What You Can Do: Stay aware and engaged! To end hunger in Vermont and across the globe, we all must be aware of the problems and work together – individuals, communities, and our government – to find solutions. Sign up for the Hunger and Nutrition E-Update to stay informed on the latest research, materials, events, and legislation related to hunger and nutrition programs in Vermont. Learn more about 3SquaresVT at www.vermontfoodhelp.com.
Taking the Challenge?
Post a comment to this entry below and tell us about your experience!
Here are instructions on how to post:
Click on the text that say “5 comments” below (that number will go up as more people post—so it may have a different number before “comments” by the time you are reading these instructions). This will take you to the field below the existing comments where you can post your own Challenge experiences. Please type in the box below “Post a Comment” and select either “Anonymous” or “Name/URL” from the “Comment as:” drop-down menu. If you select “Name/URL”, you don’t have to include a URL if you don’t have one.
Feel free to contact Alida at Hunger Free Vermont (802-865-0255/ aduncan@hungerfreevt.org) if you have any trouble posting and she will walk you though it! Thank you!
From talking to Vermonters who have done the Challenge this week, I'm struck by the numbers of those who weren't able to stick to it or finish. Many people either ran out of food, got sick of eating the same thing, splurged when it wasn't in the budget, or something got in their way of making it work. If people had trouble living on a limited food budget for just one week, to me, this really shows how difficult it would be to maintain this budget over time. I'm hopeful that through this experience of doing the challenge, we can all be more understanding of the food choices people are forced to make, and together, we can work towards strengthening the safety net so that our neighbors don't have to make these choices in the future.
ReplyDeleteFood Challenge Complete!! How lucky am I that it was just a game for 7 days. I got through the week knowing that food insecurity was not my reality and I could certainly make sacrifices for a mere week. Anxiety would fill my mind if my thoughts wondered to a place of dealing with food shortages and hunger for an indefinite period of time. The challenge involved much more anticipation, planning, organization, preparation, creativity, anxiety and will power than I ever imagined AND NUTRITION IS MY BUSINESS!!
ReplyDeleteFor the record, on day 7 my quiche with a lentil crust was actually quite tasty for lunch and dinner. My food for the week was completely used up except for a few stalks of celery and peanut butter.
On Sunday I was happy to go to the grocery store to purchase fresh produce but I shopped with more frugality, respect and awareness. Last Sunday it took over an hour at Price Chopper to make my purchases on my limited budget. Yesterday, I was in and out of our local food store with the items I would need to provide the nutrients and variety that I am accustom to including in my diet. I am so fortunate to have the means to put food on my table. After last week, I feel even more compelled to support organizations that help those who deal with food insecurity day in and day out. No one deserves to be hungry. It hurts!!
This is the second year my partner and I took the "challenge" and, I'm thankful to report that we did fairly well, coming in just $2.00 over our two-person budget of $58.00 but with numerous leftovers of the basics: eggs, carrots, onions, peanut butter, milk and yogurt. We are both lacto-ovo vegetarian and I think our ability to fit into the 3 Squares budget had much to do with the use of whole grains in lieu of meat, regular use of the bulk bins at City Market and making food from scratch. We both work full time and I'll admit food prep takes much of our time but we were quite content eating homemade Quinoa Stew, spinach/cheddar/tomato quiche, Tuscan Bean Soup, Lentil soup, couscous salads, oatmeal with fruit and nuts, homemade focccia and pancakes and snacking on yogurt, blueberries, dates, apples and bananas. Many of these items - oats, all grains, yogurt, celery, carrots and dates - were organic. This diet works well for us but may not be everyone's cup of tea. It does, however, highlight the economies of shopping the bulk bins, using protein sources besides meat, learning to cook with different grains and taking advantage of free classes (check out City Market website)such as how to make breads and eat on a budget. I can't imagine the challenge of feeding finicky kids on this budget and we definitely couldn't afford to have friends over for dinner but it was reassuring to know we could feed ourselves nutritiously and economically on this budget hoping, of course, that there were no "monkey wrenches" thrown into the picture like a broken refrigerator, lost food, etc.
ReplyDeleteHello, I just wanted to say that your blog has been really useful for me..
ReplyDeleteI need all the help I can get, lol.. Thnx
I did the challenge and like others I too was happy it was just a week and not reality for me. It was a struggle eating the same things, preparing ahead, and turning down food items from others. For me the biggest thing was it was a reminder of where I came from not that long ago. This challenge really makes one appreciate what they have.
ReplyDeleteSuperb!It's really nice to participate this challenge.
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