A dollar doesn’t stretch very far at mealtime in Washington. It’s enough for a 16-ounce Pepsi in the Longworth House Office Building or a tub of Capitol cafeteria popcorn. But this week, it’s what Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) is trying to live on each breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Schakowsky is one of four lawmakers taking the Food Stamp Challenge by agreeing to spend the national weekly average for food stamp recipients — about $21, or $3 a day — on food.
“I learned a lot just going to the grocery store,” Schakowsky said in a statement. “It’s not easy to eat on $3 a day. I can only imagine what shopping would have been like with small children, who like all kids want special treats. It’s especially expensive to buy nutritious fruits and vegetables.”
This was Schakowsky’s menu for Tuesday and Wednesday:
Tuesday breakfast:
Puffed wheat: 25 cents
Milk: 20 cents
Banana: 19 cents
Lunch:
Tuna: $1
2 pieces of bread: 25 cents
Dinner:
Pasta Roni Alfredo: 25 cents
Lettuce: 45 cents
Wednesday breakfast:
2 pieces of toast with
margarine: 10 cents
Banana: 19 cents
Lunch:
Pasta Roni: 25 cents
Tuna: 50 cents
Milk, margarine: 20 cents
Dinner:
Rice-a-Roni: $1
1/2 tomato, diced: 46 cents
Lettuce: 45 cents
