Could you feed yourself on $3.50 a day?

[nnarum]

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[h2]Could you feed yourself on $3.50 a day?[/h2]
Tom Barlow
Oct 8th 2008 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Food

The Illinois Food Bank Association recently concluded an interesting challenge. Volunteers agreed to feed themselves and their families for a week on $25 per person, the average weekly food stamp benefit given to Illinois residents. How would you feed yourself for $25 a week? That wouldn't even pay for my brie.

How did the volunteers fare? Poorly, according to the blog documenting their experiences.

• Frank Finnegan tried eating a granola bar for breakfast, two hard-boiled eggs for lunch, and for dinner, pasta, chicken nuggets or ham and beans. He declined handouts. He found himself growing grumpy in the hours before a meal, happy after. No wonder the people on the 4 p.m. bus look so glum.
• He also found it impossible to shop for proper nutrition on such a budget, forced to choose instead foods that were filling. Imagine a child raised on such a budget.
• Kathy Chaney took a well-planned approach, visiting Aldi's for bulk ingredients for homemade chicken soup and fajitas. Her family balked, though, and although Kathy alone stuck it out to the end, she wrote "Boy, am I starving".
• Chris Strupp lost five pounds in four days.
• Barb Shreves found herself counting the obscene number of fast-food restaurants on her trip to the grocery.
• Dennis noted how carbohydrate-intensive his restricted diet was. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes among the poor is no coincidence.
• Kate eased a hunger pang with a banana far beyond ripe and three glasses of water.
• Becky found herself at the end of the week with six boxes of cereal, but no milk.

How well would you eat on $25 a week?

It would rob me of a great deal of time. Time pursuing grocery deals (and I think it would be unfair to squander $100 of gas to chase deals across town; the poor would shop somewhere nearby, on the bus line.), time in preparation.

It would rob me of choice. It would rob me of nutrition. Fruit is damned expensive, as are fresh vegetables, and don't even mention milk to me.

How many Americans dogs are fed more than $25 worth of food a week? A lot, I'd guess.

Is that right?

For me, NO WAY! I don't eat a lot, but that's a very limiting amount to go off...

 

[mangudai954]

Ramen, sure.

 

[solewoman]

i could thats easy

 

[stocksandbonds85]

$25 a week? Cop a Little Ceasars Pizza every day

 

[the north west]

it's possible but your health would go drastically go down hill

 

[harlem]

broccoli w/ white rice and a quarter water
good eating right there

 

[potus2028]

Boy, stop...I'm a grown, 6'4" 237 pound man, I can't hardly feed myself on $3.50 a meal.

Tho there was a time where my fam was on food stamps, so I know what that's about

 

[thugnificence]

stock up on Cup of Noodles.

 

[sooperhooper]

pot pies (thanksgiving in a bowl) hot pockets and water FTW.

 

[we gettin kufi]

yall some malnourished kids

 

[xxlil ryanxx]

i normally don't have enough time for breakfast before school, but i usually just eat a sandwich and a bag of chips for lunch. Then when i get homei'll have a little snack then later for dinner i'll have whatever meal is sitting in my fridge or pantry. I don't consume much unless i'm goingout. And today i got lucky when this vending machine gave me 3 sodas for a dollar

 

[nktran001]

Originally Posted by potus2028

Boy, stop...I'm a grown, 6'4" 237 pound man, I can't hardly feed myself on $3.50 a meal.

I'm still growing at 6'1 195 lbs. I eat by the minute.

 

[oidreez]

i could

 

[food4thgt]

wendys dollar menu...

 

[npa07]

Originally Posted by Food4Thgt

wendys dollar menu...

u beat me too it

 

[ninongbrown]

taco bell or white castle.

 

[desoiation1]

if you live a very simple lifestyle, sure its possible. but if you walk a lot, dont get enough sleep, or youre constantly active, then itll be hard for sure.

 

[bdis1986]

Originally Posted by we gettin kufi


yall some malnourished kids

 

[swoboydehteezy]

Man, *#+% all that.

I eat like $40 worth of food a day.

 

[coolnificent]

I could do it, but why

 

[spot rusherz]

yessirr

 

[agentarenas]

Originally Posted by Nktran001

Originally Posted by potus2028

Boy, stop...I'm a grown, 6'4" 237 pound man, I can't hardly feed myself on $3.50 a meal.

I'm still growing at 6'1 195 lbs. I eat by the minute.

Im 6 4, growin but im only 185 :/ I needa put on muscle.

 

[face82]

Originally Posted by the north west

it's possible but your health would go drastically go down hill

4 real though

 

[infareduser]

I eat 4-6 of those 0.75 ramen soups weekly...that they sell at the corner store...I think i wouldn't do so bad.

 

[nktran001]

Originally Posted by AgentArenas

Originally Posted by Nktran001

Originally Posted by potus2028

Boy, stop...I'm a grown, 6'4" 237 pound man, I can't hardly feed myself on $3.50 a meal.

I'm still growing at 6'1 195 lbs. I eat by the minute.

Im 6 4, growin but im only 185 :/ I needa put on muscle.

Lol, just eat a lot of meat, and drink a lot of milk. That's what i eat/drink the most. My mother always did tell me vegetables were alsogood for you, so i eat veggies a lot too. I lift everyday before i go to sleep as well.