3 SquaresVT Challenge: Part 1

As the holiday season and winter come upon us- it is easy to forget that many of our friends and neighbors may be approaching a difficult time. 

“1 out of 8 Vermonters live in “food insecure” households- they are unable to fully meet basic needs at all times”

I grew up in a single parent household and we were below the poverty line. With the assistance of food stamps and WIC- my mom was able to feed me and my younger sister. There was a period in my life where I refused to eat spaghetti because we ate it so often at home- which I later realize that we ate it so often because it was cheap, fast and filling. Food insecurity is no stranger in my life. 

I am now lucky that I have food to eat and a warm roof over my head. I still see the effects of poverty and hunger as a nursing student. Fletcher Allen was one of the first hospitals to include food insecurity in the intake form- thanks to one of my awesome clinical instructors who wrote her dissertation on food insecurity! Many of my patients fit the description for food insecurity and more will qualify as the benefits for food stamps decrease this year. It is so important for patients to have proper nutrition to speed recovery and prevent illness in the future. 

I heard of the 3 SquaresVT Challenge in conjunction with Hunger Free Vermont and thought that it would be excellent to participate in- in appreciation of where I started and where I am now- but to also raise awareness about this issue that is in our community, especially during a season where food seems plentiful. 

“The purpose of the Challenge is not to emulate the reality of food insecurity for Vermonters - many of whom may rely on a variety of programs and resources to meet their families’ needs - but to instead draw attention to the experience of living on a strict food budget allotment and how that may or may not change your daily life both physically and psychologically as a participant.”

My parameters are these: (check out the full set here)

• I have $36 to spend for the week on food (about $1.72 per meal). 
• I have to start from scratch and eat only food that I purchase during the challenge. 
• Fast food and dining out must be included in the budget. 
• I may not eat food that I already own. 

Technically- the challenge is from November 17-November 23... but I am starting a day late. Late enough today, that I had already bought breakfast on the road so instead of $36 for the week I now have ($36-$4.79= $31.21). 

So for the next seven days- I will be participating in this challenge.

There are some challenges that present as think through the upcoming week: 

1. I am in college and my schedule is busy- It can be hard to have time to cook meals (which are cheaper than buying). 
2. I have food sensitivities- and that tends to make grocery shopping more expensive. 
3. I spend a lot of time on the road- which means I need to pack meals for trips.
4. Fruits, vegetables and meat are expensive! I want to try to be as nutritious as possible on a budget.

Ideally- I would be able to meet all of these food groups on a budget

The Challenge Begins: Grocery Shopping

I had written out a list of the groceries that I wanted to buy with the money that I had left. I bought about half of what I had written down- due to budget constraints. I spent much longer than usual debating the benefits of buying in bulk vs. individual items, fresh vs. frozen veggies, how to best get a span of nutrients while buying filling food, and consciously passing up buying unnecessary items I would normally throw in my cart, like a seltzer water (That’s $0.99 cents that I need! Especially with the breakfast deduction). 

This is what I bought at the grocery store: 

Red Potatoes

Carrots

Onion

Celery 

Peppermint Tea

Chicken 

Brown rice

Lactaid 

Oatmeal 

Eggs

My food for the whole week...

Total: $30.23

$36 - $30.23- $4.79 = $1.21left 

Right now I have the beginnings of a soup stock boiling on the stove and brown rice in the rice cooker. I have a feeling that I’ll be eating much of the same food for each meal- with some variety in spices. Already- I can tell this is much harder than I initially assumed. Almost half my food is going into the soup! 

Check back in a week and see how I fare! Am I going to fail and be forced to buy more food? Or will I succeed?

You can join the challenge or donate to help feed our community.

Thanks for reading!