I tried very hard to live off of a plant-based whole foods diet. I was successful for about two weeks, and really “success” is a bit of a stretch. I ate a little cheese here and there.
But living on the poverty wage makes it extremely difficult to eat the food I want to eat.
Professionally, I work with the Development & Program Directors at Dwight Hall at Yale through the New Haven Education Initiative, AmeriCorps VISTA program in New Haven, CT. The VISTA program specifically means Volunteers In Service to America. I take the same oath as the President of the United States. And I earn a stipend based subsistence pay that is adjusted to the poverty line in my area. In New Haven, this means between $11k-$12k for the year.
I am not complaining about the wage. I signed up, knowing I would earn that wage. I merely mean that because of this wage, I qualify for food stamps, aka EBT or SNAP.
In some ways, I am very lucky. New Haven has a series of farmer’s markets that run year round. CitySeed, who run these farmer’s markets, have an amazing initiative to get SNAP recipients to the farmer’s market: they double your amount up to $10. The extra amount, up to $10, has to be spent on produce. I love that. But organic prices can still be difficult to maneuver around, even when you are getting double your money each day you go to the market.
Also, I forgot to mention, I’m trying to diet. I recently invested in appx 40 Lean Cuisine meals. My boyfriend’s parents bought me a step, which is my favorite form of exercise.
Lean Cuisine does not a whole food plant based diet make.
This blog will now be used to update, from time to time, about my thoughts, and complex difficulties with eating low fat, meat-included diets vs a whole food plant-based diet.
There are also variations of both that confuse that crap out of me.
Tonight, I start keeping track of my meals. Tonight, I start exercising on the regular. Tonight, I keep checklists to organize my life.
Tonight, I start a blog version of the debate in my head over a practical life of including whole foods, and specifically organic foods. Oh, and trying to figure out if that means including meat. Oh, and if that means including dairy.
Quinoa is for Lovers 
Keep up the good work,Honey.You can do it,I know you can.Just remember, a journey begins with the first step.You know you’ll always have my support.