Thunk – the metaphorical sound of my head hitting the keyboard. That’s what I felt like yesterday. The combination of a not-too-exciting work project, no coffee, and running out of Cocoa Puffs snacks had my eyes glazing over and created a struggle for me to focus. This whole challenge had not been too hard until yesterday, but it finally hit.
Normally, I’ll get up and get a snack or refill my coffee cup, but I couldn’t afford (and wasn’t allowed) to do that yesterday. I tried to push through but it was difficult. I’ve found it to be true that a small snack can provide a big mental boost. I took a few walks around the office and tried to get my blood flowing a little better, but the relief didn’t last too long.
I ended up having a coworker “accidentally” drop a few pretzels on the table and offered to save them from the trash (thanks, Colleen!). So yeah, I technically cheated a little bit. But I didn’t want those pretzels to go to waste!
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
A Few Days In By Lisa with Northwoods
Monday I had to drive to a meeting a couple of hours away. When I was thinking about what to plan for the week, I did not think about a “travel lunch.” I also hadn’t left myself any wiggle room for changing my mind or dealing with contingencies. So, what was I to do? I couldn’t really take leftovers since I don’t have a microwave in my car, and it might be messy. I did have hard-boiled eggs and some English muffins. So, I made an egg sandwich (not egg salad, just egg) and cut up a few stalks of celery. It worked out just great. It was filling and easy to pack and eat while travelling. The bonus was I had extra time to find a small park near my meeting and enjoyed sitting at a picnic table while I ate. I would not have taken the time for that if I had run through a drive-through as I normally do.
After a few days it still feels like I have plenty of food, not a great selection (more on the choices I wish I’d made in a later post), but plenty of food. One thing I noticed is I have a lot more anxiety about wasting food, or “losing” it. Usually I would grumble when food was wasted, but now I actively worry about it before it might happen. Dan almost having jars break would have been terrible!
When I made a rice and beans dish, I used a recipe I had never used before. I blithely started the process in the Crock-Pot, and then about an hour later I walked by and noticed that the spices were still lying on top. Should I have stirred them in? I started to worry that I wouldn’t like the meal and began to fret that I should not have used an untried recipe because if it did not turn out, I would have wasted the food I had planned for about three meals… It turned out very well, if I must say so myself, but not before I worried myself into a minor frenzy.
After a few days it still feels like I have plenty of food, not a great selection (more on the choices I wish I’d made in a later post), but plenty of food. One thing I noticed is I have a lot more anxiety about wasting food, or “losing” it. Usually I would grumble when food was wasted, but now I actively worry about it before it might happen. Dan almost having jars break would have been terrible!
When I made a rice and beans dish, I used a recipe I had never used before. I blithely started the process in the Crock-Pot, and then about an hour later I walked by and noticed that the spices were still lying on top. Should I have stirred them in? I started to worry that I wouldn’t like the meal and began to fret that I should not have used an untried recipe because if it did not turn out, I would have wasted the food I had planned for about three meals… It turned out very well, if I must say so myself, but not before I worried myself into a minor frenzy.
Popcorn: It's a Big POP, By Lorie at OACAA
As my friends would tell you: “Lorie like’s snacks!!!” My favorite is sweet snacks, but as you might have found out when you went shopping, sugar costs. I managed to get some sugar in my diet this week because me without sugar is not a pretty sight. I knew the biggest bang for my buck would be in the salty snack aisle. So I headed my cart down the aisle with the wall of salty delights on both sides looking for my salty snack that would last me five days, maximize the portion, and cost me under $3.
I looked at the chips and although they had chips in the price range the portion size was small. The bag was as long as my arm from the tips of my fingers to the bend in my elbow, but the chips inside the bag only filled a 1/3 of it. So chips where crossed off my list. I looked at pretzels. Depending on the style of pretzel you buy you can get a large portion within the cost limits and it would cover the whole five days, but the problem with pretzels are it’s the same flavor over and over. They are dry and leave you thirsty. Yes, I could dip them in mustard ( I do like that), I just have to be in the mood for pretzels in order to eat them and I don’t think I could make that mood last five days. Nuts were next in the aisle, most of the time healthy, but they are pricey. You get a very small portion, and they would not last all five days. At the end of the aisle was a beacon of light in my hunt for the salty snack…POPCORN!!!!! I got the store brand. It had six 3.5oz bags for under $3. I got butterific, but if you're not into butter it came in different flavors from plain to cheese to kettle corn. It was already portioned out, the cost was great, lots of flavor, and best of all this week in the evenings when I would start to feel that hunger feeling I would pop it up. I could share it with my dad, which I could not with any other item. I could eat up and feel full. A nice way to go to bed at night, especially since so many do not get that option.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
The Challenge Experience for Lorie with OACAA
I am starting my the third day of the Ohio Community Action Food Stamp Challenge. When I started, I went to a local super market and laid out a game plan. Although I look through the ads each week to make a grocery list, I am not the one who does the shopping normally at my home.
I guess I had a little sticker shock at first as I tried to use some of the ideas that I had planned out from the memories of my childhood that I had written about before. Hamburger is expensive per pound, in fact most meats were.
So I found myself in the frozen food aisle looking at the frozen dinners that were $1.09 each. I went with a brand that if you bought it, it had a code on it to key into a website where the company would donate a free frozen dinner to a food pantry for children. I said to myself, "Yay, win/win! I pay $10.90 out of my $23.00 and I get 10 meals to cover lunch and dinner for the 5 days of the Challenge and a child gets a free meal at a pantry." So I chose a variety of frozen dinners. I am three days in and although the food is edible and has a flavor, it’s not really overly filling.
So, I am in a one day timeframe (with the other foods I bought) consuming:
- 1,950 Calories (that is under the 2,000 calories that the USDA recommends daily)
- 67 grams of Fat (very high)
- 1 gram of Transfat
- 55 mgs of Cholesterol
- 3,055 mgs of Sodium (I am thirsty)
- 860 mgs of Potassium
- 209 grams of Carbohydrates
- 10 grams of Fiber
- 85 grams of Sugar
- 41 grams of Protein
Yes I made my choices on the food I picked, but it was the choices that afforded me three meals each day and had enough bulk in them to fill me up and make me feel full, but not necessarily satisfied. The fruit punch mix that I chose made me a little sick to my stomach after drinking it the first day, normally I drink water. Most of the foods leave me thirsty.
My brother, who helps me care for my father, was sitting in front of me with a big salad with all the fixings as I ate my frozen meal and all I wanted to do is switch foods with him. All night long there were commercials for “real” food on TV and most shows had people eating “real” food. It was like when you diet and all you think about is food you can’t have.
Hunger on the Rise in Ohio
In Ohio, 2,083,240 people-or 18.1 percent of the population-are food insecure, meaning that they don't always know where they will find their next meal, according to new research released April 27 by Feeding America, the nation's largest hunger-relief organization.
The findings result from Feeding America's "Map the Meal Gap" study, which provides estimates on the rate of food insecurity at the county and congressional district level for the entire nation.
"Food insecurity is one of the leading public health challenges in the United States due to the physical and mental damage and behavioral problems it may cause," said Dr. Craig Gundersen, Associate Professor of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois, a member of Feeding America's Technical Advisory Group, and the lead researcher of the "Map the Meal Gap" study. "By ascertaining the extent and distribution of food insecurity at the county and congressional district level, we can better direct our resources to alleviating this serious problem."
"We believe that no one in our state should go hungry or try to survive without access to adequate amounts of healthy, nutritious food," said Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director at the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks. "The findings from the 'Map the Meal Gap' study demonstrate that more than two million people in our state are still faced with the real threat of hunger, despite claims that the economic recession has passed."
The total number of food insecure people in Ohio has increased since last year, and the local trend in Ohio is higher than what is being seen at the national level. Overall, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that the national food insecurity rate remained relatively unchanged from last year at 16.1 percent in 2010-or nearly 49 million people nationwide.
The findings also show:
* The cost of an average meal in Ohio is $2.33. That's almost $0.80 more than the average food stamp recipient receives in benefits and that Ohio Community Action Food Stamp Challenge participants are attempting to make do with.
* In Ohio, food insecure individuals said they would need an additional $13.22 per week to put enough food on the table for an adequate diet, representing an annual food budget shortfall of more than $835.5 million.
The findings result from Feeding America's "Map the Meal Gap" study, which provides estimates on the rate of food insecurity at the county and congressional district level for the entire nation.
"Food insecurity is one of the leading public health challenges in the United States due to the physical and mental damage and behavioral problems it may cause," said Dr. Craig Gundersen, Associate Professor of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois, a member of Feeding America's Technical Advisory Group, and the lead researcher of the "Map the Meal Gap" study. "By ascertaining the extent and distribution of food insecurity at the county and congressional district level, we can better direct our resources to alleviating this serious problem."
"We believe that no one in our state should go hungry or try to survive without access to adequate amounts of healthy, nutritious food," said Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director at the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks. "The findings from the 'Map the Meal Gap' study demonstrate that more than two million people in our state are still faced with the real threat of hunger, despite claims that the economic recession has passed."
The total number of food insecure people in Ohio has increased since last year, and the local trend in Ohio is higher than what is being seen at the national level. Overall, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that the national food insecurity rate remained relatively unchanged from last year at 16.1 percent in 2010-or nearly 49 million people nationwide.
The findings also show:
* The cost of an average meal in Ohio is $2.33. That's almost $0.80 more than the average food stamp recipient receives in benefits and that Ohio Community Action Food Stamp Challenge participants are attempting to make do with.
* In Ohio, food insecure individuals said they would need an additional $13.22 per week to put enough food on the table for an adequate diet, representing an annual food budget shortfall of more than $835.5 million.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Colleen with OACAA's Shopping Trip
As the others commented, I too spent more time than usual at the grocery store yesterday doing some comparison shopping. This was also the first time I actually looked at the flyers that tell you what's on special.
I felt kind of silly walking through the grocery store holding my cell phone set to the calculator function so I could see how I was doing.
One thing I learned is that I have probably over paid for things in the past. During this Challenge I realized that it is much cheaper to avoid the pretty packaging and go generic.
I think my favorite scores were Teddy Grahams on sale for a dollar and a pack of snack size Hershey Special Dark bars for $1.05! I am enjoying my Teddy Grahams right now as a much-needed afternoon snack.
I felt kind of silly walking through the grocery store holding my cell phone set to the calculator function so I could see how I was doing.
One thing I learned is that I have probably over paid for things in the past. During this Challenge I realized that it is much cheaper to avoid the pretty packaging and go generic.
I think my favorite scores were Teddy Grahams on sale for a dollar and a pack of snack size Hershey Special Dark bars for $1.05! I am enjoying my Teddy Grahams right now as a much-needed afternoon snack.
Dan At Northwoods Shopping Trip
Like Lisa, I also spent more time shopping than normal. It was kind of hard to pass by all the nice, expensive stuff I normally buy, but in a way, also liberating.
I did feel a little funny walking around with all the generic stuff in my basket. I mean, I don’t judge people on what they buy, but I did feel slightly self-conscious about people judging me.
Overall, I went with quick and easy things. I’m not one to do a lot of cooking and preparing. If I had to do this week in and week out, I know I would get tired of the lack of variety, but for this week I will be fine.
My grocery list:
I wanted to leave a little bit of money for later in the week if I needed to buy something else. When I was unloading the bags out of my car, the handle on the bag with the two glass jars (of pasta sauce and jelly) broke and the life of my food for the week flashed before my eyes. Luckily, nothing was lost but it really put this in perspective. Had either jar broken, I would have been pretty screwed.
I did feel a little funny walking around with all the generic stuff in my basket. I mean, I don’t judge people on what they buy, but I did feel slightly self-conscious about people judging me.
Overall, I went with quick and easy things. I’m not one to do a lot of cooking and preparing. If I had to do this week in and week out, I know I would get tired of the lack of variety, but for this week I will be fine.
My grocery list:
 |
| The result of Dan's shopping trip Nice to see those jars in tact! |
- Half-gallon of 2% Milk – necessary for some recipes, also for cereal – $1.77
- Cereal (Cocoa Crunchies) – my breakfast and snacking material for the week – $3.39
- Ramen Noodles – in the bag – 2 x 0.19 – $0.38
- Ramen Noodle cup – $0.29
- Instant Mashed Potatoes – $2.49
- Can of gravy – on sale! – $0.99
- Pasta – there were cheaper options but I went with the whole wheat – on sale! – $1.25
- Pasta sauce – $1.37
- Wheat Bread – on sale! – $1
- Jelly – couldn’t afford the peanut butter to go with it – $2.88
- Baby spinach – for salad – a little more than I wanted to spend – $3.29
- Cereal (Cocoa Crunchies) – my breakfast and snacking material for the week – $3.39
- Ramen Noodles – in the bag – 2 x 0.19 – $0.38
- Ramen Noodle cup – $0.29
- Instant Mashed Potatoes – $2.49
- Can of gravy – on sale! – $0.99
- Pasta – there were cheaper options but I went with the whole wheat – on sale! – $1.25
- Pasta sauce – $1.37
- Wheat Bread – on sale! – $1
- Jelly – couldn’t afford the peanut butter to go with it – $2.88
- Baby spinach – for salad – a little more than I wanted to spend – $3.29
Total spent = $21.37
Leftover = $2.63
Leftover = $2.63
I wanted to leave a little bit of money for later in the week if I needed to buy something else. When I was unloading the bags out of my car, the handle on the bag with the two glass jars (of pasta sauce and jelly) broke and the life of my food for the week flashed before my eyes. Luckily, nothing was lost but it really put this in perspective. Had either jar broken, I would have been pretty screwed.
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