SNAP Challenge continued

It is Day 4 of SNAP Challenge.

The yogurt I made is running low and so are my fresh fruits.  As much as I tried to space it out carefully, I consumed the fruits when I was hungry. It seems that the last couple days of the SNAP Challenge are going to be the most difficult with the least choices.  I have 2 cups of yogurt left and 3 days of breakfast.  I have 1 banana and 2 apples left. I am  definitely NOT eating the government recommendations of 5 fruits and vegetables or 3 glasses of milk a day.  I am really wishing I bought eggs because I am getting tired of eating yogurt and oats each morning.  However, I am getting more creative with the few items I have left in the panty.  Oatmeal cookie made with oats, banana and a teaspoon of sugar, cool right?

My boyfriend Ian is not doing the SNAP challenge with me and needless to say I am getting very envious of the expensive cheeses and crackers I've seen him eat. I also found about 1/2 cup of yogurt left in the sink that he didn't eat this morning.  It was upsetting to see food go to waste especially knowing I am running low on my own food.  It's sad to think about the piles and piles of food that is wasted in this world, especially in the catering business.

Day 4 Breakfast:

On another note, I am lucky I am at home studying and have a little time to spare to prepare some of these food items.  If I was working 7 days a week, I wouldn't have the luxury of preparing yogurt, dried beans or oat bars.  If I wasn't at home to cook, my weekly shopping items would have been more processed and not as healthy.  With that being said, time to stop talking SNAP and time to start studying...

Jacki

SNAP CHALLENGE Day # 2

With $9 left to spend, I figured I could buy some fresh fruits and vegetables at the farmers market.

Local vegetables in the wintertime are coming out of cold storage and they are limited.  Fresh local vegetables are grown in outdoor greenhouses and prices are higher.  Kale was $8 per pound, mixed greens for $12 a pound and brussel sprouts $5 a pound. I had to make smart choices to make my $9 stretch.  I bought apples at $1.75 per pound costing me $2.90 for 4 large apples and a huge head of purple cabbage for $3.  There were no dark leafy greens that I could afford, so I decided to buy $2 per pound carrots, coming out to $2.90 for 2 large carrots.

All and all, I spent $33.36, with .64 cents left to spare.  I was really hoping to save an extra $2 in case I ran out of rice and needed to buy pasta during the week.  Usually I leave the farmers market in euphoria, with a bag full of fresh local goodies, but as I left today, I couldn't help but wonder how careless I was with my money.   I kept thinking how many more vegetables I could have gotten for $7 if I went back to Ctown or La Placita mini market.  Seeking out the lowest fruits and vegetables at the farmers market, I still found that I wasn't getting enough food for my money.  I now have my food for the week and I need to stop worrying. If I were on SNAP, I would have to be more careful with my choices in subsequent weeks.

Day # 2 Breakfast: