15 September, 2013

SNAP Challenge Day #1: Prepping for the Challenge | LinkedIn

SNAP Challenge Day #1: Prepping for the Challenge | LinkedIn: We’re all familiar with the conventional wisdom that links fiscal constraints to unhealthy food choices. My goal with this challenge wasn't to relive Morgan Spurlock's Super Size Me documentary with a week of "dollar menu" choices. My aim, before I actually went to the supermarket, was to amass a list of items that would allow me to eat as nutritiously as possible, albeit under the constraints of a budget that matches the assistance provided by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Of course, we all know what Robert Burns so poetically said about best laid plans.

The fact is, I was forced to choose foods that were filling – items that my Italian mother-in-law would have said will “stick to my ribs.” But it isn’t lost on me that I wasn’t able to afford the fruits, vegetables and meats that most would say belong in a balanced diet.