Day 22 of the Food Stamp Challenge -

My day to day diet has been reduced to 1500-1600 calories a day most days.  Today, however, was Sunday, and church, and there was cake.  And grapes.  And a cheese tray.  I resisted the urge to eat more than one piece of cake, one cluster of grapes and two slices of cheese.  And about four cups of coffee.

I dropped The Daughter at her place, and went grocery shopping.

Yesterday I purchased a small head of cabbage, an onion and two heads of garlic for $2.25.  This means that I managed to come in under goal for the week (but I am still paying off that olive oil!).  Then I blew it by buying a salad (it was reduced down to $2.50) because I was craving it.  

Today's groceries:

2 packages mushrooms, $2.50

carrots, 1.42 lbs @ .59 cents a lb

2 cans reduced sodium black beans, $2.00

yellow potatoes, 2.76 lbs @ .99 cents a lb

bananas, 1.9 lbs @ .54 cents a lb

corn tortillas, $2.99

lettuce, .98 cents

spinach, $1.99

sweet potatoes, .85 lbs @ 99 cents a lb

TOTAL: $16.39

I have a busy week at work, so I planned simple meals.  I still have part of my last bag of baby oranges.  I still have a little milk and cheese, and an open jar of salsa.

I know that the menu is light on grains.  I have part of a loaf of bread left in the freezer, and pasta that I could figure out something to do with.

But I will be eating cabbage-kielbasa soup and black bean tacos a LOT this week.  The soup is on the stove, and I will have a cup for dinner.  Two days I will have a baked sweet potato for lunch.  And there will be soup for dinner at church Wednesday night.    

After shopping, I use the magical medical machine at Fred Meyers.

Blood Pressure: 114/68

BMI: 24.6

Weight: 166.8

So I still lost weight, even with the two meals of pasta last week.

I rarely feel totally full.  You know, that feeling you get when you eat all you can put in your stomach, until you are not just full, you are almost over-full.  

As I said, my day to day diet has been reduced to 1500-1600 calories a day most days.  This works for me, as I can fill up on water.  I work at a desk job (well, a mostly desk job).  If I miss a meal, I can still function, and I have lost weight (which I needed to do).

43 million Americans live this way.  And a large chunk of them are children and teens.  Another large chunk are working for a living at low wage jobs, which typically are NOT desk jobs.  How do they manage it?  Imagine working a job that requires you to move boxes or stock shelves on 1500 calories a day.  Imagine being in school and trying to learn with your stomach empty.  Imagine wanting to play football or basketball in high school and dropping out because you are too hungry to play right or well.

Now, imagine going through it day after day, not knowing when, or if it will ever change. You see on tv that you should have more (thanks American advertisers).  You want more.  But how do you get there?  Hard work--it isn't always enough.  All those people who have jobs and still qualify for food stamps are not lazy.  They simply don't earn enough, in part because of the priorities of their employers.

Today one in five children in the USA now lives in a food insecure household.  ONE IN FIVE.  Too many kids in this country are not getting the nutrition they need to grow and learn and stay healthy.  

Hungry children don't learn well,  Hungry children have more discipline issues in school.  Hungry children are more likely to get sick and miss school.  

We can and should do better.