I spent only $4 a day on food for a week - and it was grueling

Kathleen ElkinsMy food for the week.

Last week, Gwyneth Paltrow accepted Mario Batali's Food Stamp Challenge, designed to raise awareness around obstacles that low-income families face. For a week, participants live off of roughly $31 worth of food - $1.48 per meal.

Paltrow dropped out after four days when she realized her seven limes and bundle of greens was unsustainable for an entire week.

I decided to craft a more realistic grocery list and give the challenge a go.

SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) recipients receive a daily average of $4.17, so I decided to limit myself to a budget of $29.19.

Since this challenge is an extreme version of the realities that low-income families face (the SNAP program is meant to be supplemental), I know that this week will not authentically replicate food insecurity. I do hope that it will help me better understand the day-to-day struggles that millions of people living off SNAP benefits face.