My SNAP challenge lunch was sandwich with toasted wheat bread, half a banana and almond butter. COLLEEN ALMEIDA SMITH / Tulsa World
My two-day SNAP Challenge is over and I survived. I didn't actually thrive, though, which I think is the point.
By 3 p.m. the second day, I was tired and cranky and needed a pick-me-up to get over my late afternoon slump. The caffeine withdrawal headache wasn't helping either. But having spent my entire $8 for two days of groceries, I couldn't even afford a cup of coffee to get me through.
I ate the same food for breakfast, lunch and dinner both days. Here's a recap:
Breakfast: A package of raisin, date and walnut instant oatmeal. (The second day I had two packages.)
Lunch: Half of a banana and almond butter on toasted wheat bread.
Dinner: Yellow rice topped with a combination of canned tomatoes and green chilies, a can of black beans and a can of corn, with cumin, ground oregano and red pepper added from my spice cabinet.
I drank water with each meal, and successfully resisted the homemade cookies and fresh produce in the office.
As the new president of the board of the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, I was asked to participate in the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) Challenge for Hunger Action Month. Food banks across the United States use September to raise awareness of hunger and food insecurity in our communities.
SNAP, which used to be known as food stamps, helps provide food for more than 600,000 Oklahomans each month. Many of the recipients are children with working adults in their household.
In my two days on the challenge, I ate from what I bought with that $8 - $4 a day is the average SNAP benefit in Oklahoma. It doesn't allow for the purchase of much food, so I stocked up on wheat bread, oatmeal, and rice and beans because I thought they would be filling. My cart was sadly lacking in fruit and vegetables. See my entire shopping list at
tulsaworld.com/SNAPblog
As I bought the food, I tried to keep nutrition in mind. I didn't want to purchase a lot of processed food that was high in fat and calories. But the sad fact is much of the food people buy with SNAP benefits are cheap calories with little nutritional value - white bread, snack foods and sugar-laden drinks. That's why the obesity rate and the poverty rate are so closely tied together in the United States.
For an excellent look at the unequal cost of calories, I recommend this blog on the economics of obesity at
tulsaworld.com/200calories
According to the Food Research and Action Center, Oklahoma is ranked 10th in difficulty accessing affordable fresh fruits and vegetables. In trying to combat this trend, the food bank has made a special effort to secure more produce for its partner programs, and some of the area farmers markets not only accept food stamps, but double them - allowing families to purchase $20 in fruits and vegetables for $10 in SNAP benefits.
Eating healthy is hard on limited means and requires a lot of planning. Websites such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Recipe Finder (
tulsaworld.com/USDArecipefinder) and Cook for Good (
tulsaworld.com/cookforgood) offer excellent resources for making nutritional food on a budget.
After two days on the challenge, I was thrilled to be able to eat the fruits, vegetables and dairy products that are normally part of my diet. But I can afford them.
Not everyone can say that.
Original Print Headline: SNAP Challenge shows how hard it is to eat well
Food
The signature item is the Philly cheesesteak sandwich made with a uniquely American ingredient, Cheez Whiz, and the owners immigrated here from Philadelphia.
Most sandwiches may be ordered with white bread, bagel, rye bread, wheat bread, sourdough bread or croissant.
