SNAP Food Stamp Challenge – Week 1 – Days 1, 2
Welcome
This is the first daily update as I undertake the food stamp challenge, which is to eat for only $29 per week. If you missed the initial food purchase article, click here to see what I have to work with.
Today will cover days one and two. This is because I was so full from trying to eat all my perishable items that I didn't even eat until dinner of the first day!
DINNER – DAY 1 - $1.06
I decided to make a pasta with white sauce. White sauce is when you melt butter and add a bit of flour until it becomes a paste. Then you slowly add water while mixing. Finally, you add some milk. It is a rather tasty sauce if you don't have regular tomato sauce on your pasta.
I also cut up an onion and half a squash and cooked those in a pan with a bit of oil. Then I threw in half a can of tuna.
That, plus about a cup (I just measured by eye, and I always seem to put too much in!) of pasta, was my dinner. It was alright. The pasta is really low quality, otherwise I had no issues with the flavors.
Half a Squash - 12.5 cents
White sauce cost - 15 cents
Half a can of tuna - 50 cents
Onion - 11 cents
Pasta - 17.5 cents
Total: $1.06
BREAKFAST – DAY 2 - $0.50
I mixed up half a cup of oatmeal with water and some milk and salt. Fried up two eggs, and had two strawberries to liven it all up.
I'm not a huge fan of plain oatmeal. But it is filling.
Two eggs - 28 cents
1.5oz Oatmeal - 10 cents
1/4 cup milk - 3 cents
2 Strawberries - 9 cents
Total: about 50 cents
LUNCH - $0.63
I was planning on having red beans and rice, but even though I pre-soaked the beans they were still too hard to eat.
I've never had luck re-hydrating beans. Any tips for me?
Instead, I let the beans cook and ate a basic tuna sandwich from the other half of the can from last night's dinner. No mayo or anything as that wasn't in the budget. Just tuna with a bit of salt sprinkled on top. It tasted very nice actually.
Half a can of tuna - 50 cents
Two slices of bread - 13 cents
Total: 63 cents
DINNER - $0.80
Now with the beans cooked even longer, they have to be done right? Nope. Like I said, no luck re-hydrating beans.
They were able to be eaten, but nowhere near tasty.
I had made up half a cup of brown rice to which I had cooked two slices of bacon, an onion, and the other half of the leftover squash from yesterday's dinner. I ate it all, but it was not good. I really gotta learn how to cook dried beans.
1 oz Bacon - 17 cents
1/4 of a squash - 6 cents
1/3rd of an Onion - 4 cents
Half a cup of Rice - 10 cents
Half a cup of Beans - 12.5 cents
Total: about 50 cents
LATE NIGHT SNACK - $0.10
Maybe because dinner was so unpleasurable, but I was feeling super hungry. To combat this I made half a pack of Ramen.
This really hit the spot. I guess my body was just wanting some empty calories.
Half a pack of Ramen costs $0.10
CONCLUSION
So for the first two days I have spent a total of $2.59. Which does take into account that I didn't eat two meals on day 1 because I was full from eating up my perishables before the start of this challenge.
Starting off in a rough patch taste-wise, but I think I can navigate to a better meal plan. I'm already thinking about what to buy next week to make these meals better.
Stick with me to see what happens!
Do you think you could live off of a $29 per week food budget in America?
With dried beans - I sprout them. This means soak for a few hours and then pour of the water, keep them damp, and let them go a few days. You have to keep rinsing and adding water and draining maybe 2X a day. It usually will take me 2-3 days to be able to eat them. Just soaking for a few minutes and cooking for a long time does not work for me either and I would end up with hard beans.
Your meals are looking pretty good really. Good luck on continuing :)
Wow, what a process. I've read that if I cook them for 2-3 hours the beans can come out soft. Gonna try that and if it doesn't work will have to try your sprouting method.
Only put a small amount in a lot of water if you do for the soaking part. Like 1/8 beans and 7/8 water. Then you just keep them damp until they sprout. Good luck on the long cooking :)
For the beans - soak them overnight in your pot. Drain the water, refill, and then cook them. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer. The cooking usually takes a while - maybe an hour or so, depending on the bean type and size.
Tip for oatmeal - try to spice it up with cinnamon or some fruits like blueberries, bananas (cheapest), or peaches. Sweeten it up with Stevia or local honey from a farmers market (usually best deal, about $12 - $15 per quart). Of course, this would have to fit into your budget, but a little bit of these things can go a long way.
Eggs and oatmeal are a great choice for a low budget! Good job!
Thanks for the tips. I've already ate today's oatmeal breakfast with half a banana added it and it was MUCH better.
Trying the beans your way right now.
Lies- Eggs and oatmeal is breakfast of champions, and rich people!
Probs for documenting it with many pictures. I feel guilty when I see the 29$. This is what I pay for meat only for 7 days.
Well, it is healthy and I need it to become so stronger so whatever. Seems like this post is getting a good amount of views and upvotes! :-)
What I really hate about eating healthy is that you are almost never full and that you feel like eating every 2-3 hours...
I really want to stuff myself with 50 steak burgers now.
Heck, I thought you ate ONLY meat!
Yea, I do feel hungry more often now. I think tomorrow I will make one of my 'main' meals of the week. I can say, I am excited at that prospect!
I bought a fuckton of sweets that I didn't eat in like 5 months. Your post made me feel drained, no joke. It is damn hilarious how my body needs to eat sugar en mass or unhealthy burgers to feel saturated and energized.
$29 weekly food budget sounds like a tough challenge! But maybe not so hard if you can find great deals and don't eat more than you need ;)
I added a few extra challenges. No full supermarket, just one that only has a limited selection. No fresh meats, limited produce, etc. It is the only place I can shop, and only once a week.
Looks like things can only get better? Maybe not.
We shall see, Mike. ;P
Its American Good About Food.
Congratulations @getonthetrain! You have completed some achievement on Steemit and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :
Click on any badge to view your own Board of Honor on SteemitBoard.
For more information about SteemitBoard, click here
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOP