SNAP CHALLENGE

Welcome to the SNAP CHALLENGE

During the SNAP Challenge, I will only be able to spend $12.30 on food that will last me a total of 3 days, while still attempting to make healthy choices.   So…. here is my journey for the next 3 days.

[text_block style=”style_1.png” align=”left” font_size=”18″]The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a program that is designed to give individuals and families a way to provide food on a day to day basis.  The majority of the people that are participating in the SNAP Program are individuals with low economic resources and are only allotted $111 per month, which is equivalent to $4 a day.  Because of these restraints, many people have to make vital decisions between purchasing enough food to eat or providing a certain quality of healthy foods to obtain a healthy lifestyle.

 

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Meal Prep for Day 1 of the SNAP Challenge is complete.  However for the next 2 days, I will be going through the exact same meal prep process due to not having many options. For breakfast I have scrambled eggs with a slice of wheat toast.  For lunch, I will be having Ramon Noodles (with half of seasoning packet) with a side of broccoli and for dinner I will be having chicken breast with broccoli.  I have also prepared a meal for after I workout and it is scrambled eggs with a side of spinach.  My goal for this process is to just get through and try to find some way to have a balanced diet, I don’t know how it will happen, but I will try my best.  Below I have a breakdown of the cost of each meal to show that I stayed within my budget.



[text_block style=”style_1.png” align=”left”]For my 1st meal I had scrambled eggs and a slice of toast.  I made sure that I drank a cup of water when I woke up and them had breakfast.  I was surprised how full I felt afterwards.

The price of the eggs was $2.50 for a dozen and the toast was $1.99 for 20 slices.

Price Breakdown

Eggs:  $2.50/12= 21 cents per egg * 3 eggs = 63 cents

Toast:  $1.99/20= 10 cents per slice * 1 slice = 10 cents

TOTAL:   73 CENTS[/text_block]

[text_block style=”style_1.png” align=”left”]For my 2nd meal I had Ramon Noodles with a side of broccoli.  Now before I get in trouble for eating all the sodium in Ramon Noodles, let me first explain what I did.  Instead of using the entire packet of seasoning, I only used half the pack and to substitute for flavor, I used 1 tsp of hot sauce, which save me from eating close to 600 mg of sodium.  I made sure that I drank a cup of water before eating and so far I feel fine.

The price of the eggs was $2.50 for a dozen and the toast was $1.99 for 20 slices.

Price Breakdown

Ramon Noodles:  $0.25 per pack * 1 pack = 25 cents

Broccoli:  $1.15 per crown * 1/3 (Since I divided up the crown of broccoli for 3 days) = 10 cents per slice * 1 slice = 35 cents

TOTAL:   60 CENTS[/text_block]

[text_block style=”style_1.png” align=”left”]For my post workout meal, l I had scrambled eggs and a half ounce of spinach.  Once I ate this, I was still really tired and hungry, but I wanted to wait the eat my dinner, so I didn’t go to bed hungry.

The price of the eggs was $2.50 for a dozen and the spinach was buy one get one free, so it was $2.50 for 5 ounces.

Price Breakdown

Eggs:  $2.50/12= 21 cents per egg * 2 eggs = 42 cents

Spinach:  $2.50/5= 50 cents per ounce * 1/2 ounce = 25 cents

TOTAL:  67  CENTS[/text_block]

[text_block style=”style_1.png” align=”left”]For my last meal of the day I had some chicken breast and another side of broccoli (thank God I love broccoli or I would be in trouble)..  I made sure that I drank a cup of water with my dinner and an hour after I ate dinner.  I was surprised because I was kind of full afterwards.

The price of the chicken breast was $2.99 per pound and the broccoli was $1.15 for a crown.

Price Breakdown

Chicken Breast:  $2.99/16= 19 cents per ounce * 6 ounces = $1.12

Toast:  $1.15/3= 38 cents per serving

TOTAL:   $1.50[/text_block]

Conclusion

Day 1

After the 1st day, I feel really good about my day.  I am understanding that it is extremely difficult to get every nutrient that you need with such a limited budget, however, it should not stop you from trying.  It takes a lot of preparation, however, if done right, there is a chance to obtain a well balanced diet.  However, the difficulty of this is extremely high.



Day 2

So, I am feeling good that I have only 1 day left on the SNAP Challenge and I have held up pretty well, until my wife comes into the house with a slice of cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory.  Other than that, I feel alright.  I am not hungry throughout the day due to the amount of water that I am taking in, however, I am getting a little tired to chicken and broccoli.  So, I have just one day left and I will be eating something other than chicken and broccoli for dinner.



Day 3

So, I have completed the 3 Day SNAP Challenge and I realize the difficulties a family would have when trying to only use a few dollars to eat the right thing and have a healthy lifestyle.  Having to eat the same or similar foods on a consistiant basis can become extremely challenging.  Even I slipped up today.  I ate some of my daughters cookies, however, she did put them in my mouth, so I couldn’t say no.



Meet the Author

DeJuan Moore


— SPACER —