Day 5

Monday, November 11th was the fifth and final day of my Hunger Challenge.  Here it the start of day 5, lots of empty jars...

Breakfast: Oatmeal
Snack: Apple
Lunch: Rice, beans and roasted carrots
Snack: 1/2 bagel with hummus
Dinner: Spaghetti, lentils & salad dressing
Dessert: 1/4 cup milk

Comments: I was running out of food and had only $2.00 left to spend. I decided not to spend the last of the money I had. Of the food I had left - 1/4 cup milk, lentils, spaghetti and oatmeal I had to figure out what to have for dinner.  I decided on plain spaghetti with lentils, and some salad dressing (condiments are allowed). It wasn't bad, better than I thought.

Day 4

Day 4 = Sunday November 10th. Once again, woke up very hungry and went for a 6 mile run.

Breakfast: Oatmeal & pasta with no sauce
Snack: roasted carrots
Lunch: rice, beans and roasted carrots
Dinner: rice, beans and roasted carrots, 1/2 bagel with hummus

Here are my delicious roasted carrots dug from my garden:

Comments: Thanks to one of my students I learned about this list of stores that accept 3Squares VT (food stamps).  http://www.vermontfoodhelp.com/where-can-i-use-3squaresvt
Throughout my Hunger Challenge I bought food at the following places and I've made a note as to whether or not they take 3SquaresVT:

Price Chopper: YES
Shelburne Supermarket: YES
Brueggers Bagels: NO
Healthy Living: Not Sure..  - Maybe they are living up to their name as we like to joke 'wealthy living'. They are not on this list. I called them today and they said they DO, yet it did not seem like a very confident yes that I received from the person on the phone. I will call again another day and ask.
A better choice for buying in bulk would have been City Market, which is a large co-op in downtown Burlington. I will buy my food there next year when I take the challenge again.

Day 3

I'm hungry...

Day 3 was Saturday November 9. In the bag are 2 bagels I bought at Brueggers.

Breakfast: Oatmeal
Snack: popcorn
Lunch: Bagel with hummus
Snack: popcorn
Dinner: Kale salad and pasta with sauce (the rest of what I bought for the challenge- no more)

Comments:
I am not used to having such little variety in my meals. I am eating the same thing over and over. 

Day 2

Stockpile at start of Day 2:

New additions are chopped kale (from my garden) and homemade salad dressing (to make kale salad)

Woke up feeling very hungry:

Breakfast: Oatmeal & popcorn
Snack: Popcorn
Lunch: Rice/Beans
Dinner: 1/2 bagel with homemade hummus

Comments on the day: I thought, for sure, that Day 2 would be worse than Day 1 in terms of feeling deprived from food.  I have been pleasantly surprised that I was not as hungry throughout the day as I thought I would be.   Had many back-to-back meetings today so did not eat lunch until 3:30pm. I commuted to work today by bike (round trip ~ 15 miles), so I would assume that I will start feeling hungry very soon. Good thing I had a late lunch.
Since my bread of choice is OBread (which costs $4-6/loaf) I cannot splurge for that, so I decided to buy two bagels. Not as cheap as I thought they would be - I need to get better at checking for prices on food. I do remember when bagels were $ .25, now they are $.99.  Wow!
Ran into my friend Mark who is going to do the Hunger Challenge.  When at first he said he couldn't do it. Thanks for stepping to the plate, Mark.

Total Costs

Costs so far. I will continue to add to this list as I purchase more food. 

Dates (for my oatmeal): .84
Can organic chick peas: 1.99
Can organic tomatoes:2.50
Black beans (in bulk): 1.29
Brown rice: 2.05
Popcorn (organic, non-gmo): 1.42
Rolled oats: 2.04
Spaghetti: 1.39
1/2 gallon milk: 2.39
Salad dressing: 1.50
two bagels: 2.38
two apples and a banana: 1.90
swedish fish: .85
one bagel: 1.09

Total so far:  $23.63

Wish list: fresh fruit (apples) and frozen fruit to make smoothies

Day 1

Breakfast: Oatmeal with two dates

Snack:  Popcorn
I didn't eat this entire bowl for snack, but I was so hungry that I ended up eating ALL of this popcorn by the end of the day. 

Lunch: Rice and Beans

Midafternoon snack: Popcorn

3pm - Hunger Headache set in

Dinner: Spaghetti with homemade tomato sauce (onions and garlic from garden, can of whole peeled tomatoes, salt)

 Wow, all the foods I've eaten are white in color. hmmm...

Living on a food stamp budget for 5 days..

Today began my 5 day Hunger Challenge of living on a food stamp budget for 5 days - which is $36.00 for food.  It is certainly less food than I am used to eating, but not different food than I am used to eating.

Here is the stockpile I have purchased so far, total cost is about $15.00

Dates (for my oatmeal): .84
Can organic chick peas: 1.99
Can organic tomatoes:2.50
Black beans (in bulk): 1.29
Brown rice: 2.05
Popcorn (organic, non-gmo): 1.42
Rolled oats: 2.04
Spaghetti: 1.39

Now the milk... I am a milk snob and choose to purchase milk that is local and organic for 4.99 per half gallon.  For this challenge, I chose not to be so extravagent so I purchased a 1/2 gallon of somewhat local (but not organic) for 2.39.

What I usually buy is on the right (Kimball Brook Farm milk) and what I do not usually buy is on the left. It is CERTAINLY not the same - I can taste a difference.