One too many peanut butter sandwiches later, I completed the food stamp challenge. It was really tough. There were several nights when I went to bed hungry. There were other times when I just didn't want to eat the options I had: pasta, peanut butter, or eggs. I short-changed nutrition in order to fill myself up. And I noticed that my mood changed through the week - the pleasure I normally take in eating my meals was stripped away as variety and freshness disappeared from the menu.
It was very clear why low-income people experience malnutrition. Buying low-cost foods means more starch and carbohydrates (at Aldi's, macaroni and cheese was only 35 cents a box!) and less protein and produce. On $3.62 a day - the current food stamp allocation, a person simply can not afford red meat, fresh fish, and most fruits and vegetables. No wonder the rates of diabetes, obesity, and heart disease are so high!
To read more about the food stamp challenge, please click here for an article from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
It was very clear why low-income people experience malnutrition. Buying low-cost foods means more starch and carbohydrates (at Aldi's, macaroni and cheese was only 35 cents a box!) and less protein and produce. On $3.62 a day - the current food stamp allocation, a person simply can not afford red meat, fresh fish, and most fruits and vegetables. No wonder the rates of diabetes, obesity, and heart disease are so high!
To read more about the food stamp challenge, please click here for an article from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
