Cory Booker’s Food Stamp Challenge

Today, Cory Booker started the SNAPChallenge to live a week under $30 of groceries - what people on food stamps in NJ live on - approximately $4.32/day. The challenge came from a twitter follower @MWadeNC, who will be doing the challenge herself.

Here we will track the Mayor's progress. He began by tweeting his grocery receipt on December 1st. The Pathmark receipt totals $29.78 and includes apples, canned corn and beans and yams.
 

Day #1: December 4

Today, @NewarkPulse tweeted him to see if he was drinking coffee. His reply, "It isn't in the budget. Day one, no caffeine..." Below is the Mayor's first day video:

 

Day #2: December 5 (photo above)

From Cory Booker's Linked-in Page: "The second day on the #SNAPChallenge, I ate salad for breakfast, a can of peas and corn mixed together for lunch, and cauliflower, broccoli and a sweet potato for dinner. And today it hit me - the first stages of caffeine withdrawal. Not being able to stop and drop a few dollars for a Venti coffee or Diet Mountain Dew is really raising my consciousness about the food choices I often take for granted." For more.

Day #3: December 6

According to Cory Booker's daily journal - Day #3 was the toughest. "Today, I was in motion and at meetings all day. My crazy schedule required that I prepare all of my food in the morning to enable me to eat on the go. In addition to preparing and packaging my meals, I realized early this morning that I am eating too much food per meal. If I do not cut back the amount I am eating at each meal, I will run out of food before the #SNAPChallenge is over.

In the days ahead I am now going to eat smaller portion sizes. I decided to eat my dinner of peas, black beans, cauliflower and broccoli in small bites between 3pm and 7pm in between meetings and calls hoping that would allay some of the hunger pains I felt yesterday. This actually worked and something I might try again tomorrow."

Day #4: December 7

From Cory Booker's updates: "Today is the 4 day of my #SNAPChallenge and so far it has been the most difficult. I'm realizing more and more that my current daily food intake cannot continue at the same pace, and so my new focus is on smaller portions spread throughout the day. ...

I've also finally hit the wall with caffeine withdrawal - I've had a terrible headache all day and have been feeling sluggish. I'm starting to think I need to put a little more thought into my caffeine addiction."

Day #5: December 8

"Today I burned a sweet potato. Not headline news and no shock to my friends that I am not a wiz in the kitchen. But I was upset, "blackened sweet potato" was not my idea of a meal but with supplies dwindling it was eat around the severely caramelized root vegetable or go without." See whole post

Day #6: December 9

"Today is my 6th day of the SNAP Challenge; my 6th sweet potato; my 6th day of canned beans; and, my 6th day of canned veggies. I still like those foods but I found myself craving some variety. I realize when you find food on sale or buy in bulk, you can end up eating a lot of the same thing over and over." See complete post.

Day #7: December 10

From his blog on LinkedIn - "I will end the SNAP Challenge today but my attention and commitment to addressing food access does not stop here. I ask you to join me and those in your community who are working towards a just and sustainable food system that nourishes everyone.

...In the coming weeks and months, I look forward to sharing with you here at home how we are working to ensure that real food nourishes all Newarkers."