Eating on $4.50 a Day

Rep. Jackie Speier recently subsisted on a daily food budget of $4.50 a day for five days to call attention to the country’s 15.1% poverty rate and underline the importance of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, otherwise known as food stamps. Speier, a Democrat representing the wealthy Hillsborough community just south of San Francisco, told members of the media “it was a profound experience." Her diet consisted mainly of hard-boiled eggs, tuna, lettuce, grapefruit and instant coffee. She found herself hungry and preoccupied with thoughts of food. But that diet sounds like it would cost more than $4.50 a day.

I recently changed my diet from vegetarian to vegan, so I know a little about thinking about food and being hungry every few hours. It can be done and on $4.50 a day. I haven’t counted my pennies when shopping, yet I consider myself a pretty good shopper, watching for sales and buying healthy.

Most Americans carry a few extra pounds anyway, so cutting food and the bill would be a good idea. Throw in a few store sales and learning a little about nutrition would also go a long way too. But wait, learn about nutrition? That might be asking for too much as well. Most engaged in poverty are not educated about nutrition nor are they in a position to learn. And many can’t count. So eating on $4.50 a day probably cannot be accomplished.

Hope the Republicans decide not to cut the food-stamp program. Yet again there has to be a better way to feed the poor, perhaps starting with nutrition education. Michelle Obama…are you listening?