Results

Throughout the 30 days, my weight fluctuated within less than 4 lbs – notice how I started and ended at almost the same weight. However, weight alone is not a very good indicator of health. I kept an eye on my body composition, maintained muscle tone, and felt as physically fit as ever. In fact, there was little difference between my regular diet/health and my food stamps diet/health. The cheaper foods I substituted were still rich in nutrients and obviously did not affect my weight.

With a food budget of $196.42, I ended the month with $25.27! Remember, I was starting completely from scratch – no oil, flour, or herbs in my pantry and absolutely zero in my fridge and freezer. Although this is unrealistic in almost all cases, I did it so that no one could disqualify my experiment on the basis of a well-stocked kitchen. Not only did I have leftover money, I also had leftover food – ranging from a giant can of salt to frozen pork tenderloin. Had I continued for another month documenting and recording a food stamps diet, I would have had enough money to splurge on almond butter and local cheese/produce from a mom-and-pop store that now accepts EBT!