ACTIVIST PLANS LOW-CARB DIET ON FOOD STAMP BUDGET

[Guest guest]

Plucked this from the Chapter Leaders List

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Last year, Colorado resident and blogger Ari Armstrong set out to show the

types of purchases one could make on the government's food stamp budget at

less than $3 per person per day with his Food

<http://www.freecolorado.com/2007/06/sixmonthchallenge.html> Economy

<http://www.freecolorado.com/2007/07/prosperitychallenge.html> Challenge

<http://www.freecolorado.com/2007/08/challenge.html> . Ari is at it again!

He will now show how it's possible to eat a " low carb " diet -- generally

heavy in nutrient dense foods and often claimed to be too expensive for the

poor -- on the government's new food stamp allotment of $4.74 per person per

day:

MEDIA RELEASE

ACTIVIST PLANS LOW-CARB DIET ON FOOD STAMP BUDGET

New Diet Protests Food Stamp Increases

A healthy diet is achievable on a food stamp budget, and Ari

Armstrong plans to prove it, again. Armstrong, who previously spent a

month eating for $2.57 per day -- see http://tinyurl.com/c35e8q --

will spend February 4-10 eating a highly nutritious, low-carb diet

for less than food stamps provide.

Armstrong said, " Not only has Congress increased the food stamp

budget since my $2.57 per day diet, but the so-called 'stimulus'

package calls for additional food-stamp funds. Enough is enough. I

oppose any increases to the food stamp budget, and call for the

program to be replaced with voluntarily funded food banks, which

offer more nutritious food at lower cost. "

Armstrong's new diet, unlike his previous one, will be low-carb,

roughly following the advice of such writers as Taubes and

similar to " paleo " or " cave-man " diets. The diet will consist of

meat, dairy, eggs, vegetables, fruit, nuts, olive oil, chocolate, and

spices. It will not contain any grains, vegetable oils, hydrogenated

fat, potatoes, or processed sugar.

Armstrong will limit his daily budget to $4.74 per day, less than

food stamps provide to a single individual. The Department of

Agriculture -- see http://www.fns.usda.gov/FSP/

<http://www.fns.usda.gov/FSP/faqs.htm> faqs.htm -- offers a

family of four $588 per month, or $4.74 per person per day. (The food

stamp allotment is reduced for those deemed able to fund some of

their own food.) Armstrong will not accept any free food, and he will

shop only at nearby regular grocery stores. He will track all his

purchases and receipts at FreeColorado.com.

" With the previous diet, my goal was to minimize daily expenses. With

the new diet my goal is to show that a very healthy diet is possible

on a limited budget. The cost of my diet will actually be inflated,

not only because I'll be eating no free food, but because a week's

diet is not able to take advantage of bulk purchases of sales items, "

Armstrong pointed out. " I've been known to purchase 40 pounds of

bananas, a dozen squash, or twenty pounds of meat when they're on

sale; obviously that's not possible for a single week. "

Part of the motivation to track the new diet was a recent CNN report

-- see http://tinyurl.com/d2lb5g -- in which a woman on food stamps

complains, " We get like the mac and cheese, which is dehydrated

cheese -- basically food that's no good for you health wise...

Everything is high in sodium and trans fats... and that's all we

basically can afford. There's not enough assistance to eat healthy

and maintain a healthy weight. "

Armstrong replied, " That's nonsense, and I'm prepared to prove it.

I'm frankly irritated that some food stamp recipients waste our tax

dollars on overpriced junk food, then complain about their grocery

budget. I'll make the following offer. For anybody on food stamps who

complains that they can't afford good food, I'll be more than happy

to evaluate your entire monthly budget, including your grocery

budget, and recommend judicious cuts, limited to the first five

people who reply. "

This ought to provide some wonderful evidence to contradict the claims of

those suggesting that a food stamp budget doesn't allow them to eat

healthily. Kudos to Ari for initiating the new Food Stamp Challenge!

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--

It doesn't matter how many people don't get it. What matters is how

many people do. If you have a strong informed opinion, don't keep it

to yourself. Try and help people and make the world a better place. If

you strive to do anything remotely interesting, just expect a small

percentage of the population to always find a way to take it

personally. F*ck 'em. There are no statues erected to critics.

- Ferriss