Reality check

Read this article and this one too , both in the WaPo, about the Food Stamp Challenge -- how four Members of Congress "pledged to live for one week on $21 worth of food, the amount the average food stamp recipient receives in federal assistance. That's $3 a day or $1 a meal."

Seriously. Only $3/day. In DC. For an adult. Wow.

I think they all lost some weight but gained tremendous insight into the plight of the working poor in the U.S. -- as well as a good deal of respect for those who struggle daily to feed their families.

Several of the participants, including the wife of one of the Congressmen, blogged about the experience here. It's really eye-opening. Makes you think about your excesses. How food is taken for granted by most of us. We eat luxury items like scones and coffee from the local Starbucks. We eat healthy like fresh fruit or organic vegetables. We eat out. We eat mostly what we want when we want, instead of rationing our food and planning our meals because our budgets have no room for error.

It also made me think, as I munched on my Cosi bread and salad (here's a blog in me about that too), whether I could eat just $3 of food a day. And I don't think I could. But I may try the experiment.

Stay tuned.