Take the Hunger Challenge

Can you survive on $28 for food? It’s not easy.


For the last three years, the San Francisco Food Bank has issued a Hunger Challenge asking people to alter their food spending for at least one week to mimic that of someone using food stamps. It can be a daunting task.

For the most part, participants find themselves purchasing minimal amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables, stretching milk with water, and cooking meals that lack variety and, for the most part, flavor. Fast food dollar meals, while not nutritious, offer calories and a sense of fullness and so are appealing to someone on a tight food budget.

Those taking the challenge find themselves with decreased concentration, a less enthusiastic approach to cooking, and little opportunity for special meals on holidays or birthdays.

To see how you would do on a minimal food budget, visit this Hunger 101 interactive site: http://www.sffoodbank.org/about_hunger/h101.html