I have been working with the SNAP Outreach program at the St. Louis Area Foodbank for the last 3 and ½ years and all of my friends and family are constantly hearing me talk about my job and all of the different experiences I have had with those seeking food assistance. After I met Chris in December of 2012, I began to tell him more about my job as our relationship developed. We had talked a few times about taking the SNAP Challenge, but we never really committed until just recently after having another discussion (of which we tend to have many) about the various inequalities in this country. We both went into this challenge thinking it was going to be somewhat easy, but that attitude changed after we made our menu for the week and went to Aldi to do the grocery shopping.
Planning and Preparation
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) publishes various reports on an annual basis related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). One of those reports is entitled “Average Monthly Benefit per Person.” In order to calculate the amount of benefits we would be likely to receive per month, we used the Fiscal Year 2013 (FY 2013) amount for Missouri which was $128.04 per person for a household total of $256.08.
When Andrea and I started planning for this challenge, I calculated a figure of $4.26 in benefits per day per person. This is an approximation of the monthly per person benefit of $128.04 divided by 30 days. This figure is that from which we created a budget for the week of the SNAP Challenge.
SNAP Challenge Menu
| Monday | |
| Breakfast | Bagel with Cream Cheese |
| Lunch | Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich with a Banana |
| Dinner | Pasta with Vodka Sauce and Canned Corn |
| Tuesday | |
| Breakfast | Egg, Sausage, Cheese, and Salsa Breakfast Burrito |
| Lunch | Tuna Salad Sandwich with Crackers |
| Dinner | Meatball Sandwich with Green Beans |
| Wednesday | |
| Breakfast | Bagel with Cream Cheese |
| Lunch | Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich with a Banana |
| Dinner | Chicken Tacos with Rice |
| Thursday | |
| Breakfast | Egg, Sausage, Cheese, and Salsa Breakfast Burrito |
| Lunch | Crackers, Cheese, and Banana |
| Dinner | Salad with Chicken and Crackers |
| Friday | |
| Breakfast | Bagel with Cream Cheese |
| Lunch | Tuna Salad Sandwich and Crackers |
| Dinner | Pasta with Alfredo Sauce and Parmesan Garlic Bread |
| Saturday | |
| Breakfast | Toast with Butter |
| Lunch | Grilled Cheese and Soup |
| Dinner | Frozen Pizza and Parmesan Garlic Bread |
| Sunday | |
| Breakfast | Egg, Sausage, Cheese, and Salsa Breakfast Burrito |
| Lunch | Salad and Fruit |
| Dinner | Pork Loin and Whole Potatoes |
First Experience - Trying to Buy Food for the Week on a SNAP Budget
Chris assigned me with the task of going over the list and he would handle calculating the cost. We slowly made our way through our neighborhood Aldi and I couldn’t help but think that what we had planned out in our menu was not going to be possible as he kept calculating each item. We had salad planned out for 2 meals, and the first thing I noticed when pricing bags of lettuce, was that we wouldn’t be able to afford the more nutritious kinds we always tend to buy, instead having to settle for iceberg. We also didn’t have enough money in our budget to purchase any veggies to add to our salad; something I never gave much thought to because I have always been able to afford fresh produce.
The following are the items we actually purchased at Aldi during our shopping trip.
| Item | Price (USD) |
| Mama Cozzi's Meat Lover's Pizza | $3.99 |
| Boneless Chicken Breasts | $5.99 |
| Pork Loin Filet | $5.65 |
| Garden Salad | $0.99 |
| Garden Salad | $0.99 |
| New Orlean's Dirty Rice | $0.99 |
| Cream Cheese | $1.29 |
| Split Top Wheat Bread | $0.99 |
| Split Top Wheat Bread | $0.99 |
| Garlic Parmesan Bread | $1.79 |
| L'Oven Fresh Everything Bagels | $1.89 |
| Bananas (2.45lbs) | $1.08 |
| House Vinaigrette Salad Dressing | $1.99 |
| Crunchy Peanut Butter | $1.49 |
| Fajita Tortilla | $1.69 |
| Hamburger-Sliced Dill Pickles | $1.49 |
| Fajita Seasoning | $0.59 |
| Dozen Large Eggs | $1.49 |
| Spaghetti Noodles | $1.49 |
| French-Style Green Beans | $0.59 |
| Potato and Corn Chowder | $1.19 |
| Whole Potatoes | $0.65 |
| Alfredo Sauce | $1.69 |
| Potato and Corn Chowder | $1.19 |
| Whole Kernel Corn | $0.49 |
| Chunk Tuna in Water | $0.69 |
| Chunk Tuna in Water | $0.69 |
| Total | $43.74 |
The following items were included in our budget, but for the purposes of practicality and to avoid waste, we opted to use the items we already had in our pantry/refrigerator.
| Item | Price (USD) |
| Strawberry Preserves | $1.89 |
| Cracker Assortment | $2.69 |
| Mayonnaise | $1.99 |
| Salsa | $1.69 |
| Vodka Pasta Sauce | $1.49 |
| Vodka Pasta Sauce | $1.49 |
| Butter (45oz) | $1.99 |
| American Cheese (16 slices) | $0.99 |
| Meatballs (32oz) | $4.39 |
| Cheddar Cheese (8oz) | $1.99 |
| Total | $20.60 |
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