The Food Stamp Challenge - Pressures on the Working Mom

by Kimberley Chin, Director, Maryland Hunger Solutions

This morning began as it does for many households with a full-time working mother with young children – with me getting ready for work while getting the three boys dressed, fed and ready for the day. The difference was that in addition to quickly making an egg sandwich for breakfast to carry to work with me, I also had to soak a bag of beans if I wanted any real variety in my diet tonight.

To make beans and rice, I usually use the cooked cans of beans that don’t need to be soaked, so this was new for me. I felt as though I was doing what my mother and generations of Caribbean mothers had done many times before me (but what I generally avoid doing) – soaking beans for the main meal. I quickly read the package and put the beans in a pot with water to soak for the day. I anticipated coming home to find beans that were ready to be used to create dinner. It didn’t quite work out that way. I came home, started preparing the dish, and realized that I heard beans clinking against the side of the saucepan. I don’t recall my beans clinking before. I quickly pulled the empty bean bag from the garbage and realized that I hadn’t put enough water in the beans. It looked as though I wouldn’t be having beans for dinner. I then did what any self-respecting, grown mother of three would do in that situation. I called my mother. She confirmed that I would have to boil the beans for a very long time for them to be edible.

I was told that the USDA’s Thrifty Food Plan, which is the national standard for a nutritious meal for a minimal cost and a basis for maximum food stamp allotments, allocates 3 hours of cooking time a day. I actually think with the planning, preparation and cooking time it is much more. How are working mothers of small children supposed to “do it all?” How are they supposed to “do it all” with limited time and on an incredibly limited budget? And with the cost of energy and food going up, the budgets will get even tighter. Food Stamps are the first line of defense again hunger and with the rising costs of food, they need to be adjusted to adequately help people feed their families a nutritious meal. Anyway, I will eat another small salad as I sit here waiting for my beans to cook.