And so it ends...

Do you want to know the first thing I ate upon completion of the SNAP Challenge?

A peanut butter sandwich.

I really missed peanut butter; it’s my go to snack when I’m feeling just a little bit hungry. So while it wasn’t extravagant, it certainly did taste good.

Last week was quite an experience.  My grocery bill was $19.84, and I had ten items to get me through the week.

By Friday, this is what I had left over in raw product:

And stunningly, this is what I had in prepared leftovers:

The potato salad, oatmeal cookies and mini quiches got tossed.  The lentils got put into the freezer for a later date. Everything else was either saved or used this weekend for family meals. Interestingly, once I was able to share with my family, the food went very quickly. The only things I ran out of during the week were oatmeal and my frozen broccoli.

Things I learned:

• You CAN live on $20 worth of food for 5 days, it just takes a considerable amount of thought and preparation.

• Variety truly is the spice of life.  It’s going to be awhile before I eat oatmeal again.

• Bread is overrated.  I only ate two pieces from my loaf all week. Of course, I didn’t have much to spread or put between it, so…

Thank you to everyone who was so invested and interested in our journey. I had so many thoughtful conversations throughout the week because of this.  I hope everyone learned a little something.  A super special thanks to my colleagues, Misty, Dr. Beech, Eileen, Maya, Randall and Sean for participating, and to Timmy for keeping everyone up to date via social media.

One last little tidbit, I was talking to a friend of mine who works for the United Way THRIVE program this weekend, and she said that our blog motivated her group to assemble their own SNAP Challenge. I’m glad that we could provide some inspiration! Be sure to visit me on Facebook, and see what other interesting things I’m getting up to, and “like” the Legacy page, as well.

Across the Finish Line

What an incredible event.  I would suggest everyone go through this exercise.

Let me tell you about my Friday.  First I had a great breakfast of two of the eggs, cheese and the apple I bought with my remaining money all with water as I was out of milk.  I too saw donuts being passed around at work but easily resisted that temptation as I rarely eat donuts anyway.  I ate my snack (a hard boiled egg) as soon as I got to work because I learned it was a bad idea to carry it to work in my pocket (LOL).  Lunch was the last packet of Ramen and a pretty good sized portion of cheese to finish that off as well.  Later in the day I spent $0.65 on a diet coke as I had not had one all week long.  This left me with $0.02 cents left of the $20.00 (if there was a prize for closest without going over I might have won it).  Dinner was still the stew but it was as good as ever.  I did have to drink water with it but I really was not hungry during this challenge except for the first few days as I prepared my plan for the week.  With better planning I know my diet would be more varied and I would actually enjoy things a bit more - stew for four or five meals in a week is a bit much for most anyone.  I end the challenge with stew remaining as well as some rice.  I might be able to go for one more day actually - but I am relieved that I do not have to.  I weighed myself as some had mentioned that I "looked thinner" and I am happy to report that appears to be a mirage as my weight today was exactly the same as it was a few weeks ago when I did the "know your numbers" challenge.  This was not a starvation diet nor was it inadequate to support my nutritional needs as I had feared at the beginning.

Today I woke to a two egg omelet with cheese but this time it also had some tomato's and I had some bread as well.  I know I will spend far more than $4.50 today on food but I am also much more conscious of how amazingly blessed I am.  Not just personally but professionally - to be able to serve at Legacy and contribute in some manner to helping those that face challenges we do not face.

I was humbled by Januari's post.  I am one of those people that see people buying crap with food stamps and I was, before this challenge, upset with them for what I thought was shameful waste.  Never again will I feel that way and I might just buy them a candy bar the next time I see one in the store.  To live on $4.50 per day and have enough left over every now and then to buy some "luxury" item is not wasteful or shameful at all - hell I know now it is good money management!

I too want to say how proud I am of the entire team and of Legacy.

play on!

SNAP Challenge Day 5: Birthday SNAPs

It's Day 5 of the SNAP Challenge, and it's my birthday! We made to the end with enough to eat and cash for treats!

Breakfast: Oatmeal with Cinnamon and Apples
Yes, we are still eating oatmeal. My fiance is probably never going to eat oatmeal again. He is totally convinced that this a usually breakfast item incapable of keeping anyone full. He gives me looks of total disbelief when I tell him my 1/2 cup of oatmeal breakfast keeps me full tell lunch. He is certain that this is deception.

Lunch: Frittata + Oranges

Dinner: Pinto Beans, Rice, and Blanched Collard Greens
Having eaten almost all of our soup, we return to leftover beans and rice. On the side we have blanched collard greens with a bit of salt, pepper, and balsalmic vinegar.

DESSERT: BIRTHDAY BROWNIES!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wheeeeeeeeeeeee! Chocolate! In celebration of our completion of the SNAP challenge, but more importantly, my birthday, we made brownies from a box. We got them for $1.25 (with a coupon even though they were a fancy name brand) during our panic apple run to HEB.

Some thoughts...
At the end of the week, we were left with $4.62.

What would I have done differently? Possibly bought some more food to have as a side with our main dishes, some other kind of vegetables or potatoes. Really only having one thing on your plate can leave you wanting more even if you're full. More realistically, I should have bought my poor fiance something other than oatmeal to eat for breakfast.

What did I learn? A couple of things...

1. I don't eat that much. I am pretty used to a light breakfast and lunch. I might eat more at dinner, on the weekends, or at a restaurant, but I adapted pretty well to a diet with not snacks at limited portions.  
2. Not everyone eats as little as I do. It's clear from this challenge that my fiance and I need very different amounts of fuel to get us through the day. I have always been aware that that he eats more than me (though the difference has definitely lessen since high school), this exercise brought it into sharp focus. While somebody my size might be able to meet their caloric needs without too much thought on the SNAP challenge, the same might not be said of someone else. This is likely a challenge that families on SNAP face, particularly those with growing children.
3. Knowledge is power. I went the grocery store prepared. I had checked the coupon flyer. I had a list and meal plan ready. I have a strong cooking skills and a good working knowledge of healthy foods. Without those things, particularly the last two for which I am very grateful, it would have been difficult to assemble a healthful, cost-effective diet for 5 days. I chose mostly whole, plant based foods that required effort and preparation to turn them into something edible. If I hadn’t had those knowledge and skills to fall back on, I likely would have needed to resort to cheaper, less healthy convenience foods to get through the week. Education may be one of the most powerful weapons we have in combating hunger and obesity in the United States.

DAY 5: staying alive...staying alive!

Like Januari, I too was greeted with a bag of 7 Girl Scout cookies I ordered a while back...Planted on my desk. Waiting. It was like a sick joke. Thin mints and Caramel Delights and my office mates held me true to The Challenge, till the sweet end. And I have varying thoughts on that. If someone gives you something you should accept it; SNAP recipients probably do, more than not. But, our efforts where organic here. Live on $20, no expections. I am truly proudly of the team, WE DID IT! And are more consicous, and mindful of others' strife and realities becasue of it. Below are some lessons I take away from this week.


1. I need to learn more recipes and just practice them without fear of failure in the kitchen.

2. I need snacks. I'm a healthy snackin' gal, and I'm going to own it.

3. I need to work out consistently and stop making stupid excuses.

4. I will always be more conscious and mindful of every item I put into the grocery cart.

5. Every. Penny. Really. Does. Count.

6. I need snacks.

7. Water can fulfill hunger pains.

8. I still have lots to learn...!

My prayer is that the number of folks dealing with food insecurity decrease, especially the children (1:4 goes children goes to sleep hungry in the Greater Houston area). We are not a third world country, this should not be anyones reality here. We are one of the wealthiest cities in the world. it's just not right.

This is why I am so proud that Legacy is doing something about it. We are providing services that eliminate barriers to acquiring food, and will be starting this at our Southwest and Baytown campuses this quarter! Also, big shout out to Council Member Stephen Costello for being the driving force behind the food desert concept and bringing access and development to our fine City.  Cheers to all and may you and yours continue to be blessed with health and nutrition! (And if you know someone that needs assistance, you know where to send 'em, spread the word!)

MYOB

This is how my week has gone:

• Warm kolaches brought by my desk in the morning.

• Donut holes at an early morning meeting.

• Donuts in the break room.

• Cookies on file cabinets.

• Some sort of chip and dip fest in the middle of the office with my colleagues trying not to make eye contact.

• GIRL SCOUT COOKIES ON MY DESK WHEN I GOT HERE THIS MORNING!!!

•  Lots of assumptions that I must be starving.

I’m not starving.  I’m not even remotely hungry most of the time.  I think everyone will be surprised when I post on Monday morning at just how much food I have left over, both in raw form and in prepared leftovers.  What I am is sick and tired of eating the same 10 items in various combinations, so much so that I actually skipped dinner last night because I couldn’t bear to eat more chicken or potatoes.  I did have an apple.

One criticism that I often hear of SNAP recipients is what they have in their carts.  Why do they have honey buns? How are they affording steaks? What right do they have to that fancy pasta sauce when the government is paying for it?  After religiously eating chicken, apples, potatoes and oatmeal for a week, I cannot fault someone for wanting some red meat and high fructose corn syrup because right now, that sounds like a pretty delicious treat.

What I’m trying to say is mind your own business.  Worry about what’s in your cart, not your neighbors.  You have no idea what someone’s situation and story is.  Maybe they live in one of those food deserts, and never learned how to shop mindfully.  Maybe it’s someone’s birthday, and honey buns and fancy pasta sauce are their favorite treat.  Maybe they are just sick and tired of eating the cheapest thing they can find.  And remember, SNAP is a SUPPLEMENTAL program.  If someone can satisfy their grocery list using $4/day and still have some money left over for beer or wine, MORE POWER TO YOU.  I could certainly use a drink after all this.

I may have a Girl Scout Cookie or four in the car. Don’t tell anyone. 

SNAP Challenge DAY 4: Keeping It Interesting

Strap in for some repeats, ya'll! It's Day 4 of the SNAP Challenge!

Breakfast: Oatmeal with Cinnamon and Apples
We planned on making the oatmeal the night before, but forgot until we were already in bed about to go to sleep. Whoops. We decided it was better to assemble it in the evening rather than early the next morning, and clambered out of bed to make breakfast...at night. This morning, we continue to stick with raw chopped apples instead and add spices directly to our hot cereal. 

Lunch: Frittata (+ an orange for my fiance and a grapefruit for me)
This is same frittata from yesterday. We're each eating roughly a sixth of this for lunch.

Dinner: Chickpea Soup
We polish off most of the soup from yesterday, or at least all of the broccoli that topped it. Jury still out on what combo of left overs we'll be having for dinner tomorrow. I know, you are on the very edge of your seats.

In the mean time, check out what some way more interesting folks are doing about food insecurity. Jeff Bridges, Tom Colicchio and other fancy folks have made a super cool documentary about hunger in the United States. I'm not sure when it will be in theaters, but starting March 1 you can watch it on tunes in your own house, and I'm sure homemade popcorn is way friendlier to your pocketbook anyhoo.

Day 4 and I'm still alive!

Okay, really, this is not as hard as I imagined at the onset.  After the first day I thought this challenge would starve me to death, but since I have been on this now for almost four days I am actually doing well and I suspect I will have food left over if I do not increase my meals.

First let me tell you, I have learned you can soak beans for a long, long time and apparently they are still good.  My chicken stew has lasted and is going strong and is quite tasty.  I have enought to last through this challenge with some to spare!

I also had $1.69 left from my original $20.00 (once I realized I did not have to buy butter with that $20) so I headed to Fiest last night to live it up.  Once I got there the cookies, two for $1.00, really caught my attention but I thought of being "healthy" so I settled on two wonderful apples for $1.00.  This left me with $0.69 so I think tomorrow I will celebrate the ending of this challenge with a diet coke and slide into the finish with $0.04 remaining.

So today I started with my normal two eggs, cheese and milk for breakfast, I brought a hard boiled egg to work for a snack and went home for a quick Ramen noodle soup breakfast.  It is now about 5pm and I am really not hungry but know I have a baked potato waiting for me for dinner with some stew if I am still in need.  I do not think I will be hungry after the baked potato but, darn, I have a lot of stew left to eat so will probably do a small bowl.  Tomorrow I still have eggs and milk left, one pack of Ramen noodles and stew so I should finish this challenge not hungry but with a much higher level of understanding and respect for the challenge that a majority of our friends face every day

ONE. MORE. DAY.

I've been convincing myself all day to get on here and fill you in...I'm tired, hungry and bored with my food choices, and I'm loosing muscle too. I have 2 pieces of chicken left for 3 more meals. I have not gotten around to mashing my potatoes, fully cooked ready to be mashed. They are sitting in the fridge, covered with saran wrap. I just stare at them when I open the door for options. They just haven't attracted me whatsoever. Thankfully my Hispanic genes are strong, "the force is strong with this one." My rice, beans, cilantro, Vaca Feliz spour cream, eggs and tomatoes are getting me through...My initial perk this week was the brownie batch I whipped up night before last, but they came out too fudgy, so I'm a tad grumpy...and low energy.

On a brighter note...a few of us "Challengers" were chatting about how to celebrate our achievement this week.  My pitch is that we go to Sullivan's for full-on red meat next Thursday lunch, yes Valentine's Day celebration lunch! They are having $15 steak specials in honor of their 15th year anniversary, or something like that. You may find me waiting outside for them to open. Please join us if you like. I actually have a couple of lunch plans set in stone for next week already, none of them include chicken entrees....CAN'T. EVEN. WAIT for this weekend, may drive around neighborhoods looking for BBQs I can join :)

still smiling (barely), actually, SMOVIN'

Civilized Snacks

Queen Elizabeth and I enjoy
a civilized snack together. 

Thursdays are pretty difficult days for me. It's past the "hump day", but too busy to beckon Friday because I've just got too much to do. These are the days that I need to relax my anxiety and breathe through my checklist. I am a tea drinker or water drinker. I very rarely drink juice, coffee, or sodas. My other poison of choice is also clear and spirited, but I'm promoting healthy options, not ones that can get you arrested. 

Many of you know that I am a pretty high-energy kind of girl, and caffeine only makes my eye twitch. In addition to being pretty limited in my choices of drinks, I also do not like cold liquids. I drink almost everything at room temperature or hot. Who else enjoys a good hot liquid? You guessed it! The British. 

Today's guest presenter is the epitome of "civilized" and I'm really honored that she agreed to come hang with me -as I pride myself on being without pretense and civil, but not "-ized". The Queen and I are having a personal favorite today - tea with toast and trail mix. I just love, love, love raisin toast with soft cheese. The flavors are sweet, zesty, and have different textures to enjoy in each bite. If you toast the raisin bread extra well, the crunchy and slightly browned raisins offer a sweet and plump delicious pop of flavor. Mmmmm! Your majesty has black tea and I've got a little green tea. Sometimes I eat the raisin toast too quickly, so I have a little trail mix to nibble on through the remainder of the tea. 

This combination is high in protein, high in flavor, and so very relaxing. It's just the Cheerie-Oh that you need to push through the rest of Thursday, right into FRRRRIIIIIIDDDDAAAAYYYY!!! This Thursday time with the Queen was just my cup of tea. I hope you enjoy! 

What about the children???

Several people have asked if I am the only one in my family taking on the SNAP Challenge this week, or if my 8 and 10-year-old and husband have joined me. I chose not to have the kids participate, because they are both athletes that practice several times a week for multiple hours at a time, and I wasn’t convinced that I would be able to provide healthy meals to sustain their energy levels and activities. How lucky I am to have that choice, whereas 28% of Texas’ children live in households that struggle to afford food.  That’s over a quarter of kids who are probably very hungry at some point during the day, and may not know where their next meal is coming from.

I make the kids’ lunches more often than not, because I can guarantee the quality of food and the nutritional content.  Cafeteria food hasn’t changed much since we were kids, which means it is lacking.  Lacking in taste, nutrition, and overall desirability.  Yes, it meets the basic standards for nutrition put forth by the powers that be, but just barely.  I certainly wouldn’t want to eat it on a weekly basis, why should we expect our kids to accept such poor quality?  That said, my kids do eat the school lunch sometimes, because mama travels, or some mornings are just too hectic for making lunches.  The one meal that they do not turn their nose up at, and actually request, is breakfast for lunch.  It’s a hit.

It’s important to remember that SNAP is a SUPPLEMENTAL program, and not meant to be the only source of food (although for far too many, it actually is).  That’s why the free and reduced price breakfast and lunch programs are so important. They guarantee children at least 1-2 meals a day, which for many is their only meal.  Breakfast is particularly important to a learning environment.  When I miss breakfast, my focus is off, and I am far less productive.  Ensuring that kids start their school day off with at least one advantage may be the difference between an A student and a C. State Representative Eddie Rodriguez out of Austin has filed H.B. 296, which will require school districts that already participate in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program, and where 80% of the students qualify for free or reduced breakfast, to offer free breakfast to all remaining students regardless of eligibility. Let’s hope we see this come to fruition.

As for me, I honestly have more than enough food left to get me through the week; I’m just getting a little tired of eating the same 10 ingredients in different combinations.  Although last night, I took Sean the Legacy dietician’s advice and made my own pie crust, which made for delicious chicken and broccoli mini-quiches.  And here’s my big confession: yesterday was National Frozen Yogurt Day, and I had a coupon for 6 ounces of free Menchie’s yogurt.  I took my son after school, and we both had frozen yogurt for 35 cents. My original grocery bill was $19.84, so I figure if I split the 35 cents between him and I, my cost for the yogurt was 17 cents, which puts me one cent over budget.  But it was totally worth it. 

SNAP Challenge Day 3: Bon Appetit

It's Day 3 of the SNAP Challenge, and it's time to mix it up!

Breakfast: Oatmeal with Cinnamon and Apples
We throw over baking the apples in favor of expediency and toss on raw chopped apples instead and add spices directly to our hot cereal. Even though my fiance is eating twice as much oatmeal as me, I receive a text message from him around 10:00 AM in which he declares that he's hungry and wonders if peanut butter can be considered a condiment.

Lunch: Frittata (+ an orange for my fiance and 1/2 a grapefruit for me)
The day before we made a frittata with 8 eggs, some shredded cheese, frozen spinach, an onion, two red bell peppers, and a package of mushrooms. We sauteed the chopped vegetables then poured the beaten and seasoned egg and cheese mixture over the veggies. We transferred the pan to the oven and cooked at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until firm. We're each eating roughly a sixth of this for lunch.

Soup Prep: Chickpeas Soaking in Brine 

Dinner: Chickpea Soup
As part of this challenge I wanted to see not only if I could cook for two on a tight budget, but also  cook without dramatically changing my routine, choosing a recipe from sources I would normally be looking to for meal planning. I chose a Chickpea Soup from February's Bon Appetit Magazine. This recipe only required me to buy four ingredients: chickpeas, broccoli, broth, and onions, and allowed for easy, cost-saving, pantry substitutions: dried herbs for fresh and vinegar and water for white wine. While the recipe says six servings, I think it's likely we're going to get four hearty servings. Luckily if we run out, we still have plenty of rice and beans...

Pantry Staples Stand In for Their Fresh Counterparts

How can I stretch my SNAP budget?

The USDA recommends that SNAP recipients buy raw ingredients whenever possible, to maximize their benefits. However, you can plan your meals however you choose: buying food for the week, shopping multiple times during the week, buying in bulk where affordable, and buying produce frozen, canned, or fresh.  SNAP benefits can be combined with coupons and store discount cards, but if you don’t already get a newspaper you may wish to consider whether you could afford to buy one for the coupons while living on a SNAP budget.

Day 3.5

Okay, now this is getting a bit better (now that I am eating).  It seems that beans can indeed soak for an awful long time.

I ate a lot of soup/stew last night and was not really hungry this AM.  I did eat a two-egg cheese omelet that hit the spot though.  Today for lunch it was my not so healthy "Ramen" noodles but again, it filled me up and I am not now thinking of gnawing off my arm to stay alive.  Dinner tonight is going to be either my last potato baked or more stew.  An issue I have seen with only $20 in groceries is that my options are limited.  I still technically have $1.46 left so I might stop by the grocery store tonight and see what I can splurge on!!!

I have to admit my opinion of this challenge has changed.  I went from total disbelief that anyone could sustain themselves to now knowing that I will get through the five days on this $20 but it is NOT easy.  One truly has to watch what they buy and that lesson has not been lost on me.  I wish I would have gotten my wife involved and perhaps we will do our own SNAP challenge after this.

I heard it on NPR

I love 88.7 KUHF.

As I was driving home yesterday (not hungry, because the chicken and dumplings soup I had for lunch was some kind of powerful), I heard this segment about food deserts in Houston.  Nationwide, over 23 million Americans live in places that lack places to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. This means that entire communities, entire generations, really, are growing up without the healthy options that are vital to a productive lifestyle.

A theme I have tried to stress throughout this challenge is how fortunate I feel to have not only the cooking and preparation skills to get me through the week, but the knowledge and education on how to make better food choices.  Do I always make the best choices in my day to day life? Absolutely not. But I do have access, and that is major. There are three large grocery stores within a quarter mile of my house!

3,992,300 (15.3%) Texans receive SNAP benefits.  How many of these individuals and their families live in areas like Sunnyside, Eastside, Third and Fifth Wards, which have been labeled food deserts?  Even if you have your approximately $4/day for an individual to spend, if you only have processed and convenience foods available, you’re going to choose what is available.

Fortunately, Houston is working towards a solution. The awesome Houston Sustainability Director Laura Spanjian is not only promoting new supermarket development, but is also encouraging community gardens.

As for me, I am growing tired of oatmeal, and I’ve learned that while lentils take awhile to cook, they are well worth the wait.