The Food Stamp Challenge - Variety and Cravings

by Kimberley Chin, Director, Maryland Hunger Solutions

As the days go by I realize that in addition to the fewer choices of nutritious food that can be bought on the food stamp allocation, there is also a problem with variety. After an egg on toast breakfast, eaten in the car on the way to work, and a spaghetti lunch, I just couldn't face spaghetti again for dinner. I had a banana and a salad of lettuce, carrots and cheese with crackers on the side when I got home. I'm fairly healthy, but definitely not someone who is obsessed with healthy eating, so it was funny to have such a craving for a salad. I am now really grateful that I bought lettuce and carrots. And of course cheese makes everything better. At the beginning of this challenge I received an email from someone who told me that the food stamp benefits that her uncle receives is very low - even compared to this challenge. With the increase in food prices, I can't even imagine how people make it work.