Take the SNAP Challenge

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live on SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)- formerly known as Food Stamps?Well, now's your chance! Most of us take our meals for granted. As children, our parents did their best to feed us nutritious food. If you;re like me- there was one meal on the table- no chicken nuggets or other alternative if you weren't crazy about those salmon patties on Friday nights. Today, families toss leftovers out and opt for fast food for something different.Sadly, millions of Americans go hungry on a regular basis. The average food stamp participant has to make due with about $4.50 per day. That means no Starbucks, Panera or other treats many of us consume daily.To take the SNAP challenge and live on $4.50/day, you must make your dollar s t r e t c h. Here are a few tips:1. Eat eggs. For less than $2.00 a dozen, you can feed a family of four omelets or scrambled eggs for breakfast, lunch or dinner.2. Buy beans. Stores like Aldi, Save a Lot and Big Lots often have 16 oz. cans of beans for less than a dollar. Two cans of black beans and some corn tortillas go a long way when you're hungry.3. Skip organic bread, cereal, bananas, broccoli and citrus fruit. These are low in pesticides and organic is not worth the money.4. Buy seasonal fruit in bags, not bulk. A 3 lb bag of apples will run you $3.00 at Aldi and will last at least a week.5. Eat frozen veggies. A bag of frozen peas is about a dollar and you'll get at least 6 servings of vegetables from it.6. Drink water, not soda. You'll spare your waistline and your wallet on this one.7. Purchase hearts of romaine in place of bagged salad. It stays fresher longer and is much cheaper than bagged/cut up salad.8. Buy whole carrots over baby carrots. They actually taste better and are much less expensive ($1.39/3 lb bag VS $1.29/lb bag).9. Buy a cylinder of regular oatmeal instead of instant packs. Its lower in sugar and sodium and you'll garner more servings this way.10. Buy a turkey instead of turkey lunch meat. At $9-10/lb for lunch meat, who can afford it? Get the whole bird for much less and use the leftovers for lunch.For more information and ideas about the SNAP Challenge, check out: http://feedingamerica.org/get-involved/hunger-action-month/snap-challenge.aspx