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.