Introduction

Inspired by discussions in the current political climate of reducing welfare benefits to our country's neediest families, we (Jason and Jeff) have decided to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program challenge for February, 2012. We will chronicle our goals, struggles, and food consumption on this blog.

In 2010, approximately 46 million Americans, or 15% of our population, of all ages received government assistance under the Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP... formerly called the "food stamp" program, a term we will still use throughout this blog).  Perhaps most shocking and grossly underreported in our media, fully 1/2 of all participants are under the age of 17, representing approximately 30% of all American children.  From Fall 2010-2011, the SNAP program has added 10% more individuals to its rolls. While some contenders for higher political office spin this into a destructive label of us having a "food stamp President," such comments conveniently ignore the recession-induced expansion of unemployment in our working class (irony?).

Determining eligibility for food stamps is complicated, dependent on a complex interaction of factors like household size, saved resources, income level, age, and medical needs.  As Jeff and I are not, and cannot be, considered a "household" in the eyes of Missouri or the federal government, we are considering ourselves to be independents individually eligible for benefits. Ironically, such laws allow us to receive more benefits under SNAP as individuals. Hooray for logic in public policy.  Thus, for simplicity reasons, we will each constrain ourselves to the average amount of benefits to a Missouri resident in 2011... a whopping:

$127.05 per person.

Pretty sure we have gone out to restaurants where this was the cost of one meal. Excellent. This should be fun.

Throughout the month, we attempt, at least in part, to identify with the weighty struggles faced by food stamp recipients.  Longer-term, we hope to internalize whatever lessons learned this month as they affect our dining choices, broader conceptions of conspicuous consumption, and views on America's social safety nets.

This will be difficult.  Jeff and I enjoy eating well, dining out with some frequency, and purchasing a healthy amount of healthier foods (pun intended).  We are curious how drastic the adjustment to living on $127.05 will be. We want to continue to purchase a substantial amount of fresh fruit and vegetables and "organic" foods and stay away from, whenever possible, frozen and processed foods.  My biggest doubt is being able to continue eating in this manner too long into the month.  Dining out will clearly be a rarity, and when it happens, will probably be the death for a buck menu dollar menu at McDonald's.

Check back for (hopefully) daily updates, photos, and snarky comments.

If we run out of money too early, luckily we have some food stored for emergencies, i.e. our pet hermit crab Ruth Bader Crabsburg.

Note: There exists much debate on the amount of benefits an individual should receive under SNAP; in other words, what portion of a person's food consumption should be covered? All nutritional needs? Just enough to get by? Enough for the "basics"? A substantial part? Perhaps the name of the program: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides some clues.  We, however, believe that it is in keeping in spirit with the goals of our challenge for the $127.05 to be our entire food budget.