The SNAP Challenge

I am participating in the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) Challenge as part of National Nutrition Month this March.

My food stamp challenge is March 2 - 6.

I am limiting my food expenditures to $4.50 per day, which is the average daily SNAP (formerly food stamps) benefit for an individual in our area.

I am participating with others in Kansas City area as part of Harvesters--The Community Food Network challenging people to see what it is like on a very small scale to be a food insecure person in our region.

The USDA recommends stretching your budget by purchasing raw ingredients whenever possible and preparing those items yourself.  I should note that individuals in the SNAP programs do not have the option of buying pre-made  food.  That leads me to several key points that I think are sometimes misrepresented. If you are on SNAP you cannot buy alcohol, cigarettes, or any toiletry items (including toilet paper and diapers), you can only buy food.  You cannot purchase fast food or prepared items (like a rotisserie chicken).

I am going to go grocery shopping at Aldi and Price Chopper, so wish me luck!  I have scoured their ads and I am pretty confident I can stay under the $22.50 mark.

Look for other stories by perusing #HarvestersSNAPChallenge on Facebook and Twitter.