Less than $2 a meal | A reporter takes the Food Stamp Challenge

Stop off for just one fancy latte on your way to work or grab a burger and fries for lunch and you’re likely to blow through that amount, the maximum food stamp benefit for a single person, and go hungry for the rest of the day.

I’ve never been on food stamps, so I don’t really know what it’s like to be hungry. Nor do assorted members of Congress and governors, so hunger relief advocates across the country are challenging us to step up to the plate. They want us to feel, if just for a week, what it’s like to be hungry.

When Harvesters, Kansas City’s local food network, asked me to take its Food Stamp Challenge, I was immediately intrigued. But I wasn’t sure I could stay on budget. Even worse, what if my kids really did go hungry?

But the goal of the challenge was actually to get us beyond the growling in the pit of our stomachs. It’s the hidden emotional and social stresses of a bare pantry that can take a toll.

Loath to be a short order cook, I quickly decided that if I was going to be the menu planner, shopper and cook for an entire week (a duty I typically share with my husband), I needed the whole family to sign on for the challenge.

André, 13, was my first ally. He likes social studies and politics, so this was just the kind of social experiment I figured I could get him interested in. He didn’t take much convincing, although his idea for staying on budget was to eat off the dollar menu at a fast-food restaurant.

This was, of course, not only not allowable on food stamps but also not the way I want him to eat. Besides, food stamp recipients do not have the same convenience foods available to them. When you’re on food stamps you are not allowed to buy prepared items: no fast food, deli sandwiches — not even a rotisserie chicken. Accepting food stamps forces you to cook.

Daniela, 8, took a bit more convincing. She was willing to join in the challenge only if she could continue to buy school lunch. She loves school lunch. I’m not sure what that says about my cooking.

As a family, my husband, Otavio, and I talked with the kids over several dinners about the changes that would be necessary in our diet: No more hormone-free local milk in a glass bottle. No more artisan breads at nearly $3 a loaf. No lunches out. No pizza Friday night. And, for the adults, no more wine with dinner.

A refrigerator cook most nights of the week, I tend to open the door, look inside and begin to put together a meal from what we have on hand. But with a budget of $129.50 per week — the maximum amount a family of four can receive on food stamps — I knew I would need to sit down and carefully plan out every meal.

A few nights before starting the challenge and André was at trumpet lessons, Daniela and I sat in a nearby pizza parlor and went through the stack of recipes that Harvesters dietitian Stephanie Ziebert had shared with me after a class I attended with real-life food stamp recipients. As I called out dishes, Daniela gave me a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down. There were more yucks than yums, but by the end of the hour we had agreed on a week’s worth of meals.

With the menu planned, I divided the yellow legal paper into the sections of the store and made a list of ingredients I would need for the week. Practically speaking, I wanted to shop close to my home, but I also wanted to shop at stores that were typical of the average food stamp recipient.

The vast majority of Harvesters clients shop at supermarkets, grocery stores or discount stores (90 percent), not convenience stores (2.8 percent) as some obesity experts had led me to believe. Price clubs like Costco were out because of the fee required to join.

I chose to do most of my shopping at Aldi on 67th Street in Shawnee. I had never shopped at Aldi before, but when I called Mark Bersted, vice president of the Olathe division, he was ready to fill me in on what I had been missing. The German-based discount chain stocks 1,300 items, as opposed to the 40,000 stocked in a typical supermarket.

The store keeps overhead low by charging a quarter for a shopping cart (refundable when you reharness the cart in a corral), charging for bags (and you bag your own) and not accepting checks (the store does accept debit cards and, for a 25-cent charge, Missouri shoppers can use Discover). Recipients can use their food stamp debit cards at the store. Food stamp recipients also do not pay tax.

Bersted admits Aldi has a reputation as “the food stamp store,” but that image may be changing. A home economist I work with told me at Christmas her foodie friends were buzzing about the store’s $35 French Champagne, which Aldi sold for $8. Bersted says plenty of Aldi customers just like to save money.

I found nearly everything on my list at Aldi, but I was holding out for a whole chicken and some bakery bread. After André’s tae kwon do class, we headed to Wal-Mart, where the majority of Americans are reported to shop.

I was surprised to find that all the chicken was precut into pieces, mostly boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Not wanting to head for yet another store at dinner time, I settled for six breasts.

By the end of the day I had spent three hours grocery shopping for a grand total of $99.23.

I was relieved: I did not have to put food back on the shelves like the governor of Oregon, who was followed by a camera crew.

The first meal was Thai Peanut Noodles, a tasty vegetarian dish. Even though he is a big fan of peanut butter and eats it straight from the jar with a spoon, André immediately wanted to know where the meat was. It was a refrain I heard throughout the week.

I made six chicken breasts last for three meals. We had a vegetarian and a near-vegetarian pasta (Do slices of pepperoni count?) dish, but we also had salmon fillets and turkey burgers. Clearly, we were not starving.

And in some ways the kids were eating a more kid-friendly diet than I usually serve. For instance, I always buy artisan-baked breads. But frequently they mold before we eat them.

Not surprisingly, André argued for spongy, no-nutrition white bread — the kind he really liked — by insisting that it was more typical of what a food stamp recipient might be able to afford.

But for a food writer, nutrition was not a totally negotiable point, even if money was tight. We compromised on a honey-wheat loaf, which both kids wolfed down in record time. I picked up some whole-grain tortillas and whole-wheat pita pockets and ate them instead.

“See, don’t buy the kids the good bread,” Thrifty Soccer Mom told me when I saw her at our daughters’ soccer game.From the get-go Thrifty Soccer Mom had been offering advice on how to get through the challenge. This friend, who e-mails me when San Marzano tomatoes are on sale at Costco, routinely feeds her family of four for less than $129.50 a week.

She likes the challenge, she enjoys cooking and she likes saving money for home décor. She became an invaluable resource throughout the week as I began to feel stressed and lose focus. My friend admits that not working outside the home makes it easier to shop and cook this way for her family.

On the nights when I stayed up cooking until 10:30 p.m. to have food ready for the dash between softball practice and dance class, I wondered how anyone who works a full-time job could actually pull off this kind of planning week after week.

As the week progressed, I realized that I hadn’t really given enough thought to our lunches. Otavio and I often take a lunch to work, but probably just as often if we can’t get it together in the morning we eat out instead.

I could tell Otavio really hated the bean burrito I had made for lunch on Thursday. “It wasn’t my favorite lunch,” he said diplomatically. “I don’t really like any burrito.”

By the end of the week we were running out of protein sources. I think a dietitian would have said our meat intake was about right, more like a condiment than a main dish, but it was making André a wee bit cranky.

“Hey, I’m a carnivore. I can’t help it if I like meat,” he kept telling anyone who would listen.

It was time to spend the rest of our money, but I wasn’t thrilled about heading out to the supermarket for a third trip in one week. Usually I make a list and send Otavio to the store, but that is always risky in terms of budget. If the sushi looks good, he’ll probably buy it.

By Sunday night’s dinner, I was in a mood to splurge. We had wild salmon fillets, roasted potatoes, a gourmet bean salad made of leftover beans, spinach, green beans and cherry tomatoes and red onions in a vinaigrette, steamed broccoli and the pièce de résistance: strawberry shortcake.

We had skim milk on hand, and I didn’t think I had enough money to buy heavy cream, which seemed perhaps too indulgent. I decided to see whether I could turn a truly decadent recipe into a thriftier production.

The shortcakes turned out to be flatter and not quite as rich, but they worked. Instead of topping them with whipped cream, a dollop of vanilla yogurt worked just fine.

By now I had spent $123.54. Tired but satisfied, I could see the home stretch, but I can only imagine what it feels like to run out of food before the end of the week. And I hope I never have to worry that my kids are truly hungry.

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•The maximum benefit for one person on food stamps is $38.75 a week — that’s $5.54 per day or

•Harvesters clients who receive benefits say their monthly allotment lasts just 2 1/2 weeks.

•65.4 percent of Harvesters clients shop at supermarkets or grocery stores. 25.4 percent shop at discount stores such as Wal-Mart, Target and Kmart.

•9.1 percent of food-stamp eligible recipients who have not applied for the benefits say they associate a social stigma with food stamps.

•42.5 percent of those eligible who have not applied think others need the benefits more.

•Among households with at least one child younger than 18, 57.5 percent benefit from the school lunch program and 36.8 percent benefit from the school breakfast program.

•National studies show the average application process for food stamps takes 5 hours of client time and includes multiple trips to the local office.

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Take the Food Stamp Challenge As part of Hunger Awareness Week (June 2-10), Harvesters is issuing a challenge to the community: Learn about the economic, physical, emotional and social difficulties of poverty and food insecurity by living on a food stamp budget for just one week, as I did.

•To read Tuesday’s A1 food stamp story by FYI reporter Lisa Gutierrez, go to www.KansasCity.com.

•Today, tune in to KCUR’s “Up to Date With Steve Kraske” (89.3 FM) as Karen Haren, executive director of Harvesters, and I discuss the challenge, food stamps and the Farm Bill.

•To join the Harvesters Food Stamp Challenge, go to www.KansasCity.com. On Sunday I’ll begin posting a daily online diary entry of my family’s experiences and video-logs, as well as menus and recipes.

Social impact •A family friend invited us to a birthday dinner at a restaurant, but we declined because it was not in our food budget for the week and entertaining them in our home was out of the question.

•It’s easy to see how people on food stamps might turn down social invitations such as a birthday party or a potluck because it may be difficult to reciprocate.

•We passed up two school-related events that had an additional food cost involved, including a “family dinner” night at Daniela’s school.

Emotional/ physical impact •Although I did not suffer hunger pangs, but I did feel light-headed one night during yoga.

•The challenge felt like a diet. I spent nearly every moment I was not at work thinking about or preparing food.

Economic impact •I stayed on budget, but the entire family lost the freedom to choose what to eat and when.

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Making ends meet The key to stretching your food dollars? Make a plan and stick to it.

•Plan a week’s worth of meals and snacks. Gather recipes you will use for the week. Make a menu that takes into consideration nutritional value, seasonal items and family preferences. Check the weekly food ads for sale items and use any food you already have on hand.

•Make a shopping list, and stick to it. Organize your list by grouping items according to the sections in the grocery store. Avoid shopping when you’re hungry, tired or rushed. Leave the children at home, if possible. Deviate from the list only when there is a better buy or unadvertised special that fits the meal plan.

•Be a smart shopper. To save time, familiarize yourself with the layout of several stores. Take a calculator to the store and keep a running total as you put items in the cart. Compare price and size to find the best bargains. Consider selecting generic or store brand products. Buy just what you can use before it spoils; spoiled food is wasted money.

•Strive to make healthful choices. Read nutrition labels and choose energy-dense foods, a choice that means you actually get more for your money. Buying foods with lower nutritional value, even if they are less expensive, may be more expensive in the long run.

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A global perspective What does a week’s worth of groceries look like in other parts of the world?

Hungry Planet: What the World Eats (Material World Books, 10 Speed Press, $40) by Peter Menzel and Faith D’Aluisio is an eye-opening look at what 300 families in 24 countries eat each week.

As you might expect, a refugee family of six in Chad eats sparsely, on just $1.23 a week, while a French family of four spends $419.95 a week at the local hypermart.

As my family and I flipped through the pages, we were spellbound. We surveyed the groceries I had piled on the counter; they paled in comparison to the foods purchased by most of the families in the book.

But aren’t we one of the richest countries in the world, my children wanted to know?

Yes, but it appears that bounty does not extend to those who must rely on food stamps.

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2 large carrots, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into 1/2 -inch thick half moons (about 2 cups)

Bring a large saucepan of water to boil. Add the pasta and carrots and cook according to pasta package directions. Add the bell pepper and snow peas 3 minutes before pasta is done. Drain and return to pan.

While pasta is cooking, whisk together the peanut butter, boiling water, soy sauce, oil, vinegar, ginger and garlic powder in a medium bowl until well blended.

Add the peanut butter mixture to the pasta and stir to combine. Reheat if necessary.

Challenge notes: I made an executive decision and used whole-grain pasta for added nutrition, although it is an added expense. I chose reduced sodium soy sauce for the same reason.

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Combine cooked pasta, tomatoes, mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, pepperoni and mozzarella in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients, whisking with a fork to combine. Toss dressing with pasta to coat evenly. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Challenge notes: To up the nutrition content, I substituted whole-wheat pasta for regular. I couldn’t find turkey pepperoni at the stores I shopped at so I opted for regular. I also substituted my own vinaigrette because I needed olive oil and vinegar for other recipes. (Use a 4:1 oil to vinegar ratio.)

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7 foods to stretch your budget 1.Dry beans: Canned beans are certainly convenient when you’re time pressed, but dry beans are a more economical choice. Soak them the night before and plan several hours of simmering time on the stove.

2.Rice: Rice and beans are a staple food around the world. Switch your family to brown rice and you’ve upped the nutrient and fiber content over plain white rice. Even discount stores are stocking exotic rices, including brown, basmati and jasmine.

3. Whole chicken: The boneless, skinless chicken breast has become ubiquitous at most supermarkets, many of which no longer employ meat cutters on the premises. But if you buy a whole chicken and cut it up yourself, you’ll not only save money, but you’ll also get a more chicken-y flavor. Throw the carcass in a soup pot with diced carrots, celery, onions and parsley and let it simmer on the stove to make homemade soup stock.

4.Greens: Collard greens, beet greens, turnip greens, Swiss chard and kale are among the least expensive vegetables in the produce section, but they provide a big nutritional bang for your buck. Greens are easy to prepare; wash leaves well to remove any grit, remove tough stems and chop. Steam or sauté and serve, no added fat required.

5. Peanut butter: A kid-friendly favorite, peanut butter is a versatile protein source that spans the gamut from main dishes (such as Thai Peanut Noodles) to desserts. But there’s no need to get fancy. Spread on bread it’s a great way to keep hunger pangs at bay.

7. Cheese: Fight the urge to buy pre-shredded cheese. Chunk cheese is usually cheaper and stays fresher longer. Individually wrapped cheese slices are also more expensive per ounce than unsliced.

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Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add carrot, potato and celery; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in flour. Gradually add broth, water, salt and pepper, stirring with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Add noodles and chicken, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in parsley.

Challenge’s Notes: Daniela liked this soup so much she asked if I would make it after the Food Stamp Challenge. She also reveled in the joys of something as simple and forgotten as bread and butter. The whole family was so enthusiastic about the soup that we ate it all in one sitting. No leftovers as I had planned.

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4 cups cut-up vegetables, such as broccoli, sweet pepper, onion and/or mushrooms

Cut chicken into bite-size strips; set aside. For sauce, in a small bowl stir together honey, vinegar, orange juice, soy sauce and cornstarch; set aside.

Pour oil into a wok or large skillet. (If necessary, add more oil during cooking.) Heat over medium-high heat. Add chicken to wok; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink; remove chicken from wok and set aside. Add vegetables to wok; cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp tender. Add chicken back to the wok. Push meat and vegetables to the side and pour sauce in the center of wok. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add pineapple chunks and stir about 1 minute or until heated through. Serve over rice.

To reach Jill Wendholt Silva, food editor, call 816-234-4395 or e-mail jsilva@kcstar.com.

Spices and condiments are among the most expensive things (per weight) in the super.

I go to Indian grocery stores and buy bulk.

Ground coriander in the Alpha Beta is $4.50 a 1.5 oz bottle, but at the Indian store a 6 oz bag is a few dollars (and lasts a few years).

Plus, if you shop the small ethnic stores, you get huge variety and things you just won’t find in the white bread supers- kafir lime powder, dozens of types of lentils, neem leaf, dried sea cucumber, giant clams, goat meat, and on and on.

we have 2 boys (18 and 12) and a daughter who is 6.
they all eat like fiends though. :( oh, and that does not
include all the random friends of theirs we end up
feeding quite often.

ryan is headed to college in the fall. we’ve already
signed him up for the “unlimited” meal plan. he can
scoot over to the chow hall during their service hrs
anytime his lil heart desires. ;)

btw, the oldest is over 6ft tall and 175# ...
the other two are right behind him...sigh

Because I am an entrepreneur and all of my profit is re-invested in the company, I live on my retirement check and VA disability. I feed my disabled sister who lives with me and myself on $50 per week. That amount has to cover toiletries, laundry soap, and paper products as well. The key is COOKING and avoiding EATING OUT. We eat cheap and low on the food chain. Our budget includes eating fruits and veggies. For meat we have ham, chicken (usually the cheap leg quarters), and the venison that I shoot every year. This weekend will feature shrimp stir fry, homemade whole wheat bread, and venison steaks. I could eat on $15/week if I had to and still have a healthy diet.

Come on food stamps are not for Dorritos, oreo cookies, and foofy type foods like thai peanut noodles. They are for fresh meat, milk, bread, fruits, and vegetables. I grew up in a family of 9 with the sole bread winner being a teachers salary. My mom and dad NEVER TOOK A HANDOUT! Back then (way back in the 80’s) it was taboo to even ask for a handout. Now it is common ground, and common ground that is often abused. I see it everyday. Person on welfare and brand new car or truck. Self employeed people making over 100K a year on welfare abusing the system. 5.45 per person a day is a lot for food if you cook at home. Emphasis on cook not slap premade meals in the microwave. It is all priorities and we have to say most people’s are way out of line. I know someone will say this isn’t the 80’s anymore so I will give an example. My father made Thanksgiving dinner for less than $20 for 20 people last year. That included a Turkey, Ham, 3 different vegetables, stuffing, potatoes, dessert, ect.. I have no problem giving to the needy and I do it often because of the position I am in. But I have come from a similar position to many of these people and despise the ones that are not needy and abuse the system.

Two good investments: a vacuum food sealer and a food dehydrator.

The price can be split between family and/or friends and the equipment shared.

Have also seen at thrift shops and yard sales.

A third item is a chest freezer - even one of the smaller ones can hold a lot of vacuum sealed foods that were bought on sale.

My mom has a large garden this year - first time in over 15 years. Mostly just corn, tomatoes, green and multi-colored bell peppers, carrots, onions, garlic, watermelon, squashes, cucumbers and pole beans. Will decide later if next year other veggies should be attempted.

sheesh! it’s better than when i went there.
the best meals i recall were made to order
omlettes on the weekend and “surf and turf
night” on friday night...that meant steak
and fried shrimp. i’m sure he’ll eat better
than that. :)

Good grief - I worked for the cafeteria when I was in college there was nothing like that on the menu.

Granted, I went to a “commuter” school, but pre-packaged sandwiches and coffee was pretty much the extent of it unless you went to the one building that had the actual cafeteria in it.

All of my classes were in one building on the far side of campus from the main admin building where the main cafeteria was, all we had was the sandwich cart. That was a miserable job. I kept myself amused counting all the people that drank “fake” coffee => decaf with sweet’n lo and non-dairy creamer........YUCK.

there are chow halls in almost all the dorms and more
in the main buildings too. it’s a regular smorgasboard!

now that fake coffee is just swill to me...blech!

that fake coffee used to gross me out.........

As I said, I went to a commuter college, there were no dorms. But it was also New York City, if you couldn’t find decent food there cheap, you weren’t going to find it :)

I remember when a group of us used to meet in Chinatown on a Friday or Saturday night for dinner, usually after bowling (in Madison Square Garden) or a game of touch football (in Central Park) there were always 10 or 12 of us and we would gorge ourselves. Even after adding in all the beer we drank and then a tip, at the most the bill came to $10 a piece. We eventually settled on one place we liked the best, and just automatically tossed in 10bucks each. Those people treated us like gold and for 12 of us the bill never went much over $70 and we’d stay there for hours.

Watch those fat sloppy women in the supermarket. Those are the ones on welfare and foodstamps. They stick the best steaks behind their belt. Stuff in their socks. Buy veggies and fruit with stamps. And beer or booze with the change. You have to observe that for yourself.

My mother has records from 1945 to 1949...her most expensive MONTH was $3.93. Sugar, flour salt and coffee.

I once asked my now dearly departed grandmother, born 1905, what they bought from the grocer.

Same list as yours.

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