SNAP Food Challenge (50 points)

Over the past 40 years, politicians, policymakers and concerned community members have signed-up to take the Food Stamp Challenge—living for one week on an average food stamp budget– to better understand what it is like to live on a very limited food assistance allotment.  For this assignment, you have three options to experience this assignment:

1. You will take part in a shortened version of the SNAP (food stamp) challenge.  In this activity, you will try to live on food stamp (SNAP) budget for one weekend (Friday night dinner, Saturday breakfast, lunch and dinner, and Sunday breakfast, lunch and dinner).  The average SNAP budget for a single person for one weekend is: $11.00.   For a family of four, the SNAP budget is $44.00 ($4.40 per person per day). Remember your budget needs to cover all items, even snacks and beverages. If you choose this, please just take the challenge yourself — do not include roommates or other family members in the challenge unless they choose to take part and are over age 18.  Record your menus, include an ingredients list and the price of each ingredient on your shopping list. After you finish the challenge, write-up your results.  Your write-up needs to include:  Your menus, an itemized list of the ingredients you used (actual or hypothetical) with their prices and the total amount you (would have or actually) spent.  Then write a 1-2 page reflection about what you learned from this exercise and how it connects to our course materials.  Please reference at least 3 course materials in your reflection.
2. Take a hypothetical challenge.  Go to a grocery store (or multiple stores if you need to) and “shop” hypothetically for a family of four for one weekend.  Record the menus your imaginary family ate, a shopping list of ingredients and the prices these ingredients would have cost.   After you finish the challenge, write-up your results.  Your write-up needs to include:  Your menus, an itemized list of the ingredients you used (actual or hypothetical) with their prices and the total amount you (would have or actually) spent.  Then write a 1-2 page reflection about what you learned from this exercise and how it connects to our course materials.  Please reference at least 3 course materials in your reflection.
3. Investigate the background of the SNAP program through research. Find out how it got started, why the monthly allotments were set for what they are, and what people can (and cannot) buy using SNAP. Write up a 2-3 page research paper from what you found. Use APA style and reference at least three peer-reviewed resources.