Comments on: Food Stamp Diet: Day 1 http://www.africankelli.com/2006/11/27/food-stamp-diet-day-1/ Majoring in Domestic Engineering Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:50:41 +0000 hourly 1 By: Albert Castellaneta http://www.africankelli.com/2006/11/27/food-stamp-diet-day-1/comment-page-1/#comment-4182 Albert Castellaneta Mon, 22 Jan 2007 08:39:35 +0000 http://www.africankelli.com/2006/11/27/food-stamp-diet-day-1/#comment-4182 Google is the best search engine Google is the best search engine

]]> By: joyce http://www.africankelli.com/2006/11/27/food-stamp-diet-day-1/comment-page-1/#comment-2482 joyce Sun, 03 Dec 2006 21:52:05 +0000 http://www.africankelli.com/2006/11/27/food-stamp-diet-day-1/#comment-2482 I used to run the food pantry at our church and I spent the last year working as a cashier at a supermarket. In our town it seems at our pantry most of the people we met who were on food stamps were not working and therefore you would think there would be time to cook. Unfortunately people don't know how to cook anymore...and don't want the recipes to learn either (we give copies of some healthy recipes that can be made from some items we give away). We give beans, rice, ingredients for healthy casseroles, frozen meat, but the people want instant foods. It would be great if somehow we could get people to believe that it is worth putting the time into creating healthy meals for their kids and themselves. One thing thing that drove me nuts when I was cashiering is that in our state anything that rings up with a grocery code can be bought with food stamps...including pop, candy and prepared sandwiches. I saw some mothers doing a wonderful job buying ingredients for healthy meals. But I am telling you it will make you sad when you see someone with a couple of little kids spending a good portion of those precious food stamp dollars on items like those. It seems like it would be an easy fix with a little recoding...with the state in on the act. Another problem is the cost of produce....couldn't there be produce specific dollars on the food stamp card? And maybe a discount on those high priced but nutritous items? At our pantry we gave away lots of produce that church members grew in the garden...but in the winter, folks mostly are having to depend on getting it from the market. It's a great experiment you are doing. My mom could stretch a food dollar like crazy. We ate well, but she really had to work at it. Almost everything was from scratch, chips were a treat you had just a few of with your sandwich, and pop was a blue moon treat. I provide healthy meals, but I know in our family we would be better off without so much pop and sweets that we can afford to buy these days. Sorry if I sound negative, but making those dollars stretch takes alot of effort... By the way...that story about the school giving out peanut butter sandwiches is amazing. Sometimes such a little thing can make such a big difference. I used to run the food pantry at our church and I spent the last year working as a cashier at a supermarket.

In our town it seems at our pantry most of the people we met who were on food stamps were not working and therefore you would think there would be time to cook. Unfortunately people don’t know how to cook anymore…and don’t want the recipes to learn either (we give copies of some healthy recipes that can be made from some items we give away). We give beans, rice, ingredients for healthy casseroles, frozen meat, but the people want instant foods. It would be great if somehow we could get people to believe that it is worth putting the time into creating healthy meals for their kids and themselves.

One thing thing that drove me nuts when I was cashiering is that in our state anything that rings up with a grocery code can be bought with food stamps…including pop, candy and prepared sandwiches. I saw some mothers doing a wonderful job buying ingredients for healthy meals. But I am telling you it will make you sad when you see someone with a couple of little kids spending a good portion of those precious food stamp dollars on items like those. It seems like it would be an easy fix with a little recoding…with the state in on the act.

Another problem is the cost of produce….couldn’t there be produce specific dollars on the food stamp card? And maybe a discount on those high priced but nutritous items? At our pantry we gave away lots of produce that church members grew in the garden…but in the winter, folks mostly are having to depend on getting it from the market.

It’s a great experiment you are doing. My mom could stretch a food dollar like crazy. We ate well, but she really had to work at it. Almost everything was from scratch, chips were a treat you had just a few of with your sandwich, and pop was a blue moon treat. I provide healthy meals, but I know in our family we would be better off without so much pop and sweets that we can afford to buy these days. Sorry if I sound negative, but making those dollars stretch takes alot of effort…

By the way…that story about the school giving out peanut butter sandwiches is amazing. Sometimes such a little thing can make such a big difference.

]]> By: Gracie http://www.africankelli.com/2006/11/27/food-stamp-diet-day-1/comment-page-1/#comment-2417 Gracie Wed, 29 Nov 2006 15:34:09 +0000 http://www.africankelli.com/2006/11/27/food-stamp-diet-day-1/#comment-2417 Rice and lentils all week??? Good luck girl! Rice and lentils all week??? Good luck girl!

]]> By: Shelley - At Home in Rome http://www.africankelli.com/2006/11/27/food-stamp-diet-day-1/comment-page-1/#comment-2393 Shelley - At Home in Rome Tue, 28 Nov 2006 16:30:59 +0000 http://www.africankelli.com/2006/11/27/food-stamp-diet-day-1/#comment-2393 It's interesting to think of you going through this as an experiment, almost a test of will power, and then I think of the people who have no choice or aren't in a position to spend more than that even if they wanted to, and how much anger and frustration that must cause them, esp. if they are trying their best to pull themselves up and out. And what resources are available to help them channel all that frustration? Your experiment is making me think, and I'm thinking that this comes to much more than just a question of hunger. It’s interesting to think of you going through this as an experiment, almost a test of will power, and then I think of the people who have no choice or aren’t in a position to spend more than that even if they wanted to, and how much anger and frustration that must cause them, esp. if they are trying their best to pull themselves up and out. And what resources are available to help them channel all that frustration? Your experiment is making me think, and I’m thinking that this comes to much more than just a question of hunger.

]]> By: atpanda http://www.africankelli.com/2006/11/27/food-stamp-diet-day-1/comment-page-1/#comment-2392 atpanda Tue, 28 Nov 2006 15:53:16 +0000 http://www.africankelli.com/2006/11/27/food-stamp-diet-day-1/#comment-2392 Are you getting enough protein with this new vegetarian thing you're doing? You have to be really careful about. Between drastically changing what you're eating, and the fact that you're working out more lately, I'm a little concerned. Are you getting enough protein with this new vegetarian thing you’re doing? You have to be really careful about. Between drastically changing what you’re eating, and the fact that you’re working out more lately, I’m a little concerned.

]]> By: beki http://www.africankelli.com/2006/11/27/food-stamp-diet-day-1/comment-page-1/#comment-2391 beki Tue, 28 Nov 2006 14:49:10 +0000 http://www.africankelli.com/2006/11/27/food-stamp-diet-day-1/#comment-2391 Geesh, that isn't very much. Geesh, that isn’t very much.

]]> By: Heather http://www.africankelli.com/2006/11/27/food-stamp-diet-day-1/comment-page-1/#comment-2390 Heather Tue, 28 Nov 2006 14:10:08 +0000 http://www.africankelli.com/2006/11/27/food-stamp-diet-day-1/#comment-2390 Kelli, I love this! Even though it is freaking me out. My food stamp days are still a nightmare I'd like to forget. There's a reason why I HATE roman noodles and for a long time couldn't eat rice and beans. I think I got $150 a month for myself and two kids. 8 years ago. Still never came close with trying to buy milk and meat. Kelli, I love this! Even though it is freaking me out. My food stamp days are still a nightmare I’d like to forget. There’s a reason why I HATE roman noodles and for a long time couldn’t eat rice and beans.

I think I got $150 a month for myself and two kids. 8 years ago. Still never came close with trying to buy milk and meat.

]]> By: Ash http://www.africankelli.com/2006/11/27/food-stamp-diet-day-1/comment-page-1/#comment-2389 Ash Tue, 28 Nov 2006 12:06:16 +0000 http://www.africankelli.com/2006/11/27/food-stamp-diet-day-1/#comment-2389 Kelli, I feel like playing along with you! We don't have food stamps, but we have social security here. I shall find out how much it is and see if we can live for a week on that amount. Oh, and did you see that in England poorer families now get stamps they can exchange for fresh fruit and vegetables? This is to try and stop the obesity problem. http://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/ Kelli, I feel like playing along with you! We don’t have food stamps, but we have social security here. I shall find out how much it is and see if we can live for a week on that amount.

Oh, and did you see that in England poorer families now get stamps they can exchange for fresh fruit and vegetables? This is to try and stop the obesity problem.

http://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/

]]> By: Keesha http://www.africankelli.com/2006/11/27/food-stamp-diet-day-1/comment-page-1/#comment-2388 Keesha Tue, 28 Nov 2006 04:17:52 +0000 http://www.africankelli.com/2006/11/27/food-stamp-diet-day-1/#comment-2388 I'm thinking about how crazy people get in the office over free bagels. My parents host 100 people to Thanksgiving every year at our local senior center. It's changed their lives. I'm biting my tongue over all the suggested low budget recipes, what I'm getting from your post isn't how you can make $20 stretch, but about the slippery slope food assistance causes. How can you even pretend to eat healthy. I thought about you today Kelli when I got my $9 lunch, bravo and good luck. I’m thinking about how crazy people get in the office over free bagels.

My parents host 100 people to Thanksgiving every year at our local senior center. It’s changed their lives.

I’m biting my tongue over all the suggested low budget recipes, what I’m getting from your post isn’t how you can make $20 stretch, but about the slippery slope food assistance causes. How can you even pretend to eat healthy.

I thought about you today Kelli when I got my $9 lunch, bravo and good luck.

]]> By: Amanda Cowan http://www.africankelli.com/2006/11/27/food-stamp-diet-day-1/comment-page-1/#comment-2387 Amanda Cowan Tue, 28 Nov 2006 03:04:32 +0000 http://www.africankelli.com/2006/11/27/food-stamp-diet-day-1/#comment-2387 As a stay-at-home-mom, I've done the math more times than I can count. One of the things you can do (for your experiment) is compare different stores as well. I noticed your groceries came from Frys. I always found them to be one of the most expensive in the valley. Wal-mart Supercenters are probably the place for those on food stamps to get the most for their money. Not only because they accept coupons, but they also will match ads. Yes, you have to do the work and cut out the ads and bring them to Walmart, but when you have that kind of budget and several mouths to feed, you probably will do the extra work to make sure everyone goes to bed on a full stomach. I've also noticed that even with no extra work, coupons, etc.. that I can expand my monthly budget by quite a bit by shopping there. Granted, my budget is larger than the $20 per week per diem you've given yourself.. but you know what I mean. As another part of your experiment, I would challenge you to take that same $20 to walmart and see what you can do there! (though the prices you listed above seem pretty good for a Frys!). Nice work! Thats a good way to experiment what so many people around us have to deal with all the time! As a stay-at-home-mom, I’ve done the math more times than I can count. One of the things you can do (for your experiment) is compare different stores as well. I noticed your groceries came from Frys. I always found them to be one of the most expensive in the valley. Wal-mart Supercenters are probably the place for those on food stamps to get the most for their money. Not only because they accept coupons, but they also will match ads. Yes, you have to do the work and cut out the ads and bring them to Walmart, but when you have that kind of budget and several mouths to feed, you probably will do the extra work to make sure everyone goes to bed on a full stomach. I’ve also noticed that even with no extra work, coupons, etc.. that I can expand my monthly budget by quite a bit by shopping there. Granted, my budget is larger than the $20 per week per diem you’ve given yourself.. but you know what I mean.
As another part of your experiment, I would challenge you to take that same $20 to walmart and see what you can do there! (though the prices you listed above seem pretty good for a Frys!). Nice work! Thats a good way to experiment what so many people around us have to deal with all the time!

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