The SNAP Challenge - Day Two

This is my meal plan for today:

• Breakfast: Oatmeal with strawberries and two hard boiled eggs.
• Snack: Banana
• Lunch: Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, applesauce, and cucumber slices.
• Snack: Baby carrots.
• Dinner: Macaroni and cheese with broccoli and chicken. Salad with carrots and balsamic vinaigrette.

My meal plan is similar to yesterday's (it is exactly the same until dinner time).  This is one of my biggest challenges this week.  I am hosting book club at my place and will be serving a meal for 4 people (including me).  This will have the honor of meal with the most ingredients this week as well as the most expensive purchase I made at the grocery store (baby lettuces $1.99).  I am hoping everyone will enjoy the meal, and it will be similar to something I would usually serve, just with a smaller budget.  Everyone who is in my book club is familiar with SNAP and will completely understand what's happening. Even if I cannot provide wine.

Here's dinner:

Macaroni and cheese with broccoli and chicken.  Salad with carrots, diced tomatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette.

It was good.  Everyone cleaned their plates (that may also mean there wasn't quite enough food).  I noticed that canned chicken was vary similar to canned tuna, I don't think any of us could tell much of a difference in flavor.  This is a group who all have worked at hunger relief organizations or with vulnerable populations, so everyone is familiar with the SNAP program.  I had a great compliment that if ever they were going to eat a meal on the food stamp budget they would want me to make it because I am a meticulous planner and can put together a decent meal at a low cost.  Thanks Cindy!  I would say that a lot of time and thought went into planning for the week and now that the challenge is going on I am able to go with the flow.  I used a half of a container of Greek yogurt and some water to mix the cheese sauce into the noodles since I was not able to afford milk and butter on my budget.  Cost: $6.36 ($1.59 per serving).  Calories: 459 per serving.

Daily Totals -
Cost: $8.40 ($3.63 for what I ate)
Calories: 1,292 (just my portion)

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