Hunger Games

Week One Sunday

Breakfast
Two eggs One banana A glass of orange juice One cup of strawberry greek yogurt One piece of wheat toast A glass of 2% milk Two Eggs A piece of toast A glass of orange juice

Lunch
A bowl of easy-mac Wheat thins A glass of water A Caesar salad Wheat Thins A glass of water One tuna and swiss cheese sandwich cup of grapes A glass of water One turkey, swiss cheese, and mayo sandwich A cup of strawberry greek yogurt A glass of water One turkey, swiss cheese, and mayo sandwich cup of grapes Wheat thins A glass of water One turkey, swiss cheese, and mayo sandwich Wheat Thins A glass of water One tuna and swiss cheese sandwich Wheat thins One banana A glass of water

Dinner
One tuna and swiss cheese sandwich Wheat thins A glass of water A bowl of easymac Wheat thins A glass of water A personal cheese pizza A glass of water

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

cup of grapes Two eggs A glass of orange juice

A bowl of chicken ramen noodles A glass of water

Thursday

One cup of Go Lean Crunch cereal cup of 2% milk One Banana A glass of Water Two eggs One piece of wheat toast cup of grapes A glass of water One cup of Go Lean Crunch cereal cup of 2% milk One cup of strawberry greek yogurt A glass of water

A Caesar salad A glass of water

Friday

Saturday

One turkey, swiss cheese, and mayo sandwich cup of grapes A glass of water A personal cheese pizza A glass of water

Week Two Sunday

Breakfast
Two Eggs One banana A glass of orange juice

Lunch
One turkey, swiss cheese, and mayo sandwich cup of grapes Wheat thins A glass of water One tuna and swiss cheese sandwich Wheat thins One banana A glass of water One turkey, swiss cheese, and mayo sandwich A cup of strawberry greek yogurt A glass of water One tuna and swiss cheese sandwich Wheat thins A glass of water One turkey, swiss cheese, and mayo sandwich Wheat thins A glass of water A Caesar salad Wheat Thins A glass of water

Dinner
A bowl of easymac Wheat thins A glass of water

Monday

Tuesday

One cup of Go Lean Crunch cereal cup of 2% milk One Banana A glass of Water One cup of strawberry greek yogurt One piece of wheat toast A glass of 2% milk

A bowl of chicken ramen noodles A glass of water

One turkey, swiss cheese, and mayo sandwich cup of grapes A glass of water A personal cheese pizza A glass of water

Wednesday

One egg One piece of wheat toast cup of grapes A glass of water One cup of Go Lean Crunch cereal cup of 2% milk One cup of strawberry greek yogurt A glass of water cup of grapes One cup of strawberry greek yogurt A glass of orange juice

Thursday

A bowl of easymac Wheat thins A glass of water

Friday

A personal cheese pizza A glass of water

Saturday

Two eggs cup of grapes A glass of orange juice

One tuna and swiss cheese sandwich cup of grapes A glass of water

A Caesar salad A glass of water

Ingredients Needed

Eggs Bananas Orange juice Cereal Milk Greek Yogurt Bread Turkey Cheese Grapes Wheat thins Mayonnaise Tuna Shredded cheese Salad Ranch dressing Ramen Noodle Mac & Cheese Personal pizzas Bottled water

Items Purchased from Harris Teeter (University City Blvd)

12 count of eggs: Born Free Eggs (All natural omega3 brown eggs) Price: $3.39 Fresh bananas (6): 33 cents each Price: $1.95 Harris Teeter 100% Pure Orange Juice gallon Price: $2.50

 Kashi Cereal (GOLEAN): One box/13.10 oz Price: $3.99 Harris Teeter 2% Reduced Fat Milk gallon/64 fl oz Price: $2.59 Chobani Greek Yogurt- Nonfat Strawberry (7 cups): $1.33 each Price: $9.33 Harris Teeter Sandwich Bread White- Thin Sliced loaf (2 loaves): $1.69 each Price: $3.38 Harris Teeter turkey breast- Deli thin Honey Maple: 1 package/10 oz Price: $5.99 Harris Teeter Swiss Cheese slices 8 oz (2 packs): $2.79 each Price: $5.58 One bag/1 lb of Fresh Red grapes: Price: $2.99 Wheat Thins crackers (Sundried Tomato & Basil): 1 box/9 oz Price: $3.55 Dukes Light Mayonnaise Squeeze: 1 bottle/18 oz Price: $3.39 Harris Teeter Albacore Tuna 4 pack/ 20 oz: (2 packs) $5.69 each Price: $11.38 Harris Teeter Cheese- Fancy Shredded Sharp Cheddar: 1 pack/8 oz Price: $2.99 Harris Teeter Salad Dressing- Light Ranch: 1 bottle/16 fl oz Price: $2.49 Fresh Express- Caesar Lite Salad Kit 10.30 oz: (4 packs) $3.79 each Price: $15.16 Kraft- Microwavable Easy Mac Dinner 1 box/2.05 oz: (4 boxes) $1.29 each Price: $5.16 Maruchan- Ramen Noodle chicken flavor soup 1 pack/3 oz: (2 packs) $0.25 each Price: $0.50 Totinos- Crisp crust cheese mini pizza 1 pizza/9.80 fl oz: (4 pizzas) $1.67 each Price: $6.67

 Harris Teeter Purified Water- 24 pack of 0.5 liters/405.60 fl oz Price: $4.19 Total Price paid: $97.17 Amount left over on SNAP card: $2.83

Items Purchased at Walgreens Convenience Store (N Tryon Street)

Wonder Bread- Classic White sandwich bread: (1 loaf) Price: $2.69 Total Price paid: $2.69 Amount left over on SNAP card: $0.14

I have designed a meal plan for a two-week period and will be using a government issued SNAP debit card with a two-week allotment of one hundred dollars (50 dollars per week) to purchase the ingredients that will be needed. My meal plan includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner for seven days a week (two consecutive weeks) for myself. A government issued SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) debit card is given to individuals or families that do not bring home enough money to support their families or themselves. However, they must meet the requirements that are determined by certain tests, including resource and income tests. SNAP benefits are issued through local, state, or county offices. Each household that is eligible is given a plastic electronic card that is used to purchase groceries at authorized food stores. This card is similar to using a bank debit card. Each time a family uses it to buy groceries, the amount that was spent is automatically deducted from the account. Eligible items include breads and cereals, fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, and dairy products. SNAP benefits also allow seeds and plants that produce food to be purchased. Households cannot use SNAP benefits to purchase alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, vitamins and medicines, hot foods, or foods that can be eaten in the store. Nonfood items such as pet foods, soaps, paper products, and household supplies are also not eligible. During week one I will be eating eggs, fruit, yogurt, toast, and cereal for breakfast. For lunch I am going to be eating turkey and tuna sandwiches, salad, macaroni, crackers, fruit, and yogurt. For dinner I plan on having pizza, turkey and tuna sandwiches, crackers, macaroni, pasta, and salad. As for beverages, I purchased bottled water, orange juice, and milk to drink

throughout the week. The ingredients that will be needed for my meals include eggs, bananas, grapes, cereal, Greek yogurt, bread, turkey, Swiss cheese, wheat thins, mayonnaise, canned tuna, shredded cheese, Caesar salad, ranch dressing, ramen noodles, macaroni and cheese, and personal pizzas. I have provided a table below that shows what I will be eating each day of the week for week one.

Week One Sunday

Breakfast
Two eggs One banana A glass of orange juice One cup of strawberry Greek yogurt One piece of wheat toast A glass of 2% milk Two Eggs A piece of toast A glass of orange juice

Lunch
A bowl of easy-mac Wheat thins A glass of water A Caesar salad Wheat Thins A glass of water One tuna and swiss cheese sandwich cup of grapes A glass of water One turkey, swiss cheese, and mayo sandwich A cup of strawberry greek yogurt A glass of water One turkey, swiss cheese, and mayo sandwich cup of grapes Wheat thins A glass of water

Dinner
One tuna and swiss cheese sandwich Wheat thins A glass of water A bowl of easymac Wheat thins A glass of water A personal cheese pizza A glass of water

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

cup of grapes Two eggs A glass of orange juice

A bowl of chicken ramen noodles A glass of water

Thursday

One cup of Go Lean Crunch cereal cup of 2% milk One Banana A glass of Water

A Caesar salad A glass of water

Friday

Saturday

Two eggs One piece of wheat toast cup of grapes A glass of water One cup of Go Lean Crunch cereal cup of 2% milk One cup of strawberry greek yogurt A glass of water

One turkey, swiss cheese, and mayo sandwich Wheat Thins A glass of water One tuna and swiss cheese sandwich Wheat thins One banana A glass of water

One turkey, swiss cheese, and mayo sandwich cup of grapes A glass of water A personal cheese pizza A glass of water

During week two I will be eating eggs, fruit, yogurt, toast, and cereal for breakfast. For lunch I am going to be eating turkey and tuna sandwiches, salad, macaroni, crackers, fruit, and yogurt. For dinner I plan on having pizza, turkey and tuna sandwiches, crackers, macaroni, pasta, and salad. As for beverages, I purchased bottled water, orange juice, and milk to drink throughout the week. The ingredients that will be needed for my meals include eggs, bananas, grapes, cereal, Greek yogurt, bread, turkey, Swiss cheese, wheat thins, mayonnaise, canned tuna, shredded cheese, Caesar salad, ranch dressing, ramen noodles, macaroni and cheese, and personal pizzas. I have provided a table below that shows what I will be eating each day of the week for week two.

Week Two Sunday

Breakfast
Two Eggs One banana A glass of orange juice

Lunch
One turkey, swiss cheese, and mayo sandwich cup of grapes Wheat thins A glass of water

Dinner
A bowl of easymac Wheat thins A glass of water

Monday

Tuesday

One cup of Go Lean Crunch cereal cup of 2% milk One Banana A glass of Water One cup of strawberry greek yogurt One piece of wheat toast A glass of 2% milk

Wednesday

One egg One piece of wheat toast cup of grapes A glass of water One cup of Go Lean Crunch cereal cup of 2% milk One cup of strawberry greek yogurt A glass of water cup of grapes One cup of strawberry greek yogurt A glass of orange juice Two eggs cup of grapes A glass of orange juice

One tuna and swiss cheese sandwich Wheat thins One banana A glass of water One turkey, swiss cheese, and mayo sandwich A cup of strawberry greek yogurt A glass of water One tuna and swiss cheese sandwich Wheat thins A glass of water One turkey, swiss cheese, and mayo sandwich Wheat thins A glass of water A Caesar salad Wheat Thins A glass of water One tuna and swiss cheese sandwich cup of grapes A glass of water

A bowl of chicken ramen noodles A glass of water

One turkey, swiss cheese, and mayo sandwich cup of grapes A glass of water A personal cheese pizza A glass of water

Thursday

A bowl of easymac Wheat thins A glass of water A personal cheese pizza A glass of water

Friday

Saturday

A Caesar salad A glass of water

I purchased the majority of my items at the Harris Teeter located at 8600 University City Blvd. Charlotte, North Carolina, 28213. This grocery store is one mile away from where I reside and took four minutes to get there by car. I was able to purchase everything that I needed for my meals for the next two weeks. However, I had to purchase the Harris Teeter brand items instead of name brand items to stay within my budget. I also had to stick to the basics like sandwiches

and pizza. I could not afford to purchase the ingredients that are required to make a full meal (ex: grilled chicken, green beans, and a baked potato). The total amount that I spent for all of my items came out to be $97.17; I had $2.83 left over on my SNAP debit card. During the two weeks I ran out of bread to make sandwiches. I chose to go to the Walgreens located at 8538 N Tryon ST. Charlotte, North Carolina, 28262 because it is the closest convenience store that is near my apartment. This convenience store is 2.8 miles away from where I reside and took me eight minutes to get there by car. Because I had already been to the grocery store to get the majority of items that were needed to make my meals, I had spent most of my money. I had $2.83 left on my SNAP debit card and was able to purchase one loaf of bread for $2.69 leaving me with $0.14 left on my card. After comparing the prices of food at the grocery store and the convenient store, I found that shopping at the grocery store was the cheapest option. I was able to purchase the ingredients that I needed to eat for the next two weeks. Being given one hundred dollars to purchase food for two weeks is possible, but not easy. I had to plan out what I was going to buy at the grocery store before I went and I also had to compare prices. Most of my items were store brand because name brand items were too expensive for me to afford on my budget. I was able to make ends meet for the two weeks without having to skip meals due to the fact that I carefully planned out what I was going to buy. Price, availability, and location all matter when deciding on where you are going to purchase the items that are required for meals. If the prices are too high and a person does not have enough money to pay for everything, they cannot afford what is needed. If someone lives where there are no grocery stores near him or her but have a convenient store near by, they can buy certain items but they will be overpriced and convenient stores do not have the variety that grocery stores have. If I had to purchase food for another two weeks with only

$100.00 I was spend it all at a grocery store because when comparing the bread I bought, a loaf was one dollar more at the convenient store than it was at the grocery store. After doing this assignment I realized that purchasing food is not as easy as it looks. Many factors contribute like location, cost, price, and the amount of money you have to spend. I do not agree that SNAP is enough to feed families. I was able to purchase everything that I needed but I could not afford ingredients to make full meals (ex: chicken breasts, broccoli, and mashed potatoes). I had to stick to the basics (sandwiches, crackers, and pizza), which were not the healthiest options. One social determinant of health that challenges individuals who fully rely on SNAP for their only source for food is stress. People who are constantly worried about how they are going to bring food to the table and afford food for their families suffer from great amounts of stress. When this happens, it results in that person feeling worried, anxious and unable to cope. This is damaging to a persons health and could lead to premature death. Another social determinant of health that challenges individuals is unemployment. When someone does not have job security it is proven that their health decreases causing more illness and premature death. When a person does not feel stable with where they are many things start to add up like bills, stress, and could cause depression. This assignment has opened my eyes to many different factors that others have to think about when purchasing food. I did not realize how lucky I am to live in an area where I have both grocery stores and convenient stores near by until I completed the Hunger Games assignment.

Anna E. Strickland