Food banks issue challenge

Can you survive for a week on $3 a day?

By Kevin Woster, Journal staff | Thursday, November 01, 2007

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The Community Food Banks of South Dakota & Bread for the World are asking people to tighten their belts for one week to raise awareness of the ongoing struggle for food-stamp recipients.

The Food Stamp Challenge seeks volunteers willing to spend no more than $21 on food for seven days, beginning Nov. 11.

"It's kind of a grassroots effort to bring awareness to the issue of food stamps and the challenges that food-stamp recipients have in making those dollars feed them and their families," food bank executive director Matt Gassen said.

"We're asking anybody who's interested to step up to the plate and try to survive for a week on basically $3 a day."

The experiences of the volunteers and their stories reported by media outlets could help increase public understanding and fight misconceptions about the food-stamp program, Gassen said. Some citizens mistakenly believe that food-stamp recipients can fill their grocery carts -- often with unhealthful treats rather than essentials -- simply with the government money they receive, he said.

Many low-income people who qualify for food stamps rely on that assistance for the bulk of their food purchases, even though it's only an average of $21.61 a week per recipient in South Dakota, Gassen said.

The Food Stamp Challenge is a statewide campaign tied to a national-awareness effort. Municipal, state and congressional officials in other states already have completed the week-long challenge.

Gassen said it gives those who don't receive federal food-stamp benefits and have greater financial resources an opportunity to understand how difficult it is to make a food-stamp allocation stretch. With limited financial resources, recipients often resort to more unhealthful food purchases, such as low-fiber carbohydrates and fats, because they are the cheapest alternatives available, he said.

"If you go to a food store and look, you'll realize that the foods that are worst for us health-wise are the cheapest," Gassen said. "Fresh fruits and vegetables, meats -- they're more expensive. There's a link between obesity and poverty, and a lot of that has to do with what kinds of foods are available and affordable to those who are struggling financially."

Although the ideal is to participate for the full week of Nov. 11-17, the challenge can be flexible about the days. And even experiencing a few days of spending no more than $3 each day on food is valuable, Gassen said.

"A big part is just getting people to think about it," he said. "A lot of our social programs take a bad rap." For more information on the challenge, go to www.sdchallenge.blogspot.com or contact the Community Food Banks of South Dakota, 3511 N. 1st. Ave., Sioux Falls, S.D. 57104, or call 335-0364.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the food-stamp program, offers recipes on their Web site for affordable meals. Here are two of them:

Carrot Raisin Salad

Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 medium peeled and grated carrots

1/4 cup raisins

2 teaspoons sugar

juice of one lemon

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix carrots, raisins, sugar and lemon juice.

2. Serve chilled.

Cost:

Per Recipe: $ 0.86

Per Serving: $ 0.22

Source: Adapted from "Cent$ible Nutrition Cook Book p.s-20," University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension

Sweet and Sour Cabbage

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 head of a cabbage (about 4 cups when chopped)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

2 Tablespoons sugar

3 Tablespoons vinegar

Instructions:

1. Cut the cabbage in half and rinse it with water.

2. Chop the cabbage into very thin, bite-sized slices.

3. In a large bowl, combine ingredients and mix well.

4. Cover the bowl.

5. Chill in the fridge for several hours before serving.

Cost:

Per Recipe: $ 0.94

Per Serving: $ 0.12

Source: Adapted from Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Network Web site Recipes

Contact Kevin Woster at 394-8413 or kevin.woster@rapidcityjournal.com