it and it wasn't enough. I wanted more. I was still hungry during classes, which run straight for me from 1130-320 on Tuesdays. I left class several times to get water from the fountain, hoping this would trick my stomach into thinking I was full. Didn't work. I wasn't even fasting, and I still couldn't get food off my mind. So, I paid little attention to my classes.
After class, I played basketball with my roommates, and that actually helped. I stopped feeling hungry and knew I would make it till dinner. So, by the end of the religious ceremony at 830, I couldn't wait for food. I serve at the soup kitchen on Friday nights, and I always marvelled at how fast some people fiinish their first plate of food and are ready for the second. I now understand completely. I literally went through 3 plates of food in 20 minutes. It was a little disgusting, but oh so satisfying.
So, there ended my day on the food stamp challenge. I know I kind of cheated, but it definitely opened my eyes to how little $3 really is. There would have been no way for me to use that money for more than one meal. I struggled through a day, I can't even imagine a week or a month or a year on food stamps.
Wrong. I usually eat breakfast most mornings, and when I woke up, I swore when I remembered that today was my Food Challenge day. So, after my stomach started rumbling during my 9 am class, I knew I was not cut out for this. I went at 11 to go grab Pad Thai from the cart by OML for $3, and I knew that would be the end of food for me till night. I looked at it and it wasn't enough. I wanted more. I was still hungry during classes, which run straight for me from 1130-320 on Tuesdays. I left class several times to get water from the fountain, hoping this would trick my stomach into thinking I was full. Didn't work. I wasn't even fasting, and I still couldn't get food off my mind. So, I paid little attention to my classes.
After class, I played basketball with my roommates, and that actually helped. I stopped feeling hungry and knew I would make it till dinner. So, by the end of the religious ceremony at 830, I couldn't wait for food. I serve at the soup kitchen on Friday nights, and I always marvelled at how fast some people fiinish their first plate of food and are ready for the second. I now understand completely. I literally went through 3 plates of food in 20 minutes. It was a little disgusting, but oh so satisfying.
So, there ended my day on the food stamp challenge. I know I kind of cheated, but it definitely opened my eyes to how little $3 really is. There would have been no way for me to use that money for more than one meal. I struggled through a day, I can't even imagine a week or a month or a year on food stamps.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Hunger and Overeating
I want to reiterate the time function in all of this. It has taken me at least an hour a day of active cooking and cleaning time this week.
I was talking to someone about the relationship between lack of money and hunger, noting that a relatively low percentage of people are actually suffering from "hunger" and that many more people are overweight or obese. As Andy has noted, he was able to get enough calories on a very low budget, and explicitly based his purchases around this concern.
I have also been able to get enough calories on this budget, but I find that I am still feeling hungrier than I usually do. If I went back to the store and did this for another week, I might choose to switch out some of the vegetables for a product with more calories so that I don't feel hungry. Then I would be overconsuming calories, and I might still be hungry. During a meeting at the Rudd Center, we talked about this challenge and the disconnect between calories and perception of fullness. This got me thinking about diets, such as Volumetrics, that explicitly emphasize eating more vegetables and whole grains to help you feel fuller while reducing calories. Check out the pictures showing how this can be done. The foods that are calorie-dense (chips and macaroni and cheese) are actually some of the cheapest calories that you can find in the store. I wonder how much it would cost to recreate the veggie platter in the picture.
I was talking to someone else about how people who do suffer from hunger may only do so intermittently, but that the memory of being hungry and the fear of being hungry again would drive one to purchase calorie-dense foods. The research on the link between food insecurity and overweight and obesity is not complete, but it seems that there is a connection. I am curious whether splitting food stamp benefits into biweekly payments would reduce intermittent hunger, and potentially reduce overweight.
Although I have been aware of the academic discussion, for me, this challenge has more clearly demonstrated the experience of real hunger and the potential for weight gain at the same time. I do also recognize, and do not want to suggest otherwise, that there are people in this country who do not have enough calories to eat. This issue is much more important when we view hunger from a global perspective. There are many millions of people without enough food to eat. At the same time, we are starting to see the same relationship between malnutrition on the micronutrient level and obesity in other countries that we are seeing in the United States.
So, I didn't blog yesterday, but I ate:
Breakfast: 3 eggs scrambled
Lunch: Black beans and brown rice
Snack: Apple
Dinner: Butternut squash soup with squash, navy beans, carrots, onion, rice, canola oil, dried rosemary, dried thyme, salt and black pepper. The soup was good, but I saved half of the squash for later in the, making this more of a rice and beans soup.
Snack: Black beans and a tortilla
Today:
Breakfast: 2 eggs and two corn tortillas scrambled
Lunch: Fried brown rice, navy beans, one small onion, one carrot, 1/4 sweet potato and half of the frozen broccoli
Snack: Apple
Dinner: Butternut squash soup (I still have some leftover)
Another Day, Another 3 Dollars
In terms of particular dietary habits, there is little new to report on the FSC front. My meals continue to consist of cereal and milk when I get milk from the dining halls once a day, and breakfast bars when I've run dry. After only a few days, I've already settled into the generally two-meal grain-filled routine, and, having gotten used to this habit, sticking to the challenge hasn't been overly challenging.
That isn't to say that the FSC is particularly enjoyable. Bearable might be a better descriptiong. In terms of the effects of the challege-imposed diet, I've been getting enough to eat, though in a repetitive manner. I suppose this is a reminder of how affluence not only allows us to have more food, but also to have a variety. One aspect that has been troublesome is the hydration aspect - grains are energy rich and get me through the day, but they're also fairly dehydrating. I didn't realize this at first, and so now that I've noticed I'm always thirsty I've been intaking more (free tap) water throughout the day.
Michael's point about reinforcing class divisions through food interaction rang true with me, and I've been able to observe this by not being able to participate in most of the campus food rituals. It's not an absolute problem, since not all interaction occurs in the prescence of food, but not being able to take part in meals is socially disadvantageous. And it's still possible to go out to food establishments - I went out to A1 after casino night with friends, for example - but it's glaringly obvious when one doesn't order anything, and if it hadn't been for a cause, it would have reminded everyone present of whatever disadvantage I might have had.
One quick postscript on the whole social effect issue: those who are actually on food stamps may or may not have a social life similar to a Yale students, but it should be noted that in this aspect as in other's, my "food stamp" experience does not quite correlate to the realities that it is meant to imitate. What I mean by this is that adults don't eat all their meals at dining halls, nor do they live on a college campus where everyone has a meal plan, and they may or may not have friends who would cover their tab if need be.
That isn't to say that the FSC is particularly enjoyable. Bearable might be a better descriptiong. In terms of the effects of the challege-imposed diet, I've been getting enough to eat, though in a repetitive manner. I suppose this is a reminder of how affluence not only allows us to have more food, but also to have a variety. One aspect that has been troublesome is the hydration aspect - grains are energy rich and get me through the day, but they're also fairly dehydrating. I didn't realize this at first, and so now that I've noticed I'm always thirsty I've been intaking more (free tap) water throughout the day.
Michael's point about reinforcing class divisions through food interaction rang true with me, and I've been able to observe this by not being able to participate in most of the campus food rituals. It's not an absolute problem, since not all interaction occurs in the prescence of food, but not being able to take part in meals is socially disadvantageous. And it's still possible to go out to food establishments - I went out to A1 after casino night with friends, for example - but it's glaringly obvious when one doesn't order anything, and if it hadn't been for a cause, it would have reminded everyone present of whatever disadvantage I might have had.
One quick postscript on the whole social effect issue: those who are actually on food stamps may or may not have a social life similar to a Yale students, but it should be noted that in this aspect as in other's, my "food stamp" experience does not quite correlate to the realities that it is meant to imitate. What I mean by this is that adults don't eat all their meals at dining halls, nor do they live on a college campus where everyone has a meal plan, and they may or may not have friends who would cover their tab if need be.
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