Hunger Challenge 2009: Day 4

September 24, 2009 | Reviewer: Abi Jones

Anzac cookie cost breakdown and pasta fagioli with carrots

On Day 1 of the Hunger Challenge I worked from home. On days 2 and 3 I had the cooking time that a weekend allows. When Day 4 rolled around I had go back to the office, a place full of temptation: free coffee, organic fruit and coworkers unwittingly offering me grapes, cheesecake and more grapes.

Was there a grape sale I missed? Because I went to the store and grapes were $3.00 a pound – a price I couldn’t justify paying.

Food	Per Serving Price
1 Banana	$0.32
1 Cookie	$0.16
Pasta Fagioli	$1.38
1 Carrot	$0.19
1 Potato	$0.30
Oil	$0.05
1 slice of bacon	$0.15
1/4 Can of Refried Beans	$0.25
2 Tortillas	$0.50
2 Eggs	$0.40
Day’s Total:	$3.70
Money Left:	$14.54

Breakfast was a banana and a cookie – not nearly as filling as oatmeal, but a whole lot faster. The real challenge was getting through a morning at work. Offers of free coffee, pastries, and fruit reminded me how lucky I am to work at a place where some things are paid for. Of course, the pastry and fruit thing only happens on Mondays, so don’t get too envious. My office attempts to butter up the creative staff in preparation for the week ahead.

Lunch was day two of the pasta fagioli. I didn’t get through the entire serving, so I’ll get to eat the rest of it tomorrow. For free!

Accompanying the pasta was a Ziploc baggie of the most satisfying carrot sticks in the universe. My main fruits and vegetables have been bananas and peas, so breaking out the carrots ($1.49 for a 1.5 pound bag) is a little bit of joy. They are crunchy, sweet, savory, and do a tiny bit to keep me from obsessing over apples.

Expensive, expensive apples. How I lust after them.

Shortly before I left the office a man carrying two parrots was struck by a train. That’s the same train I take home. Suddenly sad and frustrated, all of the meal planning I’d done that day fell apart. I was stuck in San Francisco, waiting for a train to get to the station and I was hungry. But at least I was alive.

If I hadn’t been participating in the Hunger Challenge, I would have hiked on over to Safeway and purchased a corn dog. I don’t often eat corn dogs, but when I see an opportunity to have one, I take it. Instead, I drank some water from the station’s water fountain and dug into a book for distraction. I wasn’t eating by choice – but what happens if you can’t eat because you just don’t have food?

When I got home at 8pm, I wasn’t thinking about fruits and vegetables, all I wanted was something supremely filling. And that something was two awesomely enormous potato, egg, and bacon (half slice in each burrito) burritos.

Potato, Egg, Bacon and Bean Burritos

Above are the burritos in their not-yet-folded state. Folded up burritos look really boring. Monday night I dropped into bed full, but not sated. I still craved one crisp, juicy apple.

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comments

3 Responses to “Hunger Challenge 2009: Day 4”

Denise on September 25th, 2009

Mmmm, tater bacon burritos.
amy on September 26th, 2009

i’ve been buying grapes a lot lately. they’ve been on sale for $.69/pound here in montana. really good.
Kristen on September 28th, 2009

I think what you are doing is awesome Abi! Sometimes its easy to forget about what is happening in our neighborhoods as we buy a $4 coffee. Its good to see you are eating healthy instead of ramening it up for the week.

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