The Sodexo Youth Ambassadors assigned to the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance hosted and participated in a SNAP Challenge on June 30th through July 3rd. Each participant was limited to spending $4.15 per person (per day) for groceries. This is average amount that SNAP beneficiaries receive. The point of this challenge was for participants to gain insight into the difficulties of eating and buying nutritious foods on such a small budget. Without adequate sustenance there are consequences of mental, emotional, and physical drain as well as the added stress of preparing meals. While we were completely aware that this short, 4-day challenge could in no way give us real understanding about the long-term daily life of individuals on SNAP, we do believe it is an essential part of understanding the program for which we are advocating.

We had about 10 people complete the challenge with us, mostly including friends, family members, and coworkers. We had everyone fill out a contact sheet at the beginning of the week, and we created a facebook page in order to keep in contact with everyone throughout the challenge. Midway through the challenge we sent out another survey and asked questions regarding budget problems, emotional and physical health, and recipes and tips.

I spent a total of $16.20 for the week out of my $16.60 budget. I had the same three meals every day due to budget restrictions. For breakfast I ate oatmeal and a small glass of milk.

Oatmeal: $1.87

Milk: $0.99

Each day for lunch I had a peanut butter sandwich and apples. I got whole wheat bread, peanut butter, and apples for $7.07.

For dinner every night I made veggie tacos.

Corn tortillas: $1.60

Frozen vegetables/rice mix: $1.19

Beans: $ .89

I also budgeted for some coffee I found on sale for $2.79.

It was particularly difficult to buy food with any substantial amount of protein, but keeping a very high fiber content diet helped me stay full longer. I also don’t think I would have done well without the coffee, considering how much more tired I was regardless of the caffeine.

This challenge helped me understand the physical and mental drains of hunger. I was a lot more irritable in the office. By the end of the week I had a harder time multitasking and getting work done. I also work out regularly at the gym but found it difficult to complete my workouts as the week wore on. I wasn’t getting enough nutritious  food to stay active, but I was eating more processed foods on top of that.

My biggest take away from this experience is the crucial importance of breakfast in the classrooms for kids. After just four days, I was struggling to focus and stay engaged. It seems ridiculous that we expect kids to learn when they may be hungry and fixating on that hunger. Getting breakfast as part of the school day is essential for a productive learning environment for children, particularly those who may not be going home to a full fridge and healthy foods.

On a more positive note, one of our participants, Teresa Hall, did a stellar job at conquering the SNAP Challenge. As a group of four, she and her family had $66.40 to spend on groceries over the four days. She went through extensive planning and shopped around at various stores including  Kroger, Dollar Tree, Walmart, and Walgreens. For breakfast, she and her family rotated between cereal and fruit or oatmeal with honey. She made different meals everyday for dinner and lunch, some including mini pizzas, quesadillas, stew, and casserole.

Teresa found it stressful making a four day menu within the SNAP budget. She recommends checking out the day old rack at Walmart for breads. Even though it may be close to (or barely past) its “best by” date, bread can be frozen for up to 6 months and still be good to eat when thawed. She also suggested mixing frozen juice concentrate with an extra can of water. It won’t seem overly diluted, it will stretch the beverage farther, and it is a cold treat for kids. Teresa also stressed the importance of checking out your local Dollar Tree. The frozen section and the grains section are often fully stocked and at reduced prices.

Another one of our participants, Lynn, made use of the fact that those on SNAP can get double their benefits for shopping at Farmer’s Markets. She stocked up on tomatoes, carrots and spinach. She found that she had a little less energy than usual and was “obsessing” about food and saving money, but overall didn’t feel any hungrier than normal.

I think our SNAP Challenge was a success and that all of the participants were able to learn from their experience in regard to the difficulties of maintaining a nutritious diet on an exceedingly low budget. I recommend that anyone interested in the problems of hunger give this challenge a try.