It's Hunger Challenge Week

And, of course, Mercury Retrograde happens and I have limited internet access. Sigh. But I will do my best to keep up with blogging the challenge.

First a bit of good news. Tyson Foods is repeating their social media support program. Comment on their blog or tweet a hunger fact with the hash tag #HChal and Tyson will donate food to Bay Area food banks. Last year that was five truckloads. The Social Media Club is supporting Tyson's social media efforts and Kristie Wells is asking everyone to up the support by donating $5 if they can this month to feeding the hungry.

On a personal note, I learned a great deal from how I did the challenge last year. This year I'm modifying my approach. Last year I purchased $21 worth of groceries and ate only that for the week. This year I recognize that I would likely buy bargains as they became available and freeze or store items to take advantage of savings. So my meals will be at the $4 a day limit for this year but using some ingredients on hand. Many of my staple items will return, however.

Staples like peanut butter which I had on an English muffin this morning for breakfast. It was a way to get some cheap protein in to start the day. Eggs on a regular coupon special at Safeway cost $1.49 for 18 so they will also appear on the menu most days. I also wisely snapped up a canister of Folger's coffee for $3.00 so I can maintain my caffeine addiction. And, of course, the return of doctored-up ramen in my life.

Breakfast thus costs out at:

Coffee:                     $0.10
OJ:                             $0.31
Peanut butter:      $0.14
English muffin:     $0.25

Total:  $0.80 and at less than $1.00 for one meal, well within my $4.00/day budget.

In my next post I'll cost out and give some ideas for soup which is a great, flexible option.

On the political front, eating this cheaply means losing the opportunity to support practices I would normally with my consumer dollars such as a more chicken-like existence for egg-laying hens (buying eggs at the farmers market where I can learn how the chickens are raised and treated) or fair trade, organic, shade-grown coffee. Beyond the challenge of feeding poor people, how can we do it in a way that is humane, respects the health and economic well being of those who grow and harvest our food and doesn't destroy the planet along the way?

Comments

[Karoli]

I wish we could do this. With Sticks' diabetes diagnosis, we're feeling our way through a whole sea change of dietary issues, and I don't know that I have enough info to...know enough. So I'll tweet and I'll do what I can to give, and of course, I'll keep an eye on you. :)

[Maria Niles]

Thanks, Karoli! And totally understandable about the health issues that prevent doing the challenge. That, however, is an important issue to raise. How are we supposed to demand that people take care of their health through diet when doing so is expensive and difficult?

This challenge started with food bloggers last year and it is my hope that this year political bloggers help raise awareness this year about the numerous, intertwining policy issues involved. Thank you for adding your voice. It helps.

typepad@sixapart.com wrote:

[Karoli]

I totally agree with you, Maria. The idea of having to manage this brand-new way of life without the funds to eat nutritious foods would be incredibly difficult and would totally undermine the effort, I'd think. I know many food banks are trying to stay stocked on the nutritious foods rather than junky snack stuff, but they're only touching a tiny tip of the iceberg of needs. One of the things I'm going to try to do is track the difference in cost. He's balancing a diet to keep his ulcerative colitis in check alongside the diabetes and we're finding it to be an incredible challenge. He's lost 30 pounds in 2 months, desperately needs to put on weight, but in a healthy way. Sometimes it just boggles the mind.