Snap judgement

What I learned when I spent 30 days on the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program

When the federal Food Stamp Program became the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) in 2008, I never noticed. I never had the misfortune of living with hunger. Growing up in rural West Virginia in the ‘60s and ‘70s, I was certainly surrounded by it. I was lucky enough to be the son of a skilled worker who not only provided for our family but raised us on 25 acres of hilly Appalachian countryside, where we had a huge garden and a few cows. The only time I saw food stamps was in the checkout line at the grocery store.

When things went south for the economy a few years back, Americans turned to SNAP to fill holes in their budgets as well as their tummies. As the economy spiraled, SNAP enrollment soared, reaching record levels with 47 million (more than 600,000 of those were in Oklahoma) using the program at a cost of about $80 billion in 2013 – a twofold increase in cost in five years. SNAP now covers 1 in 7 Americans.

With the SNAP entitlement straining the national coffers, the benefit was reduced late last year. Coupled with incessant reporting of our nation’s economic dire straits, the program became the buzz of dinner-table talk across America.

To draw attention to the ever-paltry, per-meal benefit, numerous politicians, including the mayors of Newark, Phoenix, Philadelphia, and Las Vegas, have taken the “SNAP Challenge.” The challenge is designed to raise awareness and sensitivity to the plight of Americans enrolled in SNAP by testing participants’ ability to subsist on the average per-meal allocation for a week or more. In 2012 the national average for SNAP benefits was $133.44 per person, or $4.50 per day.

Opponents of an increase to the SNAP allocation are quick to point out that it is a supplemental program and not designed to provide 100 percent of the budget for household groceries. But the fact remains that, for many, it does. SNAP isn’t intended to cover the entire food budget for beneficiaries, but relief with food purchases frees up income for other essentials like rent and electricity. While 20 percent of beneficiaries have no income, most fall among the working poor, with children in the household.
With all the controversy around SNAP, and since 17 percent of Oklahomans are enrolled in the program, I wondered: can a person really subsist on $133.44
a month?

I decided that, through the month of January, I would chronicle every meal and snack I ate and tie every penny to a SNAP budget. I began with a trip to the grocery store, a list of budget-friendly recipes in hand. By the end of January I had exhausted my SNAP funds but was able to continue to feed myself. It was tight, and I did slow rolls past my favorite restaurants, but I made it.

Wondering what my options would have been had I run out of food and money, I decided to pay a visit to one of the dozen or more food pantries in the greater Tulsa area. Iron Gate downtown is known for providing one hot meal per day, but it also offers grocery pick-up several times a week. I spent nearly 40 minutes waiting my turn to peruse the grocery pantry, available at no cost. The food that was available that day (I took none, much to the bewilderment of the volunteers) could have easily fed me for five days or more, provided I wouldn’t mind eating things like spaghetti for breakfast. I sampled one of the hot meals Iron Gate provides: A large portion of a hearty chicken noodle soup and a piece of cake. It was quite tasty, I thought.

The burning question: is it possible to get by solely on the average SNAP benefit? The answer is yes – I know that now because I made it to the end of the month – but with some significant caveats:

• Construction workers, farmers, and others in labor-intensive occupations would be hard pressed to meet their caloric requirements if they relied wholly on SNAP funds.
• You avoid eating out, permanently. I ate out once, but it wasn’t a meal. I had a frozen yogurt at one of those places that charges by the ounce. It was delicious but cost around five dollars. Five bucks buys a lot of rice and beans.
• A slow cooker is an essential tool when you’re on a SNAP budget. I prepared meals in batches and portioned the food into single-serving containers. Doing so allowed me to stretch my resources by not overeating.
• Your social life will suffer. You don’t realize how linked your agenda is to eating out. Trust me, it is.
• Eating healthfully is possible but takes research and knowledge. Armed with a basic understanding of nutrition is essential to eating on a budget and maintaining health.
• If you are thinking about becoming a vegetarian, living on a SNAP allocation will make it easier. You simply won’t be able to afford much meat.
• Soda pop? Coffee? Forget it.
• The use of in-store specials, coupons, and house brands can make or break your month.

The SNAP Challenge offers a better understanding of hunger and the need for healthful, daily nourishment. It’s the best tool for forming a considered opinion as to whether or not SNAP benefits should be increased, reduced, or remain the same. The end of January couldn’t come soon enough. By the end of the month I was ready to celebrate with the meal I couldn’t stop thinking about after about two weeks into the Challenge: the swordfish at Dalesandro’s Italian restaurant. It was a fitting reward for my patient girlfriend that suffered through an entire month of date nights sans food. The irony? That meal for two, including wine, cost more than my entire month’s SNAP allocation.

Tips for how to approach your own SNAP challenge: feedingamerica.org.
Find a food pantry or soup kitchen near you: foodpantries.org
Find out if you qualify for SNAP assistance: snap-step1.usda.gov/fns