Food Stamp Challenge
Friday, October 3, 2008
It is Friday night before the challenge begins, and I am already an anxious wreck. I have been thinking about food all day... I have thought about the things I will miss most, namely coffee. I am, by my own admission, a coffee snob. My coffee is shipped from Puerto Rico in 5 pound bags, and I keep a French press at work to help satisfy the cravings through the day.
I also love to eat. As much as I'd like to blame my father's genes and that pesky hypothyroid problem for my size 14 frame, I know that my regular indulgence on steak, rice and beans, and plantains helps keep my robust shape. So does chocolate.
Nevertheless, my pre-challenge concerns have centered on one BIG problem: I have Celiac Disease.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune digestive disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. The disease is triggered by consumption of a protein called gluten, which is found in wheat, barley and rye (sometimes oats). The consequences of the disease can be very serious and include osteoporosis, anemia, seizures, and cancer. Following a gluten-free diet is the only known treatment and, although the diet sounds simple, it is not easy.
I have decided to take on the challenge to illustrate how it is virtually impossible for a celiac patient to live on $21 per week while maintaining a healthy diet (same for diabetics, and others with dietary restrictions). Recent studies have shown that 1 out of every 133 Americans has celiac disease, and, with these odds, it is clear that many people on food stamps will have to adopt gluten-free living.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
I committed to going shopping today for the challenge (see pictures below). I created a basic menu and crafted my shopping list. I don’t drive, nor did I have time to shop around for deals at different stores, so I ended up at my local supermarket in Brighton with my handy little list.
I intended to buy rice as my basic carbohydrate, but realized that rice was way too expensive. I shopped every brand in the store, but ended up settling on potatoes instead. This messed up my entire dinner menu which consisted of different Spanish rice dishes.
In the end, I splurged on eggs ($2.89 doz), some deli meat for lunch ($4.09), a bit of deli cheese ($1.50), ground beef ($4.50), and –of course- coffee ($2.49).
I spent $2.29 on potatoes for the week and $2.19 on carrots, my only vegetable. I also bought corn tortillas ($2.15) which will take the place of bread. I’m already over by $1.10 and considered cutting the coffee from my list to meet the budget. I reconsidered when I realized that the decaffeinated version of me would be intolerable to my friends. They’ll thank me later.
The shopping experience was very frustrating. I realized that most thrifty food options were out of bounds in the gluten-free diet. For instance, a pack of wheat spaghetti averaged $1.30, but the cheapest gluten-free option was $3.09. A gluten-free cereal box would have set me back $5.39 on average, while the gluten-containing equivalent was available for $3.50.
I don’t know how far I’ll make it.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
First thing I did was brew some coffee, but then I realized I had no milk available. I must remember to take some creamers from the office, although I will have to research its ingredients. I think the creamers contain gluten.
I had a scrambled egg with tortilla for breakfast, a tortilla sandwich for lunch, and two ground beef soft tacos for dinner.
By the time this is over, I will hate corn tortillas.
Monday, October 06, 2008
Same as yesterday, I woke up and brewed coffee. I had to wait to get to work for the creamer. Once here, I realized that the powdered version has gluten, but –lucky me!- we have a dairy option. Yum!
Photos from shopping (1. Coffee!! 2. Gluten Free Aisle 3. Gluten Free spaghetti ($3.09) 4. More Gluten free food, and finally 5. eggs and shopping bag.):
I'm still at work...
One thing I did not plan for was working late.
This is, perhaps, another thing to consider as part of this challenge. The Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) encourages, among other things, meal planning and price comparison shopping... how do you accomplish that on a limited schedule? how do you handle setbacks?
Luckily, I only have myself to worry about, but can only imagine how hard it would be to take children to-and-fro, on the T, and after working an entire day. That's some serious food for thought.
walk to the store
You are right, having food restrictions like you have must really add to the challenges of having a food budget. I don't even know what products have glutten or even what it is really.
I get exercise by walking to get some of my groceries (and save on gym fees).
Convenience stores sell milk cheaper. I pay $2.99 for a gallon, and I finish it before it goes bad; I walk towards Allston to get it. I never buy that in a grocery store.
I sometimes eat oatmeal (a no no for you?) for breakfast. $1.49 per pound from Bulk Bins at Wholefoods, if I walk to Brookline. Sprinkled with cinnamon from the dollar store, it isn't too bad. Both are supposedly good for you. When did Cheerios become a luxury item; I can't get over the price of Cheerios.
Bananas are always .19 at Trader Joe's, but I only go there when I am in the neighborhood.
I think I paid $1.79 for eggs (large). Try scrambled eggs with a little Wholefoods brand Sundried Tomato Sauce ($1.99). Yummy.
I can't even look at pasta any more.
Honestly, I would starve if I only walked to get my food. But I use shopping as an excuse to walk. I also try to shop when I am driving by a store, otherwise you could burn up too much money shopping for food.
And as cheap, and broke as I am, I couldn't live on $21/week.
But I have also seen people buy things with a food stamp card that I only wish that I could buy.
Any of you ladies work near Haymarket? I wonder if that is worth the trip during lunch?
walking to the store
Dear John,
Thanks for all your tips! These are really great (and in my neighborhood too!). As I mentioned, the type of shopping you do (comparing prices and buying in bulk) is strongly recommended on the Thrifty Food Plan, but I realize that it can be inconvenient and complicated for some (think of the elderly and disabled, for instance).
Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, barley, rye, spelt, oats (in most cases), malt, food dyes like FD&C Red #4, and a whole bunch of other things. I have to read the labels carefully and research brands, or risk having brutal stomach pain (and far worse in the long run). Products labeled gluten-free take the guess work out of the process, but cost a whole lot more than the regular products. Even a simple loaf of bread will set me back $5.00, so I choose not to buy it at all. If you want to get creative in the kitchen with flavors and special flour substitutes, it gets expensive and time consuming. To boot, I don't enjoy cooking. Instead, when I don't want to spend the whole day shopping, I just stick to meats, veggies and rice. Knowing that the diet can get costly, it makes me wonder how someone on food stamps manages to eat nutritiously and safely. In this equation, something’s got to give.
cheers,
paola
Journal continued...
... so I ended up staying at work way too late last night, and, after that little stunt, I MUST commit to leaving at a more reasonable time for the rest of the week. I was too hungry and weak to walk the 10 minutes to South Station, so I decided to take the Silver Line instead. Big mistake. A short ride cross town ended up taking almost one hour, and I feared that, if it took any longer, I would pass out while on the B train.
As soon as I got home I started to prepare some carrots, reheat some ground beef, and warm up the tortillas, but I had to dip into a bag of cashews to grab a fistful. I just couldn't wait.
I woke up with a weird feeling in my stomach. I couldn't tell if it was hunger, or something related to my illness, but it sure wasn't normal. I scrambled some eggs and had my morning coffee (with some creamers I stole from the office). I feel better, but the day is just getting started...
Discovery Channel Show looking for environmental illness stories
Hi Paola,
I am searching for diagnosis stories from people suffering from environmental illnesses for a new program on The Discovery Channel. Please contact me at mysteryEcasting@gmail.com if you are interested in sharing your story.
Thank you.
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gluten free
We have a friend with celeriac and manage by cooking Asian. If you live near Allston, check out the Super 88. They sell rice noodles, wraps, everything. And cheaper than your Stop & Shop, Shaw's or Whole Foods (hah). You probably want to pick up a book on Asian cooking to help you with prep (which is fast--rice noodles can be dunked in boiling water & then mixed with sauce, or whatever), and since you won't want to spend on it--look in the library. We are very fond of Vietnamese rolls--basically, a salad wrapped in rice paper (and if you're extra cheap, add rice vermicelli).
Of course, if you can't read the label, you can't be extra-sure there's no gluten in a product, but for the most part, these are all-rice. I'd stick to things from Thailand, by the way. China's getting a bad rap for contamination.
good luck!
Thanks!
Dear Andreae,
Thanks for sharing all the tidbits! As part of my regular gluten-free diet, I do enjoy a lot of Asian rice-based dishes and they are truly yummy.
I will definitely take your shopping recommendations for my next shopping excursion.
day 3 continued...
It was settled. Last night, I vowed to leave at a reasonable hour. Generally, 7pm seems reasonable to me. I get to do some extra work, avoid the extra trip to and from home, and then set out to meet a friend or attend a function Downtown. Perfect, right? Not on an empty stomach.
I have been rationing my portions to last me for the week, and this has meant very small meals. Meals so minute that, within 1 hour, they are only a faint memory. Drinking coffee has helped me stave off hunger in between meals. It may not be the wisest choice for my health, but I can see how it would become a staple for a hungry person.
Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Yes, I've cheated. Lisa, our First Impressions Coordinator, keeps a basketful of candy at the reception. I usually limit my visits, but must admit that, just today, I scavenged through the basket three times to identify as many plain or almond milk chocolate treats as possible. I took four pieces and ate them in one fell swoop. I was discreet, though. Too bad they were too tiny to make much of a difference.
I'm writing this on the road (read: the T), though I considered making the post from work. I changed my mind as soon as I remembered how long it would take me (on account of the constant edits and dictionary consults that come from being an ESOL student) to write a simple entry. As luck would have it, I may have had enough time to do it from work. A cracked rail in Kendall Sq. was delaying all the Red Line trains from South Station. Unreal! Normally, I don't let these little annoyances bother me. I take out a book, listen to my Ipod, or send Facebook messages from my Blackberry to long-lost high school friends I can barely remember. Not today. Somehow, being hungry makes me acutely sensitive to every inconvenience. The girl standing too close to me, the guy walking too slow to catch the next train, the loud woman on her cell phone, and even the co-ed dressed head-to-toe in pink. They are all bothering me. The realization of this concerns me. I'm not usually like that. Seriously. I'm not.
I made it home and rushed to the kitchen with the impetus of those shoppers who bust through the doors of Filene's Basement for the famous bridal gown sale. I warmed up my leftovers, and took some advice from Geetha who suggested I heat the tortillas on olive oil to make them crispier and more palatable. That was a great idea. Nevertheless, I am getting tired of the menu repetition. Tortillas in particular.
I just I'm going to watch TV. Let's see how that goes...
Day Four -so far-
This morning I felt better than yesterday. Not sure why, but that extra tortilla last night may have had something to do with it. I whipped up some scrambled eggs while my coffee brewed, and I realized that eggs -although expensive- were the single most important purchase on my basket. I don't usually eat a hearty breakfast (sorry Mom!), save for Sunday, but I now know how important this meal is each day. It breaks my heart to think of kids going to school and trying to learn on an empty stomach. What happens when they arrive too late for school breakfast?
Even before I left the apartment, my phone was buzzing with messages. It seemed that all my friends had lined up to get a copy of the Metro this morning which featured our challenge http://www.metrobostonnews.com/us/article/2008/10/08/01/2439-72/index.xml, although I know they just happen to read it every day. My celebrity status was confirmed during the commute when a guy pointed out I was on today’s paper. I hope this brings awareness to the real issue: some of our neighbors are going hungry each day.
I have a meeting to go to, so I’ll eat my lunch now to avoid the temptation to munch.
October 8th -Day Four -this isn't getting any easier-
I had just about 15 minutes to eat my lunch, which is not really a challenge when the meal is this small. Worse yet, today's tortilla was about as filling as a pixie stick... and just about as appetizing.
I did go to the meeting, and I was happy to see that no food was provided. One less temptation to field. Several colleagues there offered their support and encouragement, and one even offered me some organic grapes. Although tempting, I turned them down.
Our meeting was scheduled for two hours, but, being hungry, I could have sworn it lasted closer to four. The discussion was important and the participants extremely knowledgeable, but I had a hard time focusing. I noticed a can of soda on a table to my right, a woman behind me munching on some crackers, and another one in front of me with a peanut butter chocolate bar. The smell was intoxicating.
This experience made me think of children again, and what hunger and food insecurity do to limit their growth and learning potential. C-SNAP has documented the impact of hunger on children from birth to age 3 (visit: http://www.c-snap.org/), and many other reports also highlight the negative impact on school-aged children's ability to learn(i.e. http://www.endhunger.com/assets/Children/e41.pdf).
I left at 3:30 and considered taking the walk back from Government Center to my office by Fort Point, but I felt too tired. I opted to go home instead. A menu flyer from a local grill was pinned to my door, which was a bit of an irony if you ask me. Once there, I started cooking, but I worried that eating too early would make me hungry sooner. I had dinner at 5:15pm, and I hope it satisfies me 'til morning.
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