Hunger Challenge; day 4

Chana Dal Rice

Day four, I turned a corner. An amazing morning yoga class and some time in the sauna finally eliminated the headache that had been looming since Tuesday. 

I am definitely ready to be done with eating beans or oatmeal at every meal but I do feel like I've reached a new level of understanding with this Hunger Challenge.

Even meals I've long thought of as dirt cheap- $5 burritos, $3 pizza slices, $6 falafel sandwiches- are beyond the reach of those on the tight $4.72 budget of the California food stamp system. In the Bay Area, we are blessed with some of the best farmer's markets, restaurants and grocery stores in the state and yet I wonder how much those less fortunate are able to take advantage of the bounties of the Bay.
Upon informing my mom of the Hunger Challenge DH and I were doing this week, she half-jokingly advised me it would be a lot easier if we hit up the Dollar Menu at McDonald's. That was the opposite of my goal at the onset of this but I can say now I see how it can come to that. Most of those on food stamps do not have the luxury of time to cook multiple meals from scratch at home. There is an incredible dearth of fast AND inexpensive options on the market today. 

When it comes time to eat without such a restrictive budget, I can say undoubtedly I will appreciate every foam-art adorned latte or fire-crusted pizza or burnt caramel ice cream cone for the true indulgence it is.