WOW! What an experience this has been. I am so glad that I participated in this hunger challenge (and I have to admit I am equally glad that I have completed it!) The shopping alone was an experience. Price winning out over taste with each purchase. I was happy that I had the skills to put together a healthy variety for the week and still stay in budget I couldn't help but think how difficult it would be for some to put together a healthy menu within this limited budget. When I got to the checkout, I did go over by a few dollars so I had to put some items back. I let the checkout girl know what I was doing and she was great. I couldn't help but think how embarrassed I might be if I REALLY couldn't afford it all and had to put items back.
During the week, I really didn't feel hungry, I felt more bored. My husband Derek, who also did the challenge, and I were eating out of a few grocery bags while our four kids ate out of the entire pantry and refrigerator. I never thought of what a luxury that was. The sad thing was, our kids wanted what we had (plain pasta with sauce, cheap canned juice, etc) and we wanted all the foods they were eating. I'm embarrassed to say that by the end of the week I was actually bargaining and trading foods with my five year old. We were both thrilled!
Other realities that hit home this week was that food was just a small piece of the puzzle for most people. As I did my laundry, washed my hair, used paper napkins, and cleaned my house, I realized that these are items that I take for granted and I would probably have to choose between these and food, utilities, rent, etc. I also watched my kids this week and felt so thankful that we don't have to worry about feeding them or taking care of their basic needs. I was also amazed at how many places I actually got food for free this week: neighborhood block party, culinary class I am enrolled in, a church group I volunteer. My friend even sent a thank you gift card to Cold Stone--it was like gold!
As far as the pregnancy goes, I think I picked the best week possible to complete this challenge. I am at the end of the first trimester so the "green" feeling is subsiding but I am not feeling any more hungry than usual. I did do a cracker trade with my kids midweek since the ones I picked out weren't tasting good to me. I can't imagine what women do at the very beginning of their pregnancies, especially if they don't know what to expect. Being my fifth pregnancy, I pretty much know how to handle/prevent morning sickness. If this were my first pregnancy and I tried to do this challenge--I would have been vomitting all week.
The extra foods from WIC left me with mixed emotions. I worked for WIC in Florida several years ago and I really thought we were significantly helping them out. I will say that milk and juice were pretty much covered which I really appreicated. However, the 3 extra eggs, 4 slices of bread, 4 ozs of beans, and $2.00 for fruits and vegetables were somewhat disappointing. The nine extra ounces of cereal helped me towards the end of the week too. I do still really support WIC since it only allows a well balanced blend of healthy foods. I was just expecting it to be more helpful than it was.
Thank you for including me in this hunger challenge. I think it's been a great experience and I'm sure it will continue in years to come. Good luck to all of you who have yet to complete your week.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
The Big Picture
On the final days of the hunger challenge... I learned at the beginning of the week that with some effort, planning and sacrifice, finding food to sustain myself for the week was not as difficult as I expected. It was the little changes in lifestyle and habit that made it difficult: no coffee, no snacking, bland foods, etc.. As the week went on however, I had the advantage of attending a couple events with "free food." I have to admit that I took advantage of the opportunities, but it prompted a discussion with my (also doing the hunger challenge this week) that people on food stamps probably don't have as many opportunities for such events. Additionally, she brought up the point that if paying for food (the most basic necessity of life) is a challenge, then money for lower priorities (housing, heat/cooling, clothes, transportation, etc.) is also scarce. I began to recognize all of the other things that would also require added effort, planning and sacrifice just to sustain life, never mind contribute to society.
So, what is the "big picture?"... The hunger challenge while difficult at times was only a small piece of the larger reality that a person on food stamps must live within. I did not have the following stressors that a person on food stamps does: sense of permanancy (psychologically I knew the hunger challenge was temporary...I could see the light at the end of the tunnel); isolation (I am part of a social network where sharing of resources is common - i.e. party invites, etc.); instability (I didn't have to worry about money for clothes/laundry, gas, rent, etc.); social embarrassment; etc..
In the end, I gained a new appreciation for the hard work it takes to sustain this lifestyle and the factors that must be overcome to break free from its bonds and become a thriving, contributing member of society.
So, what is the "big picture?"... The hunger challenge while difficult at times was only a small piece of the larger reality that a person on food stamps must live within. I did not have the following stressors that a person on food stamps does: sense of permanancy (psychologically I knew the hunger challenge was temporary...I could see the light at the end of the tunnel); isolation (I am part of a social network where sharing of resources is common - i.e. party invites, etc.); instability (I didn't have to worry about money for clothes/laundry, gas, rent, etc.); social embarrassment; etc..
In the end, I gained a new appreciation for the hard work it takes to sustain this lifestyle and the factors that must be overcome to break free from its bonds and become a thriving, contributing member of society.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
The Little Things
Day one of the hunger challenge for me. So far the cutting back on quantity hasn't been too bad, but it's the little things that were the most difficult today...no coffee, only water, generic style foods with no spices, not snacking on items while cooking for the kids and the most anoying of all...watching my kids eat whatever they wanted and still leaving food on their plate!
Enjoying beans and tortilla's
I started my first day of the Hunger challenge yesterday. I was fortunate to pick the 7 days I wanted to do this project, something every day people who go hungry don't have the luxury of doing. This is my first wake up call! I normally shop at Trader Joe's or Schnucks but knew that my 29 dollars wouldn't go very far at these stores. I shopped around prior to starting this and realized Aldi's was my best choice. I am also looking for coupons, something I normally throw away. This shouldn't be a convenience but a necessity. I am taking Josh's advice to purchase oatmeal, peanut butter, beans, pink canned tuna, pasta and then will also use vegetables from my garden. I personally love spicy food and know that it kicks my metabolism up a notch so I will be throwing jalapenos in everything I eat..well maybe not spicy oatmeal! Hmmm..you never know. I feel great empathy towards those who have to eat this way regularly. I already have co-workers asking me if I'm going to be grumpy or less productive. I don't have an answer for them yet but I'm hoping to maintain my positive and energetic attitude....the next 6 days will tell!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Impact
I am glad I don't have to "think" so much about my food choices today. I am thankful I can eat when I am hungry and not be concerned with choosing a food that fills me up the most, yet costs the least. I am really happy I can eat out with friends and not envy the fact that I can't participate in the same social food-centered outings.
I know this challenge was only 1 week, but it was a challenge. The experience is still very fresh in my heart and mind, but I hope I don't forget when working with future clients some of the lessons I learned.
This challenged affected not only those who participated and blogged, but it touched everyone that we came into contact with. Many eye opening conversations occurred this week between myself and my family and friends. There were many "wows" when people learned about how little those who use food stamps are allocated.
Thank you to Food Outreach for this great hunger challenge event, and thank you for making me a more resourceful, creative, and sensitive Dietitian.
I know this challenge was only 1 week, but it was a challenge. The experience is still very fresh in my heart and mind, but I hope I don't forget when working with future clients some of the lessons I learned.
This challenged affected not only those who participated and blogged, but it touched everyone that we came into contact with. Many eye opening conversations occurred this week between myself and my family and friends. There were many "wows" when people learned about how little those who use food stamps are allocated.
Thank you to Food Outreach for this great hunger challenge event, and thank you for making me a more resourceful, creative, and sensitive Dietitian.
Morning Gratitude
I woke up this morning with much gratitude for the Hunger Challenge and for what I am fortunate to have. I actually have pretty much food left (3 or 4 chicken breasts, LOTS of oatmeal, 2 cans of veggies, pasta, rice, peanut butter, etc.). I was glad I bought the pasta sauce for both the chicken and spaghetti, and cheese and crackers were my dinner or snack on occasion. I sometimes looked at the food and was hungry, but didn't want any of it which is what I am sure what many people feel who know this life too well. I ate half a loaf of white bread which I haven't had since I was probably 10.
I thought a lot about feeding families when you have so little. My son asked several times why I wasn't eating with him when we stopped for lunch or I packed a picnic for him and I didn't have anything (mainly since I can't eat peanut butter in front of him). He was constantly trying to share his food with me and I gently turned him down. How hard that must be for a mother to worry about providing for her own children. So, to help him understand I told him to gather stuffed animals, clothing, games for us to donate to people who didn't have as much and we are going to drop it off at Good Will. We talked a lot about people who don't have things and how lucky we are and to never take it for granted.
Great experience and thankful for all of it.
End of the Road
Well the Hunger Challenge has come to an end and while I'm glad things are "back to normal", it's hardly cause for celebration when what I experienced for a week, is "normal" for most of our clients. My major goal was to try and experience some and the key word is "some", of what our clients go through in order to increase my ability to troubleshoot these challenges when providing nutrition counseling for them. It's definitely given me some things to think about: lentils: nutrition powerhouse AND convenient..who knew?, affordable sources of dairy, better knowledge base of generic products...WOW they have generic everything now!, and the bulk-buying/inability to carry it home paradox. Thank you everyone that participated and I hope you all learned as much as I did.
-Josh
-Josh
Oatmeal, let us agree to disagree...
I did this challenge backwards. I spent the last day (yesterday) driving around to four different stores, comparing prices and bargain hunting. The trade-off is: what you save in food cost you burn in time, frustration and a bit of gasoline. But, once I started seeing the food savings adding up, I felt like I had finally achieved something. Small victories count.
This was a challenge geared toward raising general awareness in the community about the very serious hunger issues facing MILLIONS of people, but I also treated this as a way to self-educate. There are lessons I absolutely needed to learn, but the education is not over yet, and there is a lot of work still to be done.
But, what is over is the seven day hunger challenge itself, at least on paper. I can put down that hated cannister of oatmeal (I see you, quaker man, smug and smiling, WHATEVER), and expand my food horizons. I will start with a tasty pile of tator tots, that's high on my crave list.
Althought it is nice to forget about food limitations and go back to treating food as a "given", there is no forgetting or denying that millions of people are struggling to find a simple meal. Now is the time to do all we can to ease their burdens and help them thrive.
This was a challenge geared toward raising general awareness in the community about the very serious hunger issues facing MILLIONS of people, but I also treated this as a way to self-educate. There are lessons I absolutely needed to learn, but the education is not over yet, and there is a lot of work still to be done.
But, what is over is the seven day hunger challenge itself, at least on paper. I can put down that hated cannister of oatmeal (I see you, quaker man, smug and smiling, WHATEVER), and expand my food horizons. I will start with a tasty pile of tator tots, that's high on my crave list.
Althought it is nice to forget about food limitations and go back to treating food as a "given", there is no forgetting or denying that millions of people are struggling to find a simple meal. Now is the time to do all we can to ease their burdens and help them thrive.
Week over, at last. Appropriately, I spent a good part of the hunger challenge hungry. Here are a few highlights tendered by my 29 bucks:
Dinner on Monday: “Do people give cookies to homeless people? You bet they do.” My quotable housemate assuaged qualms about raiding a plate of homemade (aka fair-game) fudge cookies. Their sweetened condensed milk gave my mounting hunger pangs a pow-pow.
Lunch on Wednesday: While two of my Sauce colleagues were at Local Harvest Cafe picking up vegan chocolate chip cookies and Morganford Mediterranean salads, I ran across the street to Local Harvest Grocery in search of something filling. Apparently, my face screamed deprivation. Without asking, the dear clerk gave me a bag of Companion rolls. “Free, really?” The answer was yes.
Breakfast on Thursday: Who knew Campbell’s vegetable soup ($1.06) could taste so good – and in the morning, no less?
Feast on Friday: Bless Wes Johnson and Brendan Noonan at Eclipse Restaurant, who hosted a free meal in honor of the full moon and who politely let me pile my plate.
Without receiving handouts here and there, I would never have made it through the week. And truth be told, I gave up on Saturday. My money was spent and I was hungry!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
It's Not Greek to Me
I knew this would happen. The challenge hits smack dab during the Greek Fest which is a foodie's dream and is always a much anticipated tradition. I got a group text to meet at the fest, but had to decline since I didn't want to be tempted. I am again reminded how social food can be. Ever group gathering seems to always have some kind of food component. I feel like an outsider in an eating world. Food can be an expression of compassion and friendship. That is one of the reasons why Food Outreach has a lunch every Monday when clients sit a tables laden with tablecloths and are served restaurant style. It is also about the emotional support that clients can give to one another.
Have to say that the first couple of days were brutal. I was constantly thinking about food, what I wish I could eat, and how long I could stand having at least two bowls of oatmeal every day. I compare the 'sick' feeling in my stomach as what it feels like when you have butterflies. By the 4th day, the pangs lessened, maybe because my stomach was shrinking. Only a few more days. This is a true test in will power.
Have to say that the first couple of days were brutal. I was constantly thinking about food, what I wish I could eat, and how long I could stand having at least two bowls of oatmeal every day. I compare the 'sick' feeling in my stomach as what it feels like when you have butterflies. By the 4th day, the pangs lessened, maybe because my stomach was shrinking. Only a few more days. This is a true test in will power.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Day 5
Confession time!
My birthday was last Saturday. One of the presents I got was a big jar of chocolate-covered raisins. I received other snacky presents because everyone knows I'm a snacky person. But these raisins have been sitting out in our dining room the whole week because my wife believed me when I said on Tuesday that I would be fine if she leaves them out.
So this afternoon, when I decided that I was too tired and cranky to take my daughter to one more place (Hey, she's the one who woke me up at 4:15am and then 6:30am on a Saturday), I ate a handful of choclate-covered raisins to bring me back up. I figured, "If I was poor, people would still buy me things for my birthday." Right?
Otherwise, I've stuck to the Challenge. The chicken/shredded carrot/Ramen noodle concoction was eaten for lunch on Friday. It was okay except 1) I didn't heat it long enough, and 2) the carrot flavor was surprisingly strong. Today I made another batch with just the chicken and noodles. I'll eat that one of these nights for dinner. My other lunches have been the same yummy PB&J on a bagel with a piece of fruit. I have one more banana and one more apple. Dinner each night has been chicken with a carrot and either a potato or noodles. I have one potato and one Ramen package left, not counting the noodles I have cooked with the chicken. I have two chicken breasts remaining. Well, I think they're chicken. The "breast" I ate last night was so large and so flat that I had to wonder what kind of chicked it was. If someone were to come in and test the DNA of that meat, I would not be surprised in the least if the result came back as "turtle" or somesuch.
Saturday is traditionally known in our household as "Donut Day". That is the day when daddy goes to the store in the morning and gets pastries for everyone. For some time now I am the only one who ever gets a donut(s), but my daughter insists on calling it Donut Day, regardless. I spent $0.65 of my money on a maple fritter. That leaves me with $0.20. You could say that I spent that much on the raisins, but I have no idea how much such things cost on a per ounce basis.
Sometime around Thursday, I started anticipating what I would eat when this challenge was over - Where would I go out to eat? What will I order? How many shakes from Steak 'n' Shake could one person safely consume in a single day? Then I wondered how poor people handle it. When there is nothing to anticipate, do you just accept your fate or do you become increasingly frustrated? It's probably different for each person. But I'm guessing that the knowledge that I can and will buy whatever I want in the near future makes it easier to get through this week.
I had a weird observation, too. One of the days I was running around and picking up food drives, I had a sense of burning "clean" energy in my system. Does that make sense to anyone? I eat fruits ocassionally, but not every day. And I certainly do not eat Total every day. I would normally eat high-fat or high-calorie snacks. Could I feel different that quickly? On another note, one day our warehouse staff told me the weight I had picked up from one site where the donations had been collected loose in grocery carts causing me to handle every little bag or single can as I loaded our van: over 1,300 pounds! Sounds incredible, but there were at least seven overflowing grocery carts and I know it completely filled a 5' high tote (one of those giant cardboard boxes that sits squarely on a pallet) in our warehouse. Yeah, I got a bit of a workout this past week.
My birthday was last Saturday. One of the presents I got was a big jar of chocolate-covered raisins. I received other snacky presents because everyone knows I'm a snacky person. But these raisins have been sitting out in our dining room the whole week because my wife believed me when I said on Tuesday that I would be fine if she leaves them out.
So this afternoon, when I decided that I was too tired and cranky to take my daughter to one more place (Hey, she's the one who woke me up at 4:15am and then 6:30am on a Saturday), I ate a handful of choclate-covered raisins to bring me back up. I figured, "If I was poor, people would still buy me things for my birthday." Right?
Otherwise, I've stuck to the Challenge. The chicken/shredded carrot/Ramen noodle concoction was eaten for lunch on Friday. It was okay except 1) I didn't heat it long enough, and 2) the carrot flavor was surprisingly strong. Today I made another batch with just the chicken and noodles. I'll eat that one of these nights for dinner. My other lunches have been the same yummy PB&J on a bagel with a piece of fruit. I have one more banana and one more apple. Dinner each night has been chicken with a carrot and either a potato or noodles. I have one potato and one Ramen package left, not counting the noodles I have cooked with the chicken. I have two chicken breasts remaining. Well, I think they're chicken. The "breast" I ate last night was so large and so flat that I had to wonder what kind of chicked it was. If someone were to come in and test the DNA of that meat, I would not be surprised in the least if the result came back as "turtle" or somesuch.
Saturday is traditionally known in our household as "Donut Day". That is the day when daddy goes to the store in the morning and gets pastries for everyone. For some time now I am the only one who ever gets a donut(s), but my daughter insists on calling it Donut Day, regardless. I spent $0.65 of my money on a maple fritter. That leaves me with $0.20. You could say that I spent that much on the raisins, but I have no idea how much such things cost on a per ounce basis.
Sometime around Thursday, I started anticipating what I would eat when this challenge was over - Where would I go out to eat? What will I order? How many shakes from Steak 'n' Shake could one person safely consume in a single day? Then I wondered how poor people handle it. When there is nothing to anticipate, do you just accept your fate or do you become increasingly frustrated? It's probably different for each person. But I'm guessing that the knowledge that I can and will buy whatever I want in the near future makes it easier to get through this week.
I had a weird observation, too. One of the days I was running around and picking up food drives, I had a sense of burning "clean" energy in my system. Does that make sense to anyone? I eat fruits ocassionally, but not every day. And I certainly do not eat Total every day. I would normally eat high-fat or high-calorie snacks. Could I feel different that quickly? On another note, one day our warehouse staff told me the weight I had picked up from one site where the donations had been collected loose in grocery carts causing me to handle every little bag or single can as I loaded our van: over 1,300 pounds! Sounds incredible, but there were at least seven overflowing grocery carts and I know it completely filled a 5' high tote (one of those giant cardboard boxes that sits squarely on a pallet) in our warehouse. Yeah, I got a bit of a workout this past week.
Tantalizing Aromas....ahhhh
Yesterday I didn't have lunch since I was out and about and couldn't pop in somewhere to get a salad, sandwich, smoothie, morsel of food that is not in my limited stockpile for the week. I can honestly tell you that I was at a stoplight and the smell of fried chicken was so intoxicating that I stared at a KFC until the light turned green. I thought I remembered a commercial where they had a mashed potato, chicken nugget, cheese bowl thingy and I would of paid big money for one bite. Then I was in The Loop and the smell of garlic was coming out of Miss Saigon....I had never noticed any food smells driving around before. Even today at the Science Center I was watching the families eat pizza -- was so envious.
I miss having the food I want when I want. I think the hardest part is breaking habits of going out to eat and having variety -- I really want chips and salsa or something different from what I am eating. I came home today and made spaghetti noodles with tuna and peas hoping it might resemble a tuna casserole or something other than chicken. I ate a huge bowl of it and my son kept asking if I was going to eat the whole thing and I gave a resounding "yes!". I am glad other people mentioned they overlooked the bruises on food since I cut around the bruises in my banana this morning -- didn't want to waste it! I usually just throw them away and buy new ones...not any more.
I had $1.50 left and thought about getting the box of oatmeal creme sandwiches again -- I think there were eight of them in a box for $1 at Aldi's. But, my taste buds took over. I was running into Walgreen's to pick up detergent and walked by the candy aisle...everything was much more expensive, but I found a Twix bar and small bag of M&M's and bought them. Still saving the M&M's.
I think currently reading Julia Child's, "My Life in France" doesn't help with my food thoughts since it is all about cooking and her love affair with French food. C'est la vie.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Where Did My Husband Go?
3 days down, 3 much harder, tempting, difficult weekend days ahead of me.
I would like to reflect on a couple of things I have become more sensitive to since this challenge has begun.
Observation 1. My husband has disappeared. Somehow he has come up with some really good excuses not to be around for the $1.50 tues, wed or thursday night dinner. Well tonight, Friday night, he is stuck with me. To be honest, I will probably grill some lovely piece of fish or pork tenderloin for him, while I pick through my 4th serving of my lentil dish I prepared earlier in the week. While it is good, that recipe just really made enough for a family of 10 and I am the only one participating. I can't blame the hubby though, this was my challenge, not his. We can at least share my air popped popcorn watching a movie tonight.
Observation 2. I have become increasingly resourceful with my cooking. Instead of throwing away typical "un-edible" parts of my veggies, I use all of it. Beets from my garden? I throw in the beet greens. Wart-like brown spots on my broccoli stalks? I use it all anyway and saute instead of steam the broccoli so it masks its imperfections. I cut up an onion yesterday and realized half of it was bad. In the past, I would have thrown the whole thing away because it would have taken too much work to save the good parts, not yesterday. I carefully cut away every potential part of the onion I could save.
Obeservation 3. You can lose weight on this diet. I don't really think I am eating less at mealtime, but I do think the reason I have come down a pound or so is because I am not "snacking" Typically after dinner, in addition to my popcorn, I might have some small pieces of chocolate or eat a piece of fruit. Here at the office, I will supplement my afternoon snacks with some goodies down in our cafeteria. Due to the lack of funds to support these extracurrilular eating habits, I believe the discipline has resulted in an overall lower calorie intake than usual. I might be sharing these findings with my private practice weight management clients.
I don't really know how this weekend will go. I love to eat out, and I realize this is not possible even with trying to cut back on my weekday costs. We are going to a bbq at my in-laws house on Sunday. Wouldn't it would be rude not to eat their food? Isn't it legal anyway to eat their food since I am not paying for it? Sunday dinner can be the special moment of the weekend I "celebrate" labor day with good food. Somehow I wouldn't be suprised if Monday's weight doesn't pop right back up to normal. (:
I would like to reflect on a couple of things I have become more sensitive to since this challenge has begun.
Observation 1. My husband has disappeared. Somehow he has come up with some really good excuses not to be around for the $1.50 tues, wed or thursday night dinner. Well tonight, Friday night, he is stuck with me. To be honest, I will probably grill some lovely piece of fish or pork tenderloin for him, while I pick through my 4th serving of my lentil dish I prepared earlier in the week. While it is good, that recipe just really made enough for a family of 10 and I am the only one participating. I can't blame the hubby though, this was my challenge, not his. We can at least share my air popped popcorn watching a movie tonight.
Observation 2. I have become increasingly resourceful with my cooking. Instead of throwing away typical "un-edible" parts of my veggies, I use all of it. Beets from my garden? I throw in the beet greens. Wart-like brown spots on my broccoli stalks? I use it all anyway and saute instead of steam the broccoli so it masks its imperfections. I cut up an onion yesterday and realized half of it was bad. In the past, I would have thrown the whole thing away because it would have taken too much work to save the good parts, not yesterday. I carefully cut away every potential part of the onion I could save.
Obeservation 3. You can lose weight on this diet. I don't really think I am eating less at mealtime, but I do think the reason I have come down a pound or so is because I am not "snacking" Typically after dinner, in addition to my popcorn, I might have some small pieces of chocolate or eat a piece of fruit. Here at the office, I will supplement my afternoon snacks with some goodies down in our cafeteria. Due to the lack of funds to support these extracurrilular eating habits, I believe the discipline has resulted in an overall lower calorie intake than usual. I might be sharing these findings with my private practice weight management clients.
I don't really know how this weekend will go. I love to eat out, and I realize this is not possible even with trying to cut back on my weekday costs. We are going to a bbq at my in-laws house on Sunday. Wouldn't it would be rude not to eat their food? Isn't it legal anyway to eat their food since I am not paying for it? Sunday dinner can be the special moment of the weekend I "celebrate" labor day with good food. Somehow I wouldn't be suprised if Monday's weight doesn't pop right back up to normal. (:
A CARTOON HAND DIPS INTO MY COOKIE JAR
Yesterday, one of our lovely donors, who beekeeps with her husband, gave me some honey harvested from their hive. I love honey and can’t wait to try it, but for now, during the challenge, it’s in its jar making a nice paperweight on my desk.
Last night, I made polenta for the first time. Lamely, I heated it in the microwave, topped with marinara sauce and the unmeltable soy mozzarella. It wasn’t so bad. I think I like polenta, especially when it’s prepared by a really good restaurant. Eating at a really good restaurant is always a treat for me, but I’m thinking how some of the people we assist hardly ever or even never get that experience – a good restaurant meal.
Another thought – I feel lame for taking the easy route – the microwave – what about those who don’t have a stove top to cook on, or a microwave? This is making me sad.
Everyone on the challenge at Operation Food Search is talking food. What did you eat today? Are you hungry? Did you cheat? I wonder if someone who doesn’t know where their next meal is coming from thinks about food all the time, or if they’ve trained themselves to ignore the hunger pangs?
Last night, I dreamed the hand that holds the red tomato on our logo was taking the lid off my cookie jar at home. A cartoon hand no less. Weird! I wish I could remember more of my dream. Did I eat a cookie in my sleep? No telltale crumbs in my bed this morning. Nonetheless, I truly am dreaming about food.
This morning, went to prepare a repeat of my breakfast for the week, only I had made a bigger batch of the whole grain hot cereal the other day so I would have to “cook” every morning, just pop it in the microwave. I spooned some if it in my bowl, added the black raspberries, Trek mix and dollop of sour cream. Took a bite, and then realized I forgot to put it in the microwave. What to do? The yogurt was already on top. Do I scrape it off to heat the cereal? Oh heck. Who cares? So hungry I ate it cold.
The holiday weekend is upon us – this is really going to be tough!
###
Last night, I made polenta for the first time. Lamely, I heated it in the microwave, topped with marinara sauce and the unmeltable soy mozzarella. It wasn’t so bad. I think I like polenta, especially when it’s prepared by a really good restaurant. Eating at a really good restaurant is always a treat for me, but I’m thinking how some of the people we assist hardly ever or even never get that experience – a good restaurant meal.
Another thought – I feel lame for taking the easy route – the microwave – what about those who don’t have a stove top to cook on, or a microwave? This is making me sad.
Everyone on the challenge at Operation Food Search is talking food. What did you eat today? Are you hungry? Did you cheat? I wonder if someone who doesn’t know where their next meal is coming from thinks about food all the time, or if they’ve trained themselves to ignore the hunger pangs?
Last night, I dreamed the hand that holds the red tomato on our logo was taking the lid off my cookie jar at home. A cartoon hand no less. Weird! I wish I could remember more of my dream. Did I eat a cookie in my sleep? No telltale crumbs in my bed this morning. Nonetheless, I truly am dreaming about food.
This morning, went to prepare a repeat of my breakfast for the week, only I had made a bigger batch of the whole grain hot cereal the other day so I would have to “cook” every morning, just pop it in the microwave. I spooned some if it in my bowl, added the black raspberries, Trek mix and dollop of sour cream. Took a bite, and then realized I forgot to put it in the microwave. What to do? The yogurt was already on top. Do I scrape it off to heat the cereal? Oh heck. Who cares? So hungry I ate it cold.
The holiday weekend is upon us – this is really going to be tough!
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Things I should be better at:
Hangry. I didn't coin it, but I am living it. It is the perfect word to describe how I feel... hungry, angry, frustrated, disappointed. I should have done MUCH better when I picked out my groceries, I should be a MUCH better cook than I am, and I should pay MUCH closer attention to the volume of food I buy and what things go to waste. I have yet to use my remaining money, partly because I don't trust myself to get the right stuff. Josh says to buy peanut butter, which I LOVE, so that's probably the route I'll go.
It is frustrating to know that decisions are already made for me. On a fixed income, I don't even have the chance to weigh in on whether or not I am craving a steak for dinner. Which, by the way, I am always game for a steak dinner. Makes no difference, I can't afford it. Or, what about making a birthday cake for a friend? Not in the budget. Even contemplating buying a bag of chips and salsa requires calculators and calendars. And it doesn't help that the "Fried Butter" story is all over the media. Fried butter, that's just wrong. But, not as wrong as oatmeal.
With the holiday weekend staring me in the face, I gotta get out of my food funk and focus on the good stuff around me.... and hope that Justin will buy me another fountain soda.
It is frustrating to know that decisions are already made for me. On a fixed income, I don't even have the chance to weigh in on whether or not I am craving a steak for dinner. Which, by the way, I am always game for a steak dinner. Makes no difference, I can't afford it. Or, what about making a birthday cake for a friend? Not in the budget. Even contemplating buying a bag of chips and salsa requires calculators and calendars. And it doesn't help that the "Fried Butter" story is all over the media. Fried butter, that's just wrong. But, not as wrong as oatmeal.
With the holiday weekend staring me in the face, I gotta get out of my food funk and focus on the good stuff around me.... and hope that Justin will buy me another fountain soda.
Jiminy Cricket!
From Shane Cohn via e-mail:Only three days into this challenge, and the experience is very humbling, awkward, and motivating. I found myself, for the first two days, not being able to make it to the market to purchase my groceries. Of course, being on a very restrictive budget, I didn't want to go to a supermarket that I knew would be expensive... and all the "low budget" stores seem to close earlier than my work schedule allowed for me to shop. (This really made me think about the working poor, especially working parents who may have two jobs to make things meet, but still rely upon assistance to feed their children. Especially those who rely on public transit, which can take hours to get from 'point A' to 'point B'.)
Wednesday evening ended up turning into Thursday morning, as I was working at City Hall until 12:30 a.m., and I still hadn't eaten all day; despite having several meetings where others were eating. When I got home, around 1 a.m., I caved. I had to eat. So, reluctantly, I went to the pantry. Feeling guilty, like I was digging through a dumpster, I reached for the one thing that would lighten my guilt complex: a 2 year old open box of Oatmeal. Now, I'm not sure if Oatmeal ever really goes bad or if it just becomes stale, but what I can tell you is that it wasn't pleasant. It did the trick though, and calmed my cravings and jittery tummy!
That being said, I wasn't going to let this scenario happen for another day. Today I went SHOPPING! I went to the Save-a-Lot on S. Jefferson, and went to town spending a whopping $13.94. (Receipt attached.) Looks like I'll be eating Raisin bran breakfasts, Egg Salad/Tuna Lunches, and Spaghetti Dinners with some Bananas for snacking! I guess the nice thing about starving for two days was that I now have a larger budget for the rest of the week, but that was really uncomfortable. When I'm hungry, as my friends + family know, I'm irritable. I also become very easily distracted.
All week long, I've had offers of food - especially the first two days I hadn't been to the grocery. I even thought to myself, if I wore a sign that read "Will Work for Food" while eating would it be okay to accept their offers? No. Others who rely upon assistance likely don't have colleagues, friends, or others offering to take them out for dinner or drinks. Instead, by me declining the offers it offers a teachable moment for all of us.
Another teachable moment for me was when someone asked (after I declined their invitation to purchase me a meal) if it is an appropriate time to Hunger Strike due to my schedule. My response? "There's never a good time to be hungry."
Thursday, September 3, 2009
SWEET POTATOES ROCK! OR, SWEET POTATOES AREN’T JUST FOR THANKSGIVING ANY MORE!
Shakespeare should have written about sweet potatoes: Thou art the sweetest of all potatoes…. Wait, Shakespeare did! Don’t you just love Google? “Let the skye raine Potatoes….hail kissing comfits, and snow Eringoes.” – Merry Wives of Windsor. This boisterous joke, which was boisterously received by the audiences Shakespeare knew well, referred to sweet potatoes – an aphrodisiac in Shakespeare’s day. And prior to Shakespeare it was written, sweet potatoes “comfort, nourish, and strengthen the body, vehemently procuring bodily lust.” Well I love sweet potatoes and that’s no joke! I did, however, hate them growing up – that’s because they were overly drenched in butter, brown sugar, and topped with marshmallows – eeewww goo!
My dinner last night consisted of ½ of a diced sweet potato, mixed with ¾ cup quinoa, 3 T. black beans, and sprinkled with curry powder. It tasted pretty darn good. After eating half of it, I added some pineapple tidbits, trying to make it more “Caribbean-style”. I have to admit, it tasted better before the pineapple. The sweet potato was naturally moist, with the right amount of sweetness, not too much.
One of the most nutritional vegetables, sweet potatoes are available year-round, are anti-oxidant rich, and are an excellent source of Vitamin A.
I YAM CRAZY FOR SWEET POTATOES!
Through the hunger challenge, I am realizing how much I depend on prepared and takeout food - how I don’t have as much time to cook any more or even have the energy to cook when I get home from work. I have for the most part always eaten healthily, but can easily see how someone who might not be as informed about nutrition (and also is busy and lacking energy to cook) would make less healthy choices.
Breakfast today was a repeat of Tuesday and Wednesday’s – multigrain hot cereal, black raspberries, Trek mix and French vanilla yogurt – very satisfying and filling. The thought of kids going to school hungry saddens me deeply. It is the most important meal of the day. Good nutrition is needed to fuel growing minds and bodies. I love that our nutritionist is out in the community helping children learn to make better nutrition intake choices so that they will grow to become informed, healthy and productive adults.
That is why all our work is so important - to ensure that everyone in our region receives a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner.
My dinner last night consisted of ½ of a diced sweet potato, mixed with ¾ cup quinoa, 3 T. black beans, and sprinkled with curry powder. It tasted pretty darn good. After eating half of it, I added some pineapple tidbits, trying to make it more “Caribbean-style”. I have to admit, it tasted better before the pineapple. The sweet potato was naturally moist, with the right amount of sweetness, not too much.
One of the most nutritional vegetables, sweet potatoes are available year-round, are anti-oxidant rich, and are an excellent source of Vitamin A.
I YAM CRAZY FOR SWEET POTATOES!
Through the hunger challenge, I am realizing how much I depend on prepared and takeout food - how I don’t have as much time to cook any more or even have the energy to cook when I get home from work. I have for the most part always eaten healthily, but can easily see how someone who might not be as informed about nutrition (and also is busy and lacking energy to cook) would make less healthy choices.
Breakfast today was a repeat of Tuesday and Wednesday’s – multigrain hot cereal, black raspberries, Trek mix and French vanilla yogurt – very satisfying and filling. The thought of kids going to school hungry saddens me deeply. It is the most important meal of the day. Good nutrition is needed to fuel growing minds and bodies. I love that our nutritionist is out in the community helping children learn to make better nutrition intake choices so that they will grow to become informed, healthy and productive adults.
That is why all our work is so important - to ensure that everyone in our region receives a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Blah.
Here's my quick and easy recipe for bland chicken, potato, and green beans:
Put butter in a pan. Put chicken breast in the pan, too. Add salt and pepper. Fry.
Put potato in the microwave for 7 minutes. Take it out, put small amount of butter on it.
Open can of green beans, drain, rinse, put in microwave safe bowl and cook.
Put all items on a plate, eat them. Stare angrily at oatmeal cannister.
This was my dinner last night. I broke open the cherry tomatoes and had four, conserving what I have left to last me through the next couple of days. I still have around $3 to spend (taking into account that no sales tax is included in the SNAP program, and I under spent initially.) I want to make sure I pick the right item. I am going to have to pester Josh to give me some ideas, something healthful and affordable.
Put butter in a pan. Put chicken breast in the pan, too. Add salt and pepper. Fry.
Put potato in the microwave for 7 minutes. Take it out, put small amount of butter on it.
Open can of green beans, drain, rinse, put in microwave safe bowl and cook.
Put all items on a plate, eat them. Stare angrily at oatmeal cannister.
This was my dinner last night. I broke open the cherry tomatoes and had four, conserving what I have left to last me through the next couple of days. I still have around $3 to spend (taking into account that no sales tax is included in the SNAP program, and I under spent initially.) I want to make sure I pick the right item. I am going to have to pester Josh to give me some ideas, something healthful and affordable.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Day 2
Rough day.
Several people are having e-mail trouble and looking to me for a fix, the phone was ringing off the hook, I'm unprepared to help close our books for the past month, and, since we've been short-staffed the past few days, I had to go do multiple food drive pick-ups that required lots of lifting. I was worried that I would run out of energy. But I haven't. Yet. I am feeling a little frazzled. I don't feel terribly hungry, but who the heck knows.
Let's see - Hunger Challenge. Well, last night I had a grilled chicken breast, a raw carrot and a giant red potato. Almost had a meal just with the potato. We often have a little snack in the evening (dessert, if you will), and last night my wife says she does not want to eat any good snacks in front of me. I play the stalwart and tell her to eat what she will - I have Schnucks Duplex Cookies to enjoy. She said the same thing tonight. Again, I tell her to eat what she will. She's been eating warm pretzels dipped in cheese. I can deal with that, for now. But I think that one of these days, if she starts eating ice cream with that Magic Shell in front of me, I'm going to have to bump the spoon out of her hand.
This morning I did the Cinnamon Crunch Total again. That's going to get dull real quick. I had to sneak in one of my bananas around 10:00am before doing my first round of food drive pick-ups. For lunch it was a bagel with PB&J again. Then a couple of cookies. Those cookies are currently what are keeping me sane. Needs me some sweets.
A funny thing - someone came into my office yesterday and asked for one of the company gas cards. I opened the drawer and low and behold - there was an open bag of Peanut M&M's I had forgotten about. Now I will have to forget about it some more. Don't worry folks, I didn't stray.
For dinner tonight I had another chicken breast with a steamed carrot and some Ramen noodles. Ramen noodles are a much maligned treat. I drank the broth, folks, and I ain't gonna apologize. Then I cut up another cooked breast and put it in a pot with a shredded carrot. Brought that to a boil and added chicken- flavored Ramen. Cooked the noodles and let the whole thing cool. Put the concoction in a tupperware bowl and plan to eat that soup for lunch one day.
You want to know what I miss the most so far? Beverages. On a day like today when I was out doing labor, I would have stopped and gotten something to drink. But all I had was water.
Tomorrow is a different story. There is work that needs to be done before the warehouse can open for food distribution. Since I left some of that work, I feel the need to go in early and do it. I would normally stay late but it was already close to 6:00pm when I left and my tummy was growling. But I know I won't be able to do it ealry in the morning on just a bowl of cereal. So I think I'm going to spend part of my remaining cash and buy something cheap but satisfying in the morning. Like a donut.
Yes, $0.65 for a donut. That would leave me with about $0.85 for the next four days.
Several people are having e-mail trouble and looking to me for a fix, the phone was ringing off the hook, I'm unprepared to help close our books for the past month, and, since we've been short-staffed the past few days, I had to go do multiple food drive pick-ups that required lots of lifting. I was worried that I would run out of energy. But I haven't. Yet. I am feeling a little frazzled. I don't feel terribly hungry, but who the heck knows.
Let's see - Hunger Challenge. Well, last night I had a grilled chicken breast, a raw carrot and a giant red potato. Almost had a meal just with the potato. We often have a little snack in the evening (dessert, if you will), and last night my wife says she does not want to eat any good snacks in front of me. I play the stalwart and tell her to eat what she will - I have Schnucks Duplex Cookies to enjoy. She said the same thing tonight. Again, I tell her to eat what she will. She's been eating warm pretzels dipped in cheese. I can deal with that, for now. But I think that one of these days, if she starts eating ice cream with that Magic Shell in front of me, I'm going to have to bump the spoon out of her hand.
This morning I did the Cinnamon Crunch Total again. That's going to get dull real quick. I had to sneak in one of my bananas around 10:00am before doing my first round of food drive pick-ups. For lunch it was a bagel with PB&J again. Then a couple of cookies. Those cookies are currently what are keeping me sane. Needs me some sweets.
A funny thing - someone came into my office yesterday and asked for one of the company gas cards. I opened the drawer and low and behold - there was an open bag of Peanut M&M's I had forgotten about. Now I will have to forget about it some more. Don't worry folks, I didn't stray.
For dinner tonight I had another chicken breast with a steamed carrot and some Ramen noodles. Ramen noodles are a much maligned treat. I drank the broth, folks, and I ain't gonna apologize. Then I cut up another cooked breast and put it in a pot with a shredded carrot. Brought that to a boil and added chicken- flavored Ramen. Cooked the noodles and let the whole thing cool. Put the concoction in a tupperware bowl and plan to eat that soup for lunch one day.
You want to know what I miss the most so far? Beverages. On a day like today when I was out doing labor, I would have stopped and gotten something to drink. But all I had was water.
Tomorrow is a different story. There is work that needs to be done before the warehouse can open for food distribution. Since I left some of that work, I feel the need to go in early and do it. I would normally stay late but it was already close to 6:00pm when I left and my tummy was growling. But I know I won't be able to do it ealry in the morning on just a bowl of cereal. So I think I'm going to spend part of my remaining cash and buy something cheap but satisfying in the morning. Like a donut.
Yes, $0.65 for a donut. That would leave me with about $0.85 for the next four days.
New Recipe
Well, I wanted a break from the tuna so I decided to tackle my on-the-fly pasta recipe and I have to say this was tasty! It could be delicious with more ingredients but this meal(s) was the one I was least looking forward to and it turned out great! Pretty easy too, just follow the steps below:
1. Boil 1 package of whole wheat, angel hair pasta (I think it was the 13.25oz package) until done and then drain
2. Boil 1# of lentils until done and then drain
3. Combine the lentils and the pasta
4. Open two cans of black beans (15.25 oz cans) and dump into the pasta and lentils, DO NOT drain as the juice adds to the flavor.
5. Salt to taste.
This made a HUGE amount of food! I had 1.5 plates or probably 3.5 cups by the eyeball method and I had all I wanted! To be completely accurate, I swept about 1/2 cup back into the pot because my eyes were bigger than my stomach. Interestingly enough, I can usually eat two heaping plates of spaghetti and meatballs but this dish filled me up quick. I still have 3 qts. or 1/2 of my 6 qt pot left. Typically, I just refuse to eat pasta unless it has a ton of meat in it because it just makes me really tired, really quick and about the time I pep back up, I'm hungry again. This was different, I ate ~2 hours ago, no food coma, and I'm still just right as far satiety. I'm having this for lunch tomorrow and probably for at least two meals on the weekend. An easy-to-prepare dish on the cheap, that's loaded with fiber, protein, and quality carbs; I need to cook more often!
1. Boil 1 package of whole wheat, angel hair pasta (I think it was the 13.25oz package) until done and then drain
2. Boil 1# of lentils until done and then drain
3. Combine the lentils and the pasta
4. Open two cans of black beans (15.25 oz cans) and dump into the pasta and lentils, DO NOT drain as the juice adds to the flavor.
5. Salt to taste.
This made a HUGE amount of food! I had 1.5 plates or probably 3.5 cups by the eyeball method and I had all I wanted! To be completely accurate, I swept about 1/2 cup back into the pot because my eyes were bigger than my stomach. Interestingly enough, I can usually eat two heaping plates of spaghetti and meatballs but this dish filled me up quick. I still have 3 qts. or 1/2 of my 6 qt pot left. Typically, I just refuse to eat pasta unless it has a ton of meat in it because it just makes me really tired, really quick and about the time I pep back up, I'm hungry again. This was different, I ate ~2 hours ago, no food coma, and I'm still just right as far satiety. I'm having this for lunch tomorrow and probably for at least two meals on the weekend. An easy-to-prepare dish on the cheap, that's loaded with fiber, protein, and quality carbs; I need to cook more often!
Bad Apple
Yesterday I had to go to Schnuck's to purchase food for my family - my son has food allergies and I wonder what someone on foodstamps would do. The rice bread I buy him is $5.00! I guess he would go with out rice bread...and goat's milk...he basically lives on fresh fruit, veggies and meat - the most expensive things since he can't have beans, eggs, nuts and the list goes on. Of course I bought my family chicken since that is what I was going to be having.
The frozen chicken from Aldi's was my best buy, $5.99 for 6 breasts. I actually ate half of the breast last night since they were huge (much bigger than the fresh ones from Schnuck's) -- ok, no jokes here;-). I labeled my leftovers and have already told my husband twice not to eat it...mine! With the chicken I had lovely white rice and peas -- ate the whole can of peas.
This morning I had two bananas -- they are turning bruised and brown quickly. Now I know why they were on sale. My bag of apples are a strange beige when I slice them and if I don't eat them immediately they turn brown before my eyes. I've never seen that happen -- I now feel like they are testing me. If I am yelling at apples by the end of this challenge you'll know why. Lunch was what the crowd seems to be having - PB&J. For a snack I had saltines with PB and lots of water. I definitely miss my snacks.
I didn't like it.
My lunch was exactly what I thought it would be. Paste. Going to try to get creative with oatmeal, if that is possible, when I get home tonight. Any suggestions?
Fruits of My Bounty
Day 1 complete...only 6 more to go. And while I believe that you can do almost anything for 7 days, this is harder than I thought. Have to say that I was a bit cocky since I did the challenge last year on less money. But I tried to be healthier with my food choices--wheat bread, not white, more beans... It took me 15 minutes to pick out my peanut butter. Have you ever read some of those labels? Rule of thumb--Never eat anything with an ingredient you don't know how to pronounce. At least the label says 'zero' trans fats, but then there's a note saying that it may have less than 2%. When is a trans fat not a trans fat. At least, I didn't blindly go for cost and get the peanut 'spread' . No telling what 'things' make it a spread.
Having such a limited budget (I still have $5 to splurge somewhere), I never agonized so much over what items to buy. The canned 'cut' green beans are 5 cents more than whole canned green beans. I had to put back the grape jelly because it was close to $1.50 and wanted to stock up my pennies for as much oatmeal as I can stomach for the week.
For the cooking-challenged out there, you will be interested to know that I bought a whole chicken to roast since it was $1.28 per pound and not $1.87 per pound for bagged frozen chicken breasts. Though you are paying for the bones, the breasts would have been all meat. I wonder if the bagged variety was the better way to go. It was one of my biggest purchases at $5.10 whereas a chicken already roasted (and seasoned) costs $5.70. But with food stamps, you can't buy hot prepared meals. My plan of attack (in a virgin kitchen) may be for naught if I end up overcooking it and it coming out like shoe leather. But my budget won't be able to take that big of a hit so I will make it work 'hook or COOK'
While it makes sense, I almost shouted out with glee when I realized that stores don't charge sales tax on 'food stamp' purchases. I know that I am not technically on food stamps, but I figure that the $29 value of food stamps should all go to food purchases. That is my new rule. So I have another couple bucks to maybe get some coffee somewhere.
My lunch on Day 1 reminded me of grade school when Friday lunches were PB & J sandwiches. Mine was sans jelly, but had a banana to 'wash it down.' I am drinking a lot of water to fill me up. Wouldn't you know that of all days, Tony Almond of Almond's Restaurant (one of my favs) dropped off some extra pasta and salads he wasn't using for a catering job. Though our clients may be offered/given 'free' food, I thought that was a slippery slope I didn't want to be on. A big thank you and shout out to Tony and Kelli from the staff--at least they didn't go hungry.
By the time I got home, I was famished to say the least. So it was 6 and I NEEDED dinner. So I guess I am officially a 'blue-haired.' I tore into the tuna fish, but had enough will power to eat only 1 of the 4 cans. Two slices of bread, glass of water. I will try to ration out the remaining items today. All evening last night, I was obsessed counting down the hours/minutes until bedtime so at least I would have a respite from the challenge and my hunger pangs for a few hours. I may have to break into the pasta soon to fill my belly.
I can only imagine what Food Outreach clients may feel when they have to think about taking their medications on time...when they undoubtedly are always thinking what and when their next meal will be. At least, they can order as many as two meals each day, but they have to portion out the food to have it last two weeks. I do wish we could give clients as much food as they probably need, but it is a numbers game. When 1,500 clients are depending on Food Outreach as the principal provider of food, you have to have limits.
Having such a limited budget (I still have $5 to splurge somewhere), I never agonized so much over what items to buy. The canned 'cut' green beans are 5 cents more than whole canned green beans. I had to put back the grape jelly because it was close to $1.50 and wanted to stock up my pennies for as much oatmeal as I can stomach for the week.
For the cooking-challenged out there, you will be interested to know that I bought a whole chicken to roast since it was $1.28 per pound and not $1.87 per pound for bagged frozen chicken breasts. Though you are paying for the bones, the breasts would have been all meat. I wonder if the bagged variety was the better way to go. It was one of my biggest purchases at $5.10 whereas a chicken already roasted (and seasoned) costs $5.70. But with food stamps, you can't buy hot prepared meals. My plan of attack (in a virgin kitchen) may be for naught if I end up overcooking it and it coming out like shoe leather. But my budget won't be able to take that big of a hit so I will make it work 'hook or COOK'
While it makes sense, I almost shouted out with glee when I realized that stores don't charge sales tax on 'food stamp' purchases. I know that I am not technically on food stamps, but I figure that the $29 value of food stamps should all go to food purchases. That is my new rule. So I have another couple bucks to maybe get some coffee somewhere.
My lunch on Day 1 reminded me of grade school when Friday lunches were PB & J sandwiches. Mine was sans jelly, but had a banana to 'wash it down.' I am drinking a lot of water to fill me up. Wouldn't you know that of all days, Tony Almond of Almond's Restaurant (one of my favs) dropped off some extra pasta and salads he wasn't using for a catering job. Though our clients may be offered/given 'free' food, I thought that was a slippery slope I didn't want to be on. A big thank you and shout out to Tony and Kelli from the staff--at least they didn't go hungry.
By the time I got home, I was famished to say the least. So it was 6 and I NEEDED dinner. So I guess I am officially a 'blue-haired.' I tore into the tuna fish, but had enough will power to eat only 1 of the 4 cans. Two slices of bread, glass of water. I will try to ration out the remaining items today. All evening last night, I was obsessed counting down the hours/minutes until bedtime so at least I would have a respite from the challenge and my hunger pangs for a few hours. I may have to break into the pasta soon to fill my belly.
I can only imagine what Food Outreach clients may feel when they have to think about taking their medications on time...when they undoubtedly are always thinking what and when their next meal will be. At least, they can order as many as two meals each day, but they have to portion out the food to have it last two weeks. I do wish we could give clients as much food as they probably need, but it is a numbers game. When 1,500 clients are depending on Food Outreach as the principal provider of food, you have to have limits.
Dreaming About Food
I don't usually like talking about my dreams, because personally, I don't think people typically care that much to hear about them. So I will be brief, in my first dream (I have many because my sleep is usually interrupted by a night-time bathroom break or my cat Myra deciding that my head would be a good pillow) was about my husband and I going out to a nice restaurant for dinner. After perusing the amazing menu of tantalizing options, he stated he wasn't hungry and was just going to get a salad, ugh, no fun. In my second dream, which also took place in a restaurant, I received my plate of food, only for it to be taken away time and time again by the waiter before I could take my first bite. First night, and I am already dreaming about food or the lack there of, not a good sign.
After perusing the other bloggers emails, I was quite calmed to see that they too were having some trouble feeling "full." I am not for sure if it is "hunger" that I am feeling or if I just have an appetite for something "else." Else being anything in my refridge like cheese, chocolate, or a veggie burger that I hadn't budgeted.
As for today's meals, I am most likely going to stick to everything I ate yesterday. The parsnip soup was really good, so I will be sharing that recipe with you all tomorrow. Yesterday my meal total came to $3.36. My goal is to keep around this amount so I have a little extra for the weekend. I still don't think this amount would ever come close to covering those menu items in my dreams, but parsnip soup tastes good only so many days in a row.
After perusing the other bloggers emails, I was quite calmed to see that they too were having some trouble feeling "full." I am not for sure if it is "hunger" that I am feeling or if I just have an appetite for something "else." Else being anything in my refridge like cheese, chocolate, or a veggie burger that I hadn't budgeted.
As for today's meals, I am most likely going to stick to everything I ate yesterday. The parsnip soup was really good, so I will be sharing that recipe with you all tomorrow. Yesterday my meal total came to $3.36. My goal is to keep around this amount so I have a little extra for the weekend. I still don't think this amount would ever come close to covering those menu items in my dreams, but parsnip soup tastes good only so many days in a row.
HUNGER HEADACHE OR IS THE BOTOX WEARING OFF?
Before I left work yesterday, I made a pact with my co-workers – that we can’t get angry with each other – which is what I predict might happen if people (especially me) get grumpy from being hungry or just not eating like they normally would. Everyone taking the challenge wound up being a bit hungry yesterday. I know I missed my little snacks throughout the day. Even popping a few anti-oxidant rich chocolate chips in the afternoon would have done me wonders, triggering my endorphins and giving me a much-needed energy lift.
I actually had a bit of a headache on the drive home from work – was it due to hunger? – my Botox wearing off? – or, to thinking about all of the ways I could prepare eggs?...poached, scrambled, a frittata, egg salad (using those little packs of mayo and relish in the fridge at work), or omlet-ed?
As soon as I got home, my handful of Trek mix (almonds and dried blueberries, cranberries and golden raisins) tasted as good as the Popsicle that was the first thing given to me to eat after my daughter was born! – My water had broke at midnight and when I got to the hospital, I was thirsty but didn’t stop at the drinking fountain. Big mistake – Huge! Nothing but ice chips here and there until the next morning when they let me have a Popsicle for breakfast.
For dinner, I made quinoa and topped it with marinara sauce and tried to melt the soy mozzarella over the top. It was kind of bland, although the quinoa at the bottom of the pot was overcooked and kind of crunchy, which I liked. Wished I had some freshly grated parmesan. I also had a deep, deep craving for lemonade.
Cooked a sweet potato, which I’ll use later today when I mix it with some black beans and pineapple tidbits. I do plan to add a bit of curry powder from the kitchen cabinet.
Had a thnack. A PBJ without the J - the $5 dollar a jar of red rathpberry/pomegranate jelly from Franthe that I’m accuthtomed too, and altho without the bread or even crackerth – not on my grothery litht for the week. Very DRY!
For a late night snack, I had French vanilla low-fat yogurt with pineapple tidbits and Trek mix. It was very good, but I began to wonder if my yogurt would last me through the end of the challenge.
Breakfast this morning was the multigrain cereal, black raspberries, Trek mix, a sprinkling of flax seeds and a dollop of the yogurt. I can see that this is going to be my best, heartiest, most fulfilling meal of the day throughout the challenge.
It’s almost noon and I’m hanging in there….
I actually had a bit of a headache on the drive home from work – was it due to hunger? – my Botox wearing off? – or, to thinking about all of the ways I could prepare eggs?...poached, scrambled, a frittata, egg salad (using those little packs of mayo and relish in the fridge at work), or omlet-ed?
As soon as I got home, my handful of Trek mix (almonds and dried blueberries, cranberries and golden raisins) tasted as good as the Popsicle that was the first thing given to me to eat after my daughter was born! – My water had broke at midnight and when I got to the hospital, I was thirsty but didn’t stop at the drinking fountain. Big mistake – Huge! Nothing but ice chips here and there until the next morning when they let me have a Popsicle for breakfast.
For dinner, I made quinoa and topped it with marinara sauce and tried to melt the soy mozzarella over the top. It was kind of bland, although the quinoa at the bottom of the pot was overcooked and kind of crunchy, which I liked. Wished I had some freshly grated parmesan. I also had a deep, deep craving for lemonade.
Cooked a sweet potato, which I’ll use later today when I mix it with some black beans and pineapple tidbits. I do plan to add a bit of curry powder from the kitchen cabinet.
Had a thnack. A PBJ without the J - the $5 dollar a jar of red rathpberry/pomegranate jelly from Franthe that I’m accuthtomed too, and altho without the bread or even crackerth – not on my grothery litht for the week. Very DRY!
For a late night snack, I had French vanilla low-fat yogurt with pineapple tidbits and Trek mix. It was very good, but I began to wonder if my yogurt would last me through the end of the challenge.
Breakfast this morning was the multigrain cereal, black raspberries, Trek mix, a sprinkling of flax seeds and a dollop of the yogurt. I can see that this is going to be my best, heartiest, most fulfilling meal of the day throughout the challenge.
It’s almost noon and I’m hanging in there….
Whether you like it or not.
You know what? I don't like oatmeal. I can't make it (that's right, I can't make oatmeal... of all things), and it tastes like paste. I am sure if you add a bunch of other tasty foods to it, it rallies and becomes edible. But, when you have a limited budget, you can't afford multiple food items to put in oatmeal, so it remains a paste.
Oatmeal is a stalpe item and is one of the anchor dishes I had as part of my meals for the hunger challenge. It, along with tuna, canned green beans, chicken breasts and russet potatoes make up my food choices for seven days. As someone who doesn't care to cook, I am fairly used to eating bland foods from my own kitchen. But oatmeal takes the prize. I actually talked to the bowl last night, told it how much I didn't like it.
I have never been a breakfast eater, but I do understand how important that meal is. With oatmeal as my only morning meal choice, I skipped it yet again. But I know that, come lunch time, I am going to have oatmeal whether I like it or not. This is a situation that so many people face each day: "whether you like it or not." They don't have many choices, they make food purchase decisions based on what they know is less expensive, or the deal of the day. As Frank Finnegan put it, nutrition takes a back seat to bargains. Although not bad for you, oatmeal is an affordable but BORING food to buy. But, regardless of my personal opinion of oatmeal, it is going to be my lunchtime meal today. Whether I like it or not.
Oatmeal is a stalpe item and is one of the anchor dishes I had as part of my meals for the hunger challenge. It, along with tuna, canned green beans, chicken breasts and russet potatoes make up my food choices for seven days. As someone who doesn't care to cook, I am fairly used to eating bland foods from my own kitchen. But oatmeal takes the prize. I actually talked to the bowl last night, told it how much I didn't like it.
I have never been a breakfast eater, but I do understand how important that meal is. With oatmeal as my only morning meal choice, I skipped it yet again. But I know that, come lunch time, I am going to have oatmeal whether I like it or not. This is a situation that so many people face each day: "whether you like it or not." They don't have many choices, they make food purchase decisions based on what they know is less expensive, or the deal of the day. As Frank Finnegan put it, nutrition takes a back seat to bargains. Although not bad for you, oatmeal is an affordable but BORING food to buy. But, regardless of my personal opinion of oatmeal, it is going to be my lunchtime meal today. Whether I like it or not.
Purchasing power, weight, and other fun stuff...
Purchasing Power and Real Budgeting
An interesting dynamic to this challenge is that it's only a week. To clarify: you would have a lot more purchasing power if you had the full month's amount. For example, the Goobers PB&J (PB and jelly in the same jar) was significantly less money than buying the cheapest PB and jelly separately. I want to say it was around $2.47 with the cheapest PB being the SF, at 2.00 even and the cheapest jelly being 1.50ish. Don't get me wrong, the separate versions kill it in unit pricing, but it doesn't matter if you can't work it in to your budget. This was a real eye-opener for budgeting for me. It's one thing to plan a budget but to actually execute it, is a totally different thing (talking personal life). For example, if you budget for 100 bucks/week at the grocery store and you spend $101, many of us, myself included, would think we were successful. In reality, we failed. Shopping with an inflexible amount of money really drives this point home.
Here's something else to think about: let's say you have the full month's worth of "stamps", you've planned it down the last item, your coupons are clipped, your gameface is on, and you're ready to get the absolute most amount of nutrition for your money....but....how are you going to carry it all? We'll cut you some slack and say you're having a good day and aren't fatigued from meds or chemo but you do still have to ride a bus because who can afford a car or afford repairs on a car or maybe even the fuel, or maybe even the insurance, when you can't work or can only work PT? Imagine you have 3 transfers, it's freezing or sweltering outside, and you're trying to lug a MONTH's worth of groceries home!!!!!! The "wasteful" spending at the local convenience store is starting to make more sense.
Weight
Yesterday I had 1/2 cup of oatmeal and 1 liter of water for breakfast, 2 PB&J sandwiches (4 T of pb and ~2 T of jelly: total for both sandwiches) and 1 light yogurt for lunch, with more water, a an apple for my pre-workout snack, 2 cups of tuna salad, 1 can of mustard greens, and an apple and 2 more liters of water for dinner. I was a little hungry but not bad, however the interesting thing is that I weighed in at 198# today on my office scale. I was 200# on the same scale on Monday. The only exercise I've done since Monday, at least planned exercise, is last night's grip workout. It consisted of 200 reps on the speedbag for warm-up and some light rotator cuff prehab work with bands, 5-6 max attempts on hand grippers, 3-4 sets of powersetting handgrippers, 2 hand pinch deadlift for 8 sets of 1-5 reps, 2 sets of sledge levers, 2 sets to failure on Rolling Thunder deadlift, and one set to failure on flat finger chins. It was hardly a calorie burner and I don't think there is a METs level out there to figure it but I took about 2 hours to do it so I'd be shocked if my heart rate ever got much over 70-80 bpm. I need to be 198# for the AW Tournament on Saturday and I consistently hear/read about food insecurity leading to/being a risk factor for obesity. I will be monitoring myself closely but I can tell that I'm already inclined to eat bigger portion sizes due to the uncertainty of how the week will pan out.
An interesting dynamic to this challenge is that it's only a week. To clarify: you would have a lot more purchasing power if you had the full month's amount. For example, the Goobers PB&J (PB and jelly in the same jar) was significantly less money than buying the cheapest PB and jelly separately. I want to say it was around $2.47 with the cheapest PB being the SF, at 2.00 even and the cheapest jelly being 1.50ish. Don't get me wrong, the separate versions kill it in unit pricing, but it doesn't matter if you can't work it in to your budget. This was a real eye-opener for budgeting for me. It's one thing to plan a budget but to actually execute it, is a totally different thing (talking personal life). For example, if you budget for 100 bucks/week at the grocery store and you spend $101, many of us, myself included, would think we were successful. In reality, we failed. Shopping with an inflexible amount of money really drives this point home.
Here's something else to think about: let's say you have the full month's worth of "stamps", you've planned it down the last item, your coupons are clipped, your gameface is on, and you're ready to get the absolute most amount of nutrition for your money....but....how are you going to carry it all? We'll cut you some slack and say you're having a good day and aren't fatigued from meds or chemo but you do still have to ride a bus because who can afford a car or afford repairs on a car or maybe even the fuel, or maybe even the insurance, when you can't work or can only work PT? Imagine you have 3 transfers, it's freezing or sweltering outside, and you're trying to lug a MONTH's worth of groceries home!!!!!! The "wasteful" spending at the local convenience store is starting to make more sense.
Weight
Yesterday I had 1/2 cup of oatmeal and 1 liter of water for breakfast, 2 PB&J sandwiches (4 T of pb and ~2 T of jelly: total for both sandwiches) and 1 light yogurt for lunch, with more water, a an apple for my pre-workout snack, 2 cups of tuna salad, 1 can of mustard greens, and an apple and 2 more liters of water for dinner. I was a little hungry but not bad, however the interesting thing is that I weighed in at 198# today on my office scale. I was 200# on the same scale on Monday. The only exercise I've done since Monday, at least planned exercise, is last night's grip workout. It consisted of 200 reps on the speedbag for warm-up and some light rotator cuff prehab work with bands, 5-6 max attempts on hand grippers, 3-4 sets of powersetting handgrippers, 2 hand pinch deadlift for 8 sets of 1-5 reps, 2 sets of sledge levers, 2 sets to failure on Rolling Thunder deadlift, and one set to failure on flat finger chins. It was hardly a calorie burner and I don't think there is a METs level out there to figure it but I took about 2 hours to do it so I'd be shocked if my heart rate ever got much over 70-80 bpm. I need to be 198# for the AW Tournament on Saturday and I consistently hear/read about food insecurity leading to/being a risk factor for obesity. I will be monitoring myself closely but I can tell that I'm already inclined to eat bigger portion sizes due to the uncertainty of how the week will pan out.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT IS FOOD!
THE GROCERY STORE - shopped at Trader Joes last night. Before I got there, I almost did a crazy u-turn into Walgreen’s when I saw their sign advertising a dozen eggs for only 99 cents. Turns out Trader’s had some for the same price, although they weren’t the organic, jumbo ones I usually buy.
Food shopping during the Hunger Challenge was much more challenging than imagined – I asked the lady at check out to please be patient with me as she rang up items, called the manager over to remove items, added other items, removed more items – repeat – repeat – repeat – so I could fit together the pieces of the puzzle – to get a healthy variety of food to put together meals to live on for one week on just $29.
THE BOUNTY - As I left with a 32 oz. container of French vanilla yogurt, peanut butter, quinoa, marina sauce, organic polenta, black beans, 2 bananas, a small bag of sweet potatoes, a dozen eggs, an apple, frozen black raspberries, frozen pineapple tidbits, trek mix (the cheapest way to get the nuts I wanted, which also included dried blueberries and cranberries), soy mozzarella , I noticed a couple in the next checkout lane stocking up on salmon, salmon stuffed with crab cake, more salmon, etc. and for the first time felt that this is what it must feel like (if I ate meat) for someone living on food stamps to look at another person’s grocery basket filled with steak. The food purchase came to $28.54. Woo hoo – now I have 46 cents left over to go somewhere else that has spinach by the pound – gotta have those greens! Actually deduct 18 cents – that’s what I paid for bulk flax seed at another stop on the way home.
THE LAST SUPPER – OR – THE FEAST BEFORE THE FAMINE: Stopped at Provisions for their Bourbon Salmon Caesar salad – I watched as the lady at the salad counter put fresh romaine in the container and loaded it – and I mean loaded it – with salmon, walnuts, sundried tomatoes, parmesan and Caesar dressing. I asked for an extra plate and put about one quarter of the salad on it, sat at the counter and savored every bite! It’s so rich and yummy that about a quarter of it is all I can eat at one time. Then I took the rest and gave it to my daughter to enjoy. Later, at home, I devoured ¼ cup of Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia fro yo. It was heaven!
DAY ONE – BREAKFAST: Went to bed thinking about food, woke up thinking about food. Food, food food. I’m the type of person who while eating is thinking about my next meal. I cut out a zillion recipes that I will never make a dent in making and love putting together menus for meals, especially holiday, special occasion and seasonal meals. Breakfast is my favorite and I feel fortunate that I probably won’t suffer taste fatigue eating basically the same thing every morning during the challenge.
…Thinking about my grandma who grew up in an orphanage and ate the same thing for lunch every day – cornbread and molasses – at least both have a lot of healthy properties. She wound up living a long and healthy life, but the food back then wasn’t overly processed – very different from a lot of the food today. Funny, she never developed a taste for chocolate, because she never had it growing up, and always ate everything on her plate, including the parsley. “Lots of vitamins and minerals in it,” she would say. “And good roughage.”
My breakfast consisted of a multi-whole grain hot cereal, similar to oatmeal, but with other whole grains – rye, barley, etc. I wasn’t able to buy the soy milk I wanted so I made it with water and added some of the frozen black raspberries (not nearly as tasty as fresh!), the trek mix (almonds, dried blueberries & dried cranberries) and a whopping dollop of French vanilla yogurt. It was yummy and satisfying, but I had to wait until I got to work for my “free” cup of coffee.
MEET THE PRESS: At today’s press conference for the challenge at Food Outreach, Greg Lukeman from F.O., Frank Finnegan from the St. Louis Food Bank and my boss, Sunny Schaefer from Operation Food Search all gave meaningful, eye opening speeches about the hunger crisis right here in our own community.
At the conference, there were piles of groceries lined up that had been purchased by different participants in the challenge and it was interesting to what each person bought for the week and who got the best values. The dietitian at Food Outreach had it going on – several cans of tuna, lentils (which I wish I had purchased), whole grain pasta, mustard greens (although they were canned – I would prefer fresh) a whole bag of apples compared to my one and I began to wonder – could I barter? Exchange some of my eggs for someone’s spinach?
DAY ONE LUNCH: I had a lunch meeting today at Bobo’s Noodle House. Before I left the office, I ate a banana. In the parking lot, I saw this girl sitting on the curb, looking a bit weathered, weary and forlorn with her beggar’s sign. I asked her if she was homeless and she said she had been, but had just started a job in telemarketing and was trying to get back on her feet – she also told me she was pregnant. Usually, I don’t give money to people at street corners, however, I asked her if she was hungry and she said she was so I offered to buy her lunch. We went into Kayak’s and I told her she could order whatever she wanted off the menu. She ordered a sandwich, minus the mushrooms. I asked if she wanted something to drink and she got a soda from the case and politely said thank you. Then I met up with my lunch appointment at Bobo’s, who ordered the salmon with spicy noodles. I’d had this before and it is so good! However, I was fortunate that I didn’t feel hungry while at the restaurant, even with all its good food smells - but the moment I got back in my car, I drove as fast as the speed limit would allow for my hardboiled egg. About 3 hours later, I had another hardboiled egg and am drinking a lot of water. I already drink a lot of water, but now I’m drinking more of it to help subside my feelings of hunger. I think the challenge will really bring to light how hard it is on limited resources to eat fulfilling, well-rounded meals with lots of variety and color. And how hard it is to eat the healthier versions of foods due to costs – whole grain bread vs. white, brown rice vs. white rice, organic foods vs. non-organic foods, etc.
WHAT’S FOR DINNER? I’ll let you know tomorrow. I’m sure tonight I’ll be dreaming about food!
Food shopping during the Hunger Challenge was much more challenging than imagined – I asked the lady at check out to please be patient with me as she rang up items, called the manager over to remove items, added other items, removed more items – repeat – repeat – repeat – so I could fit together the pieces of the puzzle – to get a healthy variety of food to put together meals to live on for one week on just $29.
THE BOUNTY - As I left with a 32 oz. container of French vanilla yogurt, peanut butter, quinoa, marina sauce, organic polenta, black beans, 2 bananas, a small bag of sweet potatoes, a dozen eggs, an apple, frozen black raspberries, frozen pineapple tidbits, trek mix (the cheapest way to get the nuts I wanted, which also included dried blueberries and cranberries), soy mozzarella , I noticed a couple in the next checkout lane stocking up on salmon, salmon stuffed with crab cake, more salmon, etc. and for the first time felt that this is what it must feel like (if I ate meat) for someone living on food stamps to look at another person’s grocery basket filled with steak. The food purchase came to $28.54. Woo hoo – now I have 46 cents left over to go somewhere else that has spinach by the pound – gotta have those greens! Actually deduct 18 cents – that’s what I paid for bulk flax seed at another stop on the way home.
THE LAST SUPPER – OR – THE FEAST BEFORE THE FAMINE: Stopped at Provisions for their Bourbon Salmon Caesar salad – I watched as the lady at the salad counter put fresh romaine in the container and loaded it – and I mean loaded it – with salmon, walnuts, sundried tomatoes, parmesan and Caesar dressing. I asked for an extra plate and put about one quarter of the salad on it, sat at the counter and savored every bite! It’s so rich and yummy that about a quarter of it is all I can eat at one time. Then I took the rest and gave it to my daughter to enjoy. Later, at home, I devoured ¼ cup of Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia fro yo. It was heaven!
DAY ONE – BREAKFAST: Went to bed thinking about food, woke up thinking about food. Food, food food. I’m the type of person who while eating is thinking about my next meal. I cut out a zillion recipes that I will never make a dent in making and love putting together menus for meals, especially holiday, special occasion and seasonal meals. Breakfast is my favorite and I feel fortunate that I probably won’t suffer taste fatigue eating basically the same thing every morning during the challenge.
…Thinking about my grandma who grew up in an orphanage and ate the same thing for lunch every day – cornbread and molasses – at least both have a lot of healthy properties. She wound up living a long and healthy life, but the food back then wasn’t overly processed – very different from a lot of the food today. Funny, she never developed a taste for chocolate, because she never had it growing up, and always ate everything on her plate, including the parsley. “Lots of vitamins and minerals in it,” she would say. “And good roughage.”
My breakfast consisted of a multi-whole grain hot cereal, similar to oatmeal, but with other whole grains – rye, barley, etc. I wasn’t able to buy the soy milk I wanted so I made it with water and added some of the frozen black raspberries (not nearly as tasty as fresh!), the trek mix (almonds, dried blueberries & dried cranberries) and a whopping dollop of French vanilla yogurt. It was yummy and satisfying, but I had to wait until I got to work for my “free” cup of coffee.
MEET THE PRESS: At today’s press conference for the challenge at Food Outreach, Greg Lukeman from F.O., Frank Finnegan from the St. Louis Food Bank and my boss, Sunny Schaefer from Operation Food Search all gave meaningful, eye opening speeches about the hunger crisis right here in our own community.
At the conference, there were piles of groceries lined up that had been purchased by different participants in the challenge and it was interesting to what each person bought for the week and who got the best values. The dietitian at Food Outreach had it going on – several cans of tuna, lentils (which I wish I had purchased), whole grain pasta, mustard greens (although they were canned – I would prefer fresh) a whole bag of apples compared to my one and I began to wonder – could I barter? Exchange some of my eggs for someone’s spinach?
DAY ONE LUNCH: I had a lunch meeting today at Bobo’s Noodle House. Before I left the office, I ate a banana. In the parking lot, I saw this girl sitting on the curb, looking a bit weathered, weary and forlorn with her beggar’s sign. I asked her if she was homeless and she said she had been, but had just started a job in telemarketing and was trying to get back on her feet – she also told me she was pregnant. Usually, I don’t give money to people at street corners, however, I asked her if she was hungry and she said she was so I offered to buy her lunch. We went into Kayak’s and I told her she could order whatever she wanted off the menu. She ordered a sandwich, minus the mushrooms. I asked if she wanted something to drink and she got a soda from the case and politely said thank you. Then I met up with my lunch appointment at Bobo’s, who ordered the salmon with spicy noodles. I’d had this before and it is so good! However, I was fortunate that I didn’t feel hungry while at the restaurant, even with all its good food smells - but the moment I got back in my car, I drove as fast as the speed limit would allow for my hardboiled egg. About 3 hours later, I had another hardboiled egg and am drinking a lot of water. I already drink a lot of water, but now I’m drinking more of it to help subside my feelings of hunger. I think the challenge will really bring to light how hard it is on limited resources to eat fulfilling, well-rounded meals with lots of variety and color. And how hard it is to eat the healthier versions of foods due to costs – whole grain bread vs. white, brown rice vs. white rice, organic foods vs. non-organic foods, etc.
WHAT’S FOR DINNER? I’ll let you know tomorrow. I’m sure tonight I’ll be dreaming about food!
He we go!
Some Qualifiers
I'm attempting this challenge for two reasons. One, because Becky Reichart, our Development Director here at Food Outreach is smarter than me and essentially got me to paint myself into a corner by convincing me to invite Registered Dietitians I know to participate. To clarify: there is no way I couldn't participate after that. Second, I learn best by doing and this experience is going to make me a much better educator/RD, relative to the population I have the privilege to serve.
I am competitive to a fault, so I hear "challenge" and the internal flames ignite and the gears start turning and I'm looking for any advantage I can to secure victory. However, what I'm going to have to remind myself of during this "challenge" is there are no winners. This is not a game and even if I was able to complete the challenge with minimal discomfort and 100% of my RDAs , this is not something to brag about. Big deal if I can do it for a whopping, whole week. I'm a professional when it comes to nutrition, I have my own, reliable, transportation, and access to online sources that make the process much easier. I don't have any chronic diseases which leave me exhausted. I'm not trying to budget and plan after enduring chemotherapy or taking HAART that gives me chronic diarrhea. Most importantly, it's only a week. There IS an end in sight for me. I am by no means under any illusions that I'm "living the life" for a week.
Shopping Experience
I chose to do my shopping at Wal-Mart Supercenter. I live very close to one and that's where I usually shop. It took me an hour and seven minutes from the time I left the car to the time I got back in. This was sad, considering I'm a pro and had a pretty good idea of what I wanted going in. During my shopping I had a few surprises, some pleasant and some not so much..
The Good
Mustard greens are chee-eep and with 52.5% of your calcium per can, they are a nice alternative to those expensive dairy selections that remain oh-so-elusive in many of our clients' carts.
Canned beans, while not as affordable as bagged beans are still a steal and a great stop-gap for those unable to afford meat. I was willing to spend the extra on canned vs. bagged because of the huge difference in prep-time.
While I knew lentils were a nutritional powerhouse and I have liked the lentil soup I've tried in the past, I didn't know they were so easy to prepare. I lumped them in with the same category as beans but was rather giddy when I read the back and found I could make them in 15-20 min!
Light yogurt was probably the biggest shocker of the night for me. It was only 40 cents/container. It was only 1 cent higher/oz than the bulk yogurt and the bulk was not available in light. I might just hit my calcium goals yet!
Eggs: I found 12 for 96 cents and was all over that!
The Bad
I lived off of tuna and rice in undergrad during the times when my mealplan was off (Christmas and summer break). I was very disappointed to see that tuna in water had jumped up to 83 cents/can! And to be clear: that is for the cheapest one! In college it was 47-50 cents/can most weeks! Becky found some for 53 cents/can in oil but the 83 cents was the cheapest of any kind at Wal-Mart and I'd have to say I felt a little let down.
I've read a couple of people's entries on here and after talking to some folks, the bags of chicken where I shopped were clearly not the best price in town. I was actually going to try and work in a bag but 6.98 or roughly 25% of my budget, just wasn't feasible.
I forgot my calculator and my phone just irritates me in calculator-mode so I used the scanner on the pole. I made a couple of trips back and forth to the scanner and got some funny looks from folks, probably due to me scanning my entire cart.
The Ugly
Condiment prices are just freakin' reee-diculous! I was looking for hot sauce, mayo, and relish, and possibly some seasonings for the pasta and bean dish I'm going to make. I left with relish which I thought wasn't bad for a buck. I'm going to swipe the rest from a gas station hot dog bar. I drive 100 miles a day so they get plenty of business out of me, so I'm entitled..ooohhhh there's a charged word!
Canned chicken was almost as high as the bagged chicken once you did the math......what!!!!
I'm somewhat lactose intolerant and without getting into a semantics showdown with those clinical nutrition wizards out there; the bottom line is I can't drink milk. Soy milk was sky high, even with house brands and even if I could drink milk, the powdered skim milk, which is the canned answer many RD's spit out to address the high cost of dairy, only came in some bulk container, so large that it was something like 10 bucks or 30% of my budget.
Day One
Breakfast was easy because I always eat oatmeal so there was no change there. Lunch was a challenge, not from a hunger perspective but my 2 PB&J's and yogurt didn't really compare to some of my non-participating co-worker's dishes. Dinner will a bear because I'm going to have to actually make it and I can tell you after an hour's commute, cooking from scratch is not very high on my list of priorities. I AM Mr. Microwave! The plan is to make my pasta and bean dish tonight or the tuna salad. Either way, I'm going to knock out my meals for dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow, all in one shot.
In closing, If you're not participating, you need to be!!!!!!!!!!!!
Josh
I'm attempting this challenge for two reasons. One, because Becky Reichart, our Development Director here at Food Outreach is smarter than me and essentially got me to paint myself into a corner by convincing me to invite Registered Dietitians I know to participate. To clarify: there is no way I couldn't participate after that. Second, I learn best by doing and this experience is going to make me a much better educator/RD, relative to the population I have the privilege to serve.
I am competitive to a fault, so I hear "challenge" and the internal flames ignite and the gears start turning and I'm looking for any advantage I can to secure victory. However, what I'm going to have to remind myself of during this "challenge" is there are no winners. This is not a game and even if I was able to complete the challenge with minimal discomfort and 100% of my RDAs , this is not something to brag about. Big deal if I can do it for a whopping, whole week. I'm a professional when it comes to nutrition, I have my own, reliable, transportation, and access to online sources that make the process much easier. I don't have any chronic diseases which leave me exhausted. I'm not trying to budget and plan after enduring chemotherapy or taking HAART that gives me chronic diarrhea. Most importantly, it's only a week. There IS an end in sight for me. I am by no means under any illusions that I'm "living the life" for a week.
Shopping Experience
I chose to do my shopping at Wal-Mart Supercenter. I live very close to one and that's where I usually shop. It took me an hour and seven minutes from the time I left the car to the time I got back in. This was sad, considering I'm a pro and had a pretty good idea of what I wanted going in. During my shopping I had a few surprises, some pleasant and some not so much..
The Good
Mustard greens are chee-eep and with 52.5% of your calcium per can, they are a nice alternative to those expensive dairy selections that remain oh-so-elusive in many of our clients' carts.
Canned beans, while not as affordable as bagged beans are still a steal and a great stop-gap for those unable to afford meat. I was willing to spend the extra on canned vs. bagged because of the huge difference in prep-time.
While I knew lentils were a nutritional powerhouse and I have liked the lentil soup I've tried in the past, I didn't know they were so easy to prepare. I lumped them in with the same category as beans but was rather giddy when I read the back and found I could make them in 15-20 min!
Light yogurt was probably the biggest shocker of the night for me. It was only 40 cents/container. It was only 1 cent higher/oz than the bulk yogurt and the bulk was not available in light. I might just hit my calcium goals yet!
Eggs: I found 12 for 96 cents and was all over that!
The Bad
I lived off of tuna and rice in undergrad during the times when my mealplan was off (Christmas and summer break). I was very disappointed to see that tuna in water had jumped up to 83 cents/can! And to be clear: that is for the cheapest one! In college it was 47-50 cents/can most weeks! Becky found some for 53 cents/can in oil but the 83 cents was the cheapest of any kind at Wal-Mart and I'd have to say I felt a little let down.
I've read a couple of people's entries on here and after talking to some folks, the bags of chicken where I shopped were clearly not the best price in town. I was actually going to try and work in a bag but 6.98 or roughly 25% of my budget, just wasn't feasible.
I forgot my calculator and my phone just irritates me in calculator-mode so I used the scanner on the pole. I made a couple of trips back and forth to the scanner and got some funny looks from folks, probably due to me scanning my entire cart.
The Ugly
Condiment prices are just freakin' reee-diculous! I was looking for hot sauce, mayo, and relish, and possibly some seasonings for the pasta and bean dish I'm going to make. I left with relish which I thought wasn't bad for a buck. I'm going to swipe the rest from a gas station hot dog bar. I drive 100 miles a day so they get plenty of business out of me, so I'm entitled..ooohhhh there's a charged word!
Canned chicken was almost as high as the bagged chicken once you did the math......what!!!!
I'm somewhat lactose intolerant and without getting into a semantics showdown with those clinical nutrition wizards out there; the bottom line is I can't drink milk. Soy milk was sky high, even with house brands and even if I could drink milk, the powdered skim milk, which is the canned answer many RD's spit out to address the high cost of dairy, only came in some bulk container, so large that it was something like 10 bucks or 30% of my budget.
Day One
Breakfast was easy because I always eat oatmeal so there was no change there. Lunch was a challenge, not from a hunger perspective but my 2 PB&J's and yogurt didn't really compare to some of my non-participating co-worker's dishes. Dinner will a bear because I'm going to have to actually make it and I can tell you after an hour's commute, cooking from scratch is not very high on my list of priorities. I AM Mr. Microwave! The plan is to make my pasta and bean dish tonight or the tuna salad. Either way, I'm going to knock out my meals for dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow, all in one shot.
In closing, If you're not participating, you need to be!!!!!!!!!!!!
Josh
Hunger Action Month Kicks Off Today!
Hunger Challenge Participants at today's Press Conference:
St. Louis County Councilwoman Barbara Fraser
St. Louis Alderman President Lewis Reed
Missouri State Representative Rachel Storch
Food Outreach Executive Director Greg Lukeman
St. Louis Alderman Shane Cohn
Frank Finnegan, Executive Director of St. Louis Area Food Bank
Sunny Schaefer, Executive Director of Operation Food Search
Greg Lukeman, Executive Director of Food Outreach
Sunday at Schuncks
Although my husband and family encouraged me to visit Aldi's or Shop N Save for the $29 week challenge, I chose to go to Schnuck's because I wanted to see how I could manage my budget shopping at the store which I typically frequent because it is closest to my house. Like the other bloggers, I went to the store armed and ready with a well planned grocery list for the week(note, week, not weekend yet...too daunting).
As I shopped, I found myself being very grateful for the "price per ounce" assistance on the grocery shelves. I used this reference for almost every item comparison. I had no idea that a food like vegetable broth (which will go in my parsnip soup recipe) had such a wide range of prices when compared by the ounce. The soup recipe called for 64 ounces, so the highest broth price at 14 cents per ounce compared to the cheapest broth at 4 cents per ounce really made a difference .
Another shocker, or shall I say disappointment, was how small the apples are that came in the #3 pound bag. With 13 apples in the bag, each apple set me back 23 cents. I did feel better knowing the apples were grown in Missouri, but when eaten as a snack, the small portion left me wishing for more.
Once I got home from the store, I decided that preparing my dinner meals for the week would ensure I stuck to the meal plan. The first recipe (which I will share later) was a parsnip and carrot soup and the second meal was a lentil, pasta, and rice dish with a mint butter sauce. Both recipes turned out pretty tasty, and I was happy to be able to include my "mint on steroids" plant from backyard garden. Free herbs are coming in handy.
As I mentioned in my previous blog, I am addicted to the 94% fat free Act II kettle corn. I am not for sure if it's the popcorn that I love or the relaxation of eating the popcorn while I watch "Chopped" on the Food Network. Either way, the microwave popcorn was too expensive so I grudgingly purchased the plain popcorn kernels. After two hours in the kitchen preparing my weekly dinners, I found myself hungry and decided to introduce the kernels to my air popper. For 5 cents, I popped ~6 cups of popcorn and after adding a touch of salt and sugar was pleasantly surprised with the tasty and nutritious, and most importantly -inexpensive, source of pleasure.
I do have a confession already for Day 1. After today's lunch, I received the gift of a diet coke. I didn't allocate any money to my afternoon soda habit, so I am very gracious to my caffeine angel.
As I shopped, I found myself being very grateful for the "price per ounce" assistance on the grocery shelves. I used this reference for almost every item comparison. I had no idea that a food like vegetable broth (which will go in my parsnip soup recipe) had such a wide range of prices when compared by the ounce. The soup recipe called for 64 ounces, so the highest broth price at 14 cents per ounce compared to the cheapest broth at 4 cents per ounce really made a difference .
Another shocker, or shall I say disappointment, was how small the apples are that came in the #3 pound bag. With 13 apples in the bag, each apple set me back 23 cents. I did feel better knowing the apples were grown in Missouri, but when eaten as a snack, the small portion left me wishing for more.
Once I got home from the store, I decided that preparing my dinner meals for the week would ensure I stuck to the meal plan. The first recipe (which I will share later) was a parsnip and carrot soup and the second meal was a lentil, pasta, and rice dish with a mint butter sauce. Both recipes turned out pretty tasty, and I was happy to be able to include my "mint on steroids" plant from backyard garden. Free herbs are coming in handy.
As I mentioned in my previous blog, I am addicted to the 94% fat free Act II kettle corn. I am not for sure if it's the popcorn that I love or the relaxation of eating the popcorn while I watch "Chopped" on the Food Network. Either way, the microwave popcorn was too expensive so I grudgingly purchased the plain popcorn kernels. After two hours in the kitchen preparing my weekly dinners, I found myself hungry and decided to introduce the kernels to my air popper. For 5 cents, I popped ~6 cups of popcorn and after adding a touch of salt and sugar was pleasantly surprised with the tasty and nutritious, and most importantly -inexpensive, source of pleasure.
I do have a confession already for Day 1. After today's lunch, I received the gift of a diet coke. I didn't allocate any money to my afternoon soda habit, so I am very gracious to my caffeine angel.
Day 1
I've had very little experience with this blogging thing, so please pardon me if I don't stick to the format. We'll try to keep the stream of consciousness typing to a minimum.
So, I've decided to participate in this Hunger Challenge thing. It may sound like a good thing, in the vein of "Are you hungry enough to eat this entire tray of super hot wings?!" That would be a good challenge. I would win that challenge. But as I understand it, there is no prize for winning this challenge. Well, okay - there's the whole greater awareness of others' suffering deal. But it's not like I'm getting a t-shirt out of this. Wait - do we get a t-shirt for doing this? No? What the heck, I'll do it anyway.
For details you can check out this website: http://www.foodoutreach.org/hungeractionmonth.html. Basically, I'm going to try to see what it feels like to live off of food stamps for a week. The purpose is two-fold: First, to promote awareness of the issue of hunger during the time that the Mayor of St. Louis has proclaimed Hunger Action Month; Second, to boost local sales revenue on Sep. 8th by causing me to make up for the drop in caloric intake I will have this week. Alert the Emperors Wok on Hampton - I will be seeking their buffet table next Tuesday. When I've exhausted the possibilities there, it's on to Ted Drewes. I am totally serious.
You know what's going to be the worst part of this Challenge for me? Missed opportunities. This is Labor Day weekend people! A three-day weekend where one usually barbeques. And the Greek Festival at St. Nicholas is this weekend. I can't pronounce half of their dishes, but everything tastes great. So, I can totally handle eating less for a week (says the man who is only half-way through Day 1). But missing opportunities for great food is going to hurt.
Okay, so what did I buy for this week?
I went to the Schnucks that is two blocks from my house (I could have gone somewhere chea... with different check-out arrangements, but I'm a big believer in supporting local merchants). With a goal of less than $29, I started figuring out what I needed. Wait, let me back track. My wife had just gone grocery shopping, so we already had bagels, peanut butter, jelly and milk. She swears she got the bagels for $2.50, but everything else I priced in the store. $1.35 for jelly, $1.66 for PB, $2.80 for a gallon of milk. That's $8.31 so far. Then I got some bananas (4), apples (3), carrots (1 lb), and red potatoes (4). I went in to the meat section and it must have rained chicken parts in the Midwest recently, because I got a bag of 8-ish boneless chicken breasts for $4.88. Ramen Noodles is a staple of a hungry person's diet and so I got five packages. Listen, before you go all sodium-conscious on me, I have to tell you that I took the time to look for the flavors that had less than 40% of your sodium. In the meantime, a package of Schnucks Duplex Cookies fell into my cart and they simply would not leave. I went into the cereal aisle and saw that Total cereals were marked down to $3.00 each. Did you know they have Cinnamon Crunch Total now? I did not know that. What I like about Total cereal is that it claims to give you 100% of a bunch of stuff. I don't really know how they can claim that holds true for everybody. 100% for a 100-pound woman, or 100% for a guy like me who is just a little north of 210? I'm really not that far above two hundred (I weighed in this morning at 216), but I did break a chair recently that had a weight limit of 200lbs. It was a camping chair - you'd think they would allow for some rough usage there. But noooooooo. It had to wimp out on me and make me feel all self-conscious and stuff.
Where was I?
Oh yeah, Total cereal tells me it can give me 100% of what I need. I choose to believe it. My grocery bill comes to $19.09. When you add in the $8.31 from prior purchases, we are now up to $27.40. There's a buck-fifty left on my imaginary EBT card (they don't actually have food stamps anymore, y'know). I will spend it before the week is out.
With one bowl of cereal down, an apple and one PB bagel recently finished off, I feel confident. I can do this. Probably. I'll let you know.
So, I've decided to participate in this Hunger Challenge thing. It may sound like a good thing, in the vein of "Are you hungry enough to eat this entire tray of super hot wings?!" That would be a good challenge. I would win that challenge. But as I understand it, there is no prize for winning this challenge. Well, okay - there's the whole greater awareness of others' suffering deal. But it's not like I'm getting a t-shirt out of this. Wait - do we get a t-shirt for doing this? No? What the heck, I'll do it anyway.
For details you can check out this website: http://www.foodoutreach.org/hungeractionmonth.html. Basically, I'm going to try to see what it feels like to live off of food stamps for a week. The purpose is two-fold: First, to promote awareness of the issue of hunger during the time that the Mayor of St. Louis has proclaimed Hunger Action Month; Second, to boost local sales revenue on Sep. 8th by causing me to make up for the drop in caloric intake I will have this week. Alert the Emperors Wok on Hampton - I will be seeking their buffet table next Tuesday. When I've exhausted the possibilities there, it's on to Ted Drewes. I am totally serious.
You know what's going to be the worst part of this Challenge for me? Missed opportunities. This is Labor Day weekend people! A three-day weekend where one usually barbeques. And the Greek Festival at St. Nicholas is this weekend. I can't pronounce half of their dishes, but everything tastes great. So, I can totally handle eating less for a week (says the man who is only half-way through Day 1). But missing opportunities for great food is going to hurt.
Okay, so what did I buy for this week?
I went to the Schnucks that is two blocks from my house (I could have gone somewhere chea... with different check-out arrangements, but I'm a big believer in supporting local merchants). With a goal of less than $29, I started figuring out what I needed. Wait, let me back track. My wife had just gone grocery shopping, so we already had bagels, peanut butter, jelly and milk. She swears she got the bagels for $2.50, but everything else I priced in the store. $1.35 for jelly, $1.66 for PB, $2.80 for a gallon of milk. That's $8.31 so far. Then I got some bananas (4), apples (3), carrots (1 lb), and red potatoes (4). I went in to the meat section and it must have rained chicken parts in the Midwest recently, because I got a bag of 8-ish boneless chicken breasts for $4.88. Ramen Noodles is a staple of a hungry person's diet and so I got five packages. Listen, before you go all sodium-conscious on me, I have to tell you that I took the time to look for the flavors that had less than 40% of your sodium. In the meantime, a package of Schnucks Duplex Cookies fell into my cart and they simply would not leave. I went into the cereal aisle and saw that Total cereals were marked down to $3.00 each. Did you know they have Cinnamon Crunch Total now? I did not know that. What I like about Total cereal is that it claims to give you 100% of a bunch of stuff. I don't really know how they can claim that holds true for everybody. 100% for a 100-pound woman, or 100% for a guy like me who is just a little north of 210? I'm really not that far above two hundred (I weighed in this morning at 216), but I did break a chair recently that had a weight limit of 200lbs. It was a camping chair - you'd think they would allow for some rough usage there. But noooooooo. It had to wimp out on me and make me feel all self-conscious and stuff.
Where was I?
Oh yeah, Total cereal tells me it can give me 100% of what I need. I choose to believe it. My grocery bill comes to $19.09. When you add in the $8.31 from prior purchases, we are now up to $27.40. There's a buck-fifty left on my imaginary EBT card (they don't actually have food stamps anymore, y'know). I will spend it before the week is out.
With one bowl of cereal down, an apple and one PB bagel recently finished off, I feel confident. I can do this. Probably. I'll let you know.
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