http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/trending...164634160.html

Celebrity Chef Mario Batali Goes on Food Stamps Budget

Can you get by on $1.48 per meal for a week? That's the campaign challenge that the Food Bank for New York City has posed to those interested in seeing what it's like to live on food stamps. Celebrity chef Mario Batali and his family have accepted the challenge and are living on $31 a week per person. Batali, his wife, and their two teenage sons are doing something that 1.8 million New Yorkers and 46 million Americans depend on.
Batali admits the challenge was difficult at first, but he has adapted. Instead of eating expensive items such as filet mignon or truffle oil, he chooses beans, rice, chicken, and pasta. He said he quickly learned that not buying organic could cut the price of produce by 50 percent. As for his kids, they're eating plenty of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches right now.
He is even spreading the message of the challenge on his daily show "The Chew" and telling viewers how to eat more cheaply. Plus, he insists he is not cheating. He does not taste the food that he prepares in his live cooking segments, but there's always free smells, right?
On Twitter, many people are applauding the chef and marveling at his ability to exercise self-control despite his access to high-quality foods. However, there are some who are bashing Batali and the cost of the food that is served at his restaurants. Batali's response: "What do you do to help someone else?"
Batali tweets pictures of the cost-reduced meals he prepares and uses the hashtag #FoodStampChallengeNYC. Batali and other celebrities are participating to raise awareness about hunger. He is a board member of the food relief agency Food Bank for New York City.

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The part that ISN'T mentioned, is while he might have been eating on a strict budget of $31 per person per week, the reality is (for those that are on these type of low income budget restrictions), eating HEALTHY becomes difficult.

It certainly is easy to feed people PB&J sandwiches time and time again, but it isn't exactly nutritious nor ideal. For those that do indeed eat on a budget, eating healthy tends not to be the given a high priority as fresh food typically is perishable.

Yeah, I know what you mean. It's ridiculous how cheap it is to eat unhealthy food, but how expensive it can be to eat a reasonably healthy meal.

I live in Japan right now and the price of fresh fruit and vegetables are RIDICULOUS. A single apple costs $3, tomatoes are $2 each, and if you start getting to fruits like watermelon, a whopping $20 (no kidding. And that's the cheapest one.)

I can't afford to buy most fresh fruits and vegetables, so I've been making do by buying 100% vegetable juice and fruit juice, but I know it's not the same.

Being a celebrity chef, he's making a good attempt especially when he knows how much food actually costs. Glad he's also spreading the word and experience around. but agree, eating cheap doesn't mean eating fresh or eating healthy. But we all gotta live somehow.

I think it is good just to bring awareness to people about hunger. As for living on less and health, whole grains and unprocessed foods are often cheaper than buying food out of a box - so a bag of rice is often less than the equivalent amount of boxed rice things. Produce can definitely cost more, but farmer's markets are often less, especially roadside stands or when a market is closing for the day. It takes more effort to eat healthfully with less money, and that is the difficult thing for many people because they have as little time as they have money. But we all do what we can, and I think people just like to criticize celebrities no matter what they do. But he is walking the walk and involved in helping to solve hunger, and thats' more than what a lot of his critics can claim.

This is great!

Originally Posted by domlee

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/trending...164634160.html Celebrity Chef Mario Batali Goes on Food Stamps Budget Can you get by on $1.48 per meal for a week? That's the campaign challenge that the Food Bank for New York City has posed to those interested in seeing what it's like to live on food stamps. Celebrity chef Mario Batali and his family have accepted the challenge and are living on $31 a week per person. Batali, his wife, and their two teenage sons are doing something that 1.8 million New Yorkers and 46 million Americans depend on. Batali admits the challenge was difficult at first, but he has adapted. Instead of eating expensive items such as filet mignon or truffle oil, he chooses beans, rice, chicken, and pasta. He said he quickly learned that not buying organic could cut the price of produce by 50 percent. As for his kids, they're eating plenty of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches right now. He is even spreading the message of the challenge on his daily show "The Chew" and telling viewers how to eat more cheaply. Plus, he insists he is not cheating. He does not taste the food that he prepares in his live cooking segments, but there's always free smells, right? On Twitter, many people are applauding the chef and marveling at his ability to exercise self-control despite his access to high-quality foods. However, there are some who are bashing Batali and the cost of the food that is served at his restaurants. Batali's response: "What do you do to help someone else?" Batali tweets pictures of the cost-reduced meals he prepares and uses the hashtag #FoodStampChallengeNYC. Batali and other celebrities are participating to raise awareness about hunger. He is a board member of the food relief agency Food Bank for New York City. ---------------------------------------- The part that ISN'T mentioned, is while he might have been eating on a strict budget of $31 per person per week, the reality is (for those that are on these type of low income budget restrictions), eating HEALTHY becomes difficult. It certainly is easy to feed people PB&J sandwiches time and time again, but it isn't exactly nutritious nor ideal. For those that do indeed eat on a budget, eating healthy tends not to be the given a high priority as fresh food typically is perishable.

True and sad. When things were their worst for me post-divorce, I fed myself and two sons on $40 a week. 93 sounds awesome, tbh. I guess could have gotten aid but used the church pantry for staples instead when we needed.

That we could fill our bellies but not afford safe (imo) organic produce and meat (winter), which was a sorrow. I only buy organic, local meats now, two years later. Fruits and veggies, I buy organic and local when possible. I'm grateful to have more money for healthy foods, including peanut butter that is natural (though not always organic), which is 2 to 3 times the cost.

Originally Posted by HauteMama

I think it is good just to bring awareness to people about hunger. As for living on less and health, whole grains and unprocessed foods are often cheaper than buying food out of a box - so a bag of rice is often less than the equivalent amount of boxed rice things. Produce can definitely cost more, but farmer's markets are often less, especially roadside stands or when a market is closing for the day. It takes more effort to eat healthfully with less money, and that is the difficult thing for many people because they have as little time as they have money. But we all do what we can, and I think people just like to criticize celebrities no matter what they do. But he is walking the walk and involved in helping to solve hunger, and thats' more than what a lot of his critics can claim.

Fact.

Asian markets and farmer's markets you can find veggies and fruits at reasonable prices. However you might have to spend a little more on meats and fish.

Originally Posted by HauteMama

I think it is good just to bring awareness to people about hunger. As for living on less and health, whole grains and unprocessed foods are often cheaper than buying food out of a box - so a bag of rice is often less than the equivalent amount of boxed rice things. Produce can definitely cost more, but farmer's markets are often less, especially roadside stands or when a market is closing for the day. It takes more effort to eat healthfully with less money, and that is the difficult thing for many people because they have as little time as they have money. But we all do what we can, and I think people just like to criticize celebrities no matter what they do. But he is walking the walk and involved in helping to solve hunger, and thats' more than what a lot of his critics can claim.

Originally Posted by Jahpson

Fact. Asian markets and farmer's markets you can find veggies and fruits at reasonable prices. However you might have to spend a little more on meats and fish.

Yes, but you can't buy these things with food stamps. That's sort of the point--that it's really hard to eat healthy on food stamps. So this foodstamp challenge is not exactly the same as living off of $31 per day (that is free to spend anywhere). Recipients have to spend at the stores that accept food stamps. Also, not all towns and small cities in the U.S. even have Asian markets (and I love Asian markets) or even farmer's markets.

Though I agree that it's great that he, and others, are bringing awareness to the issue of hunger in the U.S.

I think $31 wouldn't be that hard to live off of if you are smart with how you spend it. I'm making it a goal to only spend $25 a week on groceries for myself. I plan to use coupons, stockpile canned things when they go on sale, and pasta is a staple food for me. I'm a pasta addict so that's pretty easy to do.
In the summer I eat mainly fresh fruits and veggies. Lots of salads, pita wraps with veggies and hummus, and cold pasta salads. In the winter I tend to eat a bit less healthy going for lots of soups, chili, pasta, pizza, and other hot foods I don't eat in the summer.
I also don't eat much meat so that saves a lot of money. I substitute beans for protein. Bean salads are amazing with italian salad dressing especially in the summer!

Pita's (package of 8): .99
hummus: 2.99 (I think...they keep changing the prices!)
avocados (package of 5) 3.00
peppers (package of 4) 2.00
salad mix (container of mixed greens) 2.00
salad dressing 1.99
raspberries 2 cartons for 3.00
mangos 3 for 2.00
package of pasta 3@ 1.00
pasta sauce (3 cans) 2.00
can of chick peas 1.00
pad thai frozen entrees (not healthy but good for work) 2.00
bag of perogies 2.00
carton of chicken broth (great for homemade soup) 2 for 3.00

Total $30.97

That list would probably be too much for me to go through in a week without going bad, so I probably wouldn't even buy that much stuff. Plus if you use coupons you could probably save even more or be able to buy even more depending on if you have a family to feed. That list is just by going with what is on sale in this weeks flyer for a local store we shop at and picking out things I would actually eat. They have good deals on meat too but I'm not a fan of the smell of cooking meat so I stay away.

I really need to find myself an asian market when I move though. I only have an expensive grocery store close and I really don't feel like paying double what I should just because it's a fancy store.