Days # 1 and 2 of the SNAP Hunger Awareness Food Challenge

Our SNAP Challenge breakfast consists of generic oat cereal and coffee - definitely not as appealing as our usual Raisin Bran or Cheerios with berries.  But, it's fine.

Jahn's lunch is a peanut butter and cheese sandwich with 1/2 a banana, accompanied by some coffee left over from the morning and cold water.  Not bad.

Gary had his usual lunchtime favorite - ham and cheese sandwich (but with generic deli brands and our inexpensive 12 grain bread).  He also had water with his meal.

Last night we had one of our favorite pasta dishes - a simple tomato, onion, and butter sauce (look for photo when we have our leftovers).  Tonight we had our first slow cooker meal - chicken thighs with assorted vegetables, tomatoes, fresh herbs and chicken broth.  Pretty tasty all-in-all.  Some 12 grain bread and milk topped off the meal.

We discovered that the Aldi's brand of light popcorn is actually quite delicious! (Fit & Active Light Butter Microwave Popcorn).  This is our enjoyable evening snack:-)

What have been the biggest challenges for us?  While we have kept to the "rules," it has sometimes been difficult to confine ourselves to the food we purchased for the week - especially when we know there are much more interesting edibles in the pantry and freezer.  It also wasn't easy to walk past all of the free food samples at Costco yesterday and to confine ourselves to non-food purchases there.  Today we were at the Suffield Crafts Fair on the Green where there were lots of fun things to eat - but our resolve was strong.  Of course, we also know that better eating is less than a week away.  Not the case with those who are less fortunate:-(

Sharing our SNAP Challenge with others has resulted in some interesting reactions and questions.  Some friends expressed skepticism about the $28/week per person for food stamp program participants - relating their observations in the grocery store of carts full of shrimp, steak, and other "luxury" food items - what looked like much more than that dollar limit.  We couldn't respond at the time, so we did some research and confirmed the dollar estimate as well as the fact that each household's food stamp eligible allocation is deposited once a month into their Electronic Benefits Account - thus explaining how families might be buying a month's worth of groceries in one trip.  We also found an explanation regarding the foods that can be purchased with SNAP funds at the following site http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/retailers/eligible.htm: 

“Junk Food” & Luxury Items
The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (the Act) defines eligible food as any food or food product for home consumption and also includes seeds and plants which produce food for consumption by SNAP households. The Act precludes the following items from being purchased with SNAP benefits:  alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, hot food and any food sold for on-premises consumption. Nonfood items such as pet foods, soaps, paper products, medicines and vitamins, household supplies, grooming items, and cosmetics, also are ineligible for purchase with SNAP benefits. 
 

	Soft drinks, candy, cookies, snack crackers, and ice cream are food items and are therefore eligible items
	Seafood, steak, and bakery cakes are also food items and are therefore eligible items
	Since the current definition of food is a specific part of the Act, any change to this definition would require action by a member of Congress. Several times in the history of SNAP, Congress had considered placing limits on the types of food that could be purchased with program benefits. However, they concluded that designating foods as luxury or non-nutritious would be administratively costly and burdensome.

  Another response that we have received from many folks is a general interest in how to save money on meal planning and food purchases.  Many families who do not meet the criteria for food stamp eligibility are struggling to make ends meet in the current economy.  We have several friends who are unemployed and having difficulty finding work.  More and more of our acquaintances are taking advantage of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs and other local cooperatives that provide healthy food at reasonable prices.  So, while the SNAP Challenge is focused on hunger awareness, the implications for this effort may be much more far reaching. . .