Gwyneth Paltrow flubs $29 food stamp dare, swallows pride instead

A not particularly shamefaced Gwyneth Paltrow has admitted she failed to survive for seven days on $29 (20 quid) for food as part of the #FoodBankNYCChallenge, which invites participants "to walk in the shoes of 1.7 million New Yorkers who rely on SNAP (formerly Food Stamps)." At the behest of celebrity food-botherer Mario …

[PleebSmash]

eat this

I think she had a good start. Ditch the kale, peas, 3 of the limes, eggs. Get 5 lbs of rice, not 2. Get more beans. Combine the wettened beans, rice, and flour tortillas (corn won't hold up). Add flavor (pick 2 of sour cream, lime, hot sauce, cilantro, cumin, or lemon pepper). Just keep eating that for 7 days. If you run out of tortillas, eat it out of a bowl. Add a daily multivitamin (expired, 10 years old, found in the neighbor's trash).

Here's another top shelf idea: Soylent Hummus. Just make your standard hummus in bulk, add some groundup multivitamins (that's a thing, right?) and slather it on crackers for a week (you can't afford pita).

[pompurin]

Re: eat this

I don't know if it's cheating, but if you have time then you can browse all the supermarkets around reduction time and get some stonking deals.

Last week I got a bag of stir fried vegetables for 1p and some cabbage for 1p. Granted that's rare, but you can get it without much trouble for 20p and pretty much daily for 50p. Each day is different.

Cheap pasta/rice is easy to come buy, but the biggest problem is will power with the sheer boredom of the diet. If you have luxury foods within an arms reach then what's the point in forcing yourself on this diet, to feel good about yourself?

[PleebSmash]

Re: eat this

You can meet the $10 challenge (quid a day) using tortillas... especially if you cheat by using bulk rice and beans and dividing the cost. If you can afford to bring in kale and eggs, you can have a breakfast tortilla. I am also a big fan of the chickpeas.

Anybody with the tools necessary to cook, the patience to look for deals, and a larger budget can eat reasonably well. The savings can go directly to beer.

[John Brown (no body)]

Re: eat this

"Anybody with the tools necessary to cook, the patience to look for deals, and a larger budget can eat reasonably well."

I'd imagine that in between looking for work and maybe doing some part-time work, most of the people on that level of budget are likely have the time to look for the bargains. The biggest problem for someone falling to that level rather than growing up with it, is that the learning curve can be difficult. Many people these days seem to think "food" comes in nice packaging with pictures on the front and takes a couple of minutes to nuke it in the microwave.

There really are people out there claiming a need for food-bank usage then complain they had to reduce their Sky subscription to cut off the movie channels (not the sport though) and could only afford one week in Turkey this year instead of two. Fortunately, those sorts are fairly few, or just plain liars..

[rdhood]

Re: eat this

"Anybody with the tools necessary to cook, the patience to look for deals, and a larger budget can eat reasonably well."

That's harder than it sounds for a lot of folks who are on food stamps. Our inner cities in the U.S. are often "food deserts". The often unsavory clientèle (think about those thugs in Baltimore who just burned down their CVS drug store...) makes typical chains NOT want to locate there. So there is no "shopping around", as that would take a car and some travel. When I lived without a car in a large city, I got to know first hand this experience. It goes like this: get on bus, make 1 hour ride to grocery store, get as much as you can take back on the bus, make one hour ride back home. It's quite an eye-opening experience for someone who has always lived less than 8 minutes from a grocery store by car.

The location of grocery stores/supermarkets/farmers markets has a direct impact on what one can do with that $29 in food stamps. It's not just the amount of money, it's the availability and cost of food in your area.

[swampdog]

Re: eat this

Care to elaborate on where these 20p doofries can be had?

[John Brown (no body)]

Re: eat this

"Care to elaborate on where these 20p doofries can be had?"

Any big name supermarket. There's usually a shelf section for none chilled, a chiller section and a freezer section. Easy to walk past and miss except at the "right" time, often when a staff member is re-pricing/re-stocking the "damaged/almost out of date" shelves, when a small crown often gathers.

At our local Morrisons, the "crowds" usually only gather for the chilled goods and the "end of day" cream cake discounts. They also sell off the pies/pasties/cooked chicken as well as bread products about 7pm at very low prices. A bag of 4-6 fresh baked (that day, probably less than a few hours old) pick'n'mix breadbuns for 20p isn't unusual.

[John Brown (no body)]

Re: eat this

"If you have luxury foods within an arms reach then what's the point in forcing yourself on this diet, to feel good about yourself?"

Yes, agree with this sentiment entirely.

For anyone who has never had to survive on such a pittance, it's extremely difficult to imagine what it's like long term or to stick to it if, as you say, you have other food in the cupboards. Doubly so for anyone used to not having to worry about the cost of whether to fly club class or first class.

She's done the right thing though. She's been honest about her failure, made a donation (hopefully a regular one now), learned why it's a problem and done some good PR.

She could have lied about it, or succeeded and then been a sanctimonious twat about it as the occasional UK MP is when they claim to have lived "on the dole" for a week. A week is easy in comparison to say 6 months, a year, multiple years, when that budget has to account for the fridge breaking down, kids needing shoes/clothes, colder than normal winter etc.

[Ian Michael Gumby]

Re: eat this

You are right about increasing the amount of rice.

If you think about it, if you can purchase items in bulk over time, you can make it work, not to mention if you can pool your money (stamps), you can get more bang for your buck.

The other thing to consider is that the food stamps are supposed to be a subsidy and not the sole source of income for food.

Could I do it?

Sure if you put a gun to my head, but not that I would want to do it.

[Anonymous Coward]

Soylent (Tom) Green

Is that the processed carcasses of defunct showbusiness careers? Now you've got me imagining Gwyneth Paltrow screaming "SOYLENT GREEN IS LITTLE PEOPLE!!!!!"

Well, I congratulate Gwyneth for trying, but she probably broke the rules of the challenge the minute she used the term "saute" as a part of her downmarket diet.

[Desidero]

Re: eat this

I thought Soylent Hummus was people? Should be cheaper than lime and kale, as life is cheap in the inner city. At least I think that's been the bent of cheap subsistence payouts.

[Desidero]

Re: eat this

I thought Soylent Hummus was people? Should be cheaper than lime and kale, as life is cheap in the inner city. At least I think that's been the bent of cheap subsistence payouts.

Update: certainly she's not eating plain "Soylent Green" which is standard fare for standard folks. Soylent Hummus is *exotic* people, suitable for an actress of her caliber.

[Anonymous Coward]

Or we could look at someone who actually knows how to budget and feeds a family of four for a week with just $70. http://twitchy.com/2013/06/14/freedomworks-kristina-ribali-weaning-people-off-food-stamps-is-real-snap-challenge/

[Anonymous Coward]

The problem

The problem is that many of the people on this budget do not have the mindset *not* to go straight for the giant litres of Coke, massive pizzas, and portions of fries and other sh*t. Many are nutritionally clueless, with a sense of "being fat is okay" entitlement.

Unfortunately being fat is not okay when you can't afford it, so mindsets and diet need to change. That is where one of the problems is.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: The problem

Does Whole Foods take food stamps?

[skeptical i]

Re: The problem

Hi, A.C.: While the people you describe certainly do exist, there is often more going on.

A lot of people are "nutritionally clueless", but since many folks (for better or worse) get their "education" from teevee, I'm not sure how they'd know better. So agree that we need more and better education on nutritional bang for the buck. To this end, at least around here, some schools are incorporating "community gardens" into class curricula so the sprogs can learn nutrition, math(s), nature/science, and so on, and the kids generally love to eat the veggies that they grew themselves. Food for both brain and belly. I think the kids also take home any "surplus", but that likely varies by school.

Another problem is that poor neighborhoods often have few options for useful or real food. C-stores and "dollar stores" with overly processed packaged "food" dominate poor neighborhoods since the brightly-wrapped stodge tends to be cheap(-ish) and with enough preservatives to be shelf-stable. Real food, by contrast, tends to cost more and be perishable.

I'm not an expert, but my guess is that a lot of poor people are fat because the food to which they do have access is so nutritionally bereft that they need more calories' worth to get a decent supply of vitamins and other nutes. Just a guess on my part, there are likely other reasons.

[P. Lee]

Re: The problem

Observing my own behaviour, I tend to load up on carbs/fat if my protein intake isn't high enough to keep me feeling full.

i.e. if I skip protein, I end up eating loads of bread & pasta etc which normally come served with other badness.

Add peas, beans & lentils to the mix and you stay full on much less food but that food takes prep time and quite a lot of getting used to. Perhaps they should teach proper cooking in school? Nah, we're talking about the country which officially classes pizza as a vegetable.

[Simon 15]

Soup (is good food...)

I spend less than £20 a week on my food out of choice not because I need to.. I eat/drink soup five days a week as part of a highly restrictive calorie controlled diet. Just one 600ml pot of fresh wholesome soup a day and as much water as I want free of charge from the tap at work. That's a total cost of £5 for the week leaving me to splash out with the other £15 at the weekend! Woo Hoo!

I'll spend £6 for a decent meal on Sunday including some meat for protein, chicken fajitas, spaghetti bolognaise, lasagne, chicken curry & rice and that sort of thing. The Morrison's meal-deal (£6) is a winner here.. With the remaining £9 I'll stock up on bread, frozen peppers, onions, pasta, rice, butter and perhaps even some bacon if I'm feeling extravagant! Once again the delicious water from the tap in my kitchen is (almost) free.

Is it really that difficult? The evidence suggests that I'll probably live longer too :)

[swampdog]

Re: Soup (is good food...)

I sense exaceration. Produce a shopping list receipt.

Is it really that difficult?

The truth? Apparently so.

The evidence..

?forthcoming?

..suggests that I'll probably live longer too :)

Dammit man, if ... parties.. etc

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Soup (is good food...)

@Simon 15 - Out of interest, why do you do this? What benefits are you getting? I'd find a diet like you've described just plain depressing and unfulfilling. It would make me deeply unhappy. Do you do something great with the money you don't spend on food?

[Simon 15]

Re: Soup (is good food...)

It's not difficult at all! The problem is that everyone is just too greedy and eats far more food than they actually require.... I sit at a desk most of the day and therefore don't need the thousands of calories that my ancestors doing much more labor intensive jobs did. There is a massive variety of soup commonly available from your local supermarket and I certainly don't ever feel 'bored' or limited for choice.

The benefits of a low calorie diet are very well documented as much research has already been conducted. Searching for 'Newcastle Diet' is a good starting point and there's a huge wealth of evidence showing how chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes can be reversed by an ultra low calorie diet. It's all just common sense really so I'm surprised that it seems to upset so many people! Eat a well-balanced, nutritional diet that provides just enough calories for your daily needs and you'll do well. Eat too much, too little or too much of any one single type of food and it's going to be bad for you... What's so difficult? Fruit and veg = healthy, chips and pies = not healthy..

If you want to find out more about how you can eat less, save money and live longer then the BBC Horizon episode 'Eat, Fast and Live Longer' is an excellent starting point.

At the end of the day we are all too greedy and eat not because we are hungry but to replace something that is missing in our lives or for the sake of enjoyment. It seems a bit sad and shallow to me and I suppose it perhaps explains why we have such an obesity problem in the UK.

[Johnny Canuck]

People who are poor and have been so for some time develop tastes and habits that are a result of their situation - basically its all they've ever known. It also has a tendency to carry over when/if they finally get out of the financial crisis they've been surviving in. Here's a formerly poor person's perspective/

http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-5-stupidest-habits-you-develop-growing-up-poor/

[Nigel The Pigeon]

That is an amazing article. Very interesting.

[Gray]

A matter of perspective ...

Having grown up dirt poor after the WWII victory years, I can say that one needs to live in the US environment to really understand the problem with poor families and their diet.

First off, there's really no food education in US schools; nothing much about basic cooking or nutrition. In my day, there was some "home extension" material pushed by the government, and Home Economics classes for girls, and Shop classes for boys. All home skills were assumed to be taught by mothers and grandmothers. Poor diet habits got passed down the generations. Over time, that has devolved into a gross divide between "fashionable" food habits in wealthy areas, and prepared fast food habits for poor inner-city or rural districts. And basic living skills are no longer part of the curriculum in public schools.

More recently, access to wholesome, affordable food has become problematic. America's tumble into corporatism is reflected in the megastores and where they're located; usually in upscale, wealthier areas. The concept of "food desert" is a uniquely American development. Poor neighborhoods are left with rip-off corner convenience stores, and junk food outlets. And if there is access to a proper supermarket, 95% of the shelf space is dedicated to over-processed quick 'n easy stuff, and acres and acres of rumbling freezers filled with ready-to-eat convenience stuff. Basic foods are on the floor shelves, mostly out of sight, and wholesome produce -- veg and fruit -- is sorted, waxed, and polished, and is obscenely expensive.

Two other factors have a profound effect. Lack of cooking skills, and lack of a proper kitchen and cookware to prepare nutritious meals. It takes both taste acculturation, cooking education, and accessible (and affordable) cookware to prepare family meals, day after day. (Decent cookware has become absurdly expensive in recent years; that's why the typical donation-based Thrift store shelves are usually stripped clean of any good skillets, pots, or pans.)

Give a poor or homeless US family bags of rice and dried beans, a sack of spuds, a head of cabbage and a bunch of carrots, and you might as well go ahead and kick them in the teeth for good measure. Most are not able or equipped to handle food in that form. A box of quick ramen, a pack of instant mac n' cheese food, or a Big Mac with a super-sized side of fries is far more accessible to them.

[GloriousVictoryForThePeople]

Re: A matter of perspective ...

"More recently, access to wholesome, affordable food has become problematic."

So true.

Where I was living in small town US for a while, there were 2 supermarkets (now only one, they bought the other and demolished the building). No butcher. No vege shops. No other choice.

There were veges but they were never fresh - tomatoes could be left out for months - they didn't rot or mould, just shrink. Plain rolled oats were only in small boxes, and a premium priced food (~9x the price of fruit loops, if you can beleive it) for some sort of health freak that would that shit.

The nearest fresh veges I managed to find were ~120miles away.

Tasty cheese and beer - drive to Toronto. (Mmmm Toronto - Cheese, Beer, Svelte women)

[phil dude]

Re: A matter of perspective ...

Yes, that is the thing about the US being so large. "Local" food is a highly variable designation.

In TN they grow tomato's, chilli's, limited citrus, etc... Living near a campus, the food is pretty economical...especially if you like the adventure of the non-English speaking shops just off campus.

However, adjacent states (of which there 7), opens up a whole other world of food (distance of 500 miles say).

I'm curious how hard this challenge would be in Southern California which caters to large ethnic populations. Was GwnthPltrw just unable to negotiate the landscape or is it genuinely not feasible?

P.

[SolidSquid]

Re: A matter of perspective ...

I'm sure I remember her being involved in some niche diet things in the past, so I suspect she just isn't aware of how people have to buy in order to keep prices low enough for this (the spread shown in the article pic, while definitely healthy, also seems to confirm this)

[cray74]

" Here's a formerly poor person's perspective"

Thanks for sharing that, you beat me to it. The other Cracked articles on the topic are insightful, too.

[Sanctimonious Prick]

Right!

Imagine, if you will, being a person who feels like they cannot get a job. Imagine, with that in mind, getting depressed, becoming an alcoholic, and then throw in pot smoking and gambling (poker machines). Imagine, on top of that, having no friends. Imagine waking up every day wondering how the hell you're going to get through this day. Imagine being behind in your rent. Imagine the pressure one would feel living in a boarding house where the owner can boot you out onto the street (legally) with just 2 minutes notice. Imagine having no possessions.

Fuck you and your mortgage, that is MY life!! Go on. Live on that!! Fuckers!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Right!

I can't imagine feeling like I can't get a job, and I refuse to feel sorry for the lusers who do.

[ashdav]

Re: Right! (@Big John)

Wait till you get to 50 and you won't feel so sanctimonious. Prick

(and you can't spell)

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Right! (@Big John)

I'm sorry, did I strike a nerve?

And BTW, I'm 55 now and I freelance on Odesk to pay my bills. It's amazing what jobs you can get if you're willing to actually work.

What age are you? 14?

[Sanctimonious Prick]

Re: Right! (@Big John)

I'm 45, John. A Microsoft Certified Professional. I'm struggling to get a job. I do get the occasional 'cash in hand' work, but that's illegal, and is very few and between.

Unfortunately, the size of my penis means I can't get a job as a gigolo!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Right! (@Big John)

"Unfortunately, the size of my penis means I can't get a job as a gigolo!"

I tried it, it was just plain hard work.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Right! (@Big John)

A Microsoft Certified Professional.

the size of my penis means I can't get a job as a gigolo!

Are these conditions related? Enquiring minds want to know :).

[Sanctimonious Prick]

Re: Right! (@Big John)

LOL @ ashdav!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Right!

... and here you are, using your copious spare time on... The Register? O_o

[Sanctimonious Prick]

Re: Right!

"and here you are, using your copious spare time on... The Register?"

Yes. Here I am. Between applying for jobs.

I spend many hours, every single day looking for and applying for jobs.

Go to buggery, pal!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Right!

Perhaps he's getting paid $0.50/hr to troll...

[swampdog]

Re: Right!

You can add into that, my manic depressive mate. The police can take away everything. "Nowhere to live mate? Give me that inhaler, be 6 hours before you're getting that back.. unless you want to admit to [blah].

[Sanctimonious Prick]

Re: Right!

about bloody time i got some down votes!!

(it was all in capitals, but then it looked too big)

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Right!

Looks like life as usual in the Great Era of Free Money From the Printing Press.

But always remember that we are in a war against Oceania, so your sacrifice is worth it!

[DainB]

Pointless

For a single US dollar you can buy 12 beers, get a bed for the night, take two taxis or eat in a nice restaurant in Venezuela. You can fill up a car at a local gas-station for 2 bolivars, around 1 US cent.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Pointless

But you can't buy loo roll or food in the shops.

[DainB]

Re: Pointless

Why would you need toilet paper if you can't buy food ?

p.s. what's wrong with newspapers ?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Pointless

Whoo hoo! Now I know what to say when people ask me where I want to retire.

[John 156]

Her shapely arse?

Paltrow is an inveterate publicity-seeker: it's perfectly easy to survive on £20 a week by performing one weekly shop at Aldi: just stick as far as possible to raw ingredients. However, Bolognese sauce has been extremely difficult to source for about a month due to the unavailability of Passata: what is going on?

[Anonymous Coward]

doing it for real...

99% of our meats come from the markdowns. It is the cheapest way to get good "aged meats". Plus we eat a lot of rice, beans, 'tators and noodles. Salads stuffs from the gardens helps, too. And then there's our fruit trees and heirloom 'maters that we grow in our "green room" so we have some all year long. I won't even mention our chickens, geese and guineas that we butcher some times.

Maybe there's some ""cheating"" in there. Maybe not. If we could get everything from our own li'l farm we would. The biggest ""problem"" we run into now is doing the actual butchering. We're getting just a "li'l bit older" and not really wanting to deal with that aspect but it is what it is. Trying to butcher a hog or steer/bull/cow isn't quite what it used to be. Getting them hung in the tree to perform the actual separating of the meat is a chore, to say the least. If we could afford to feed and raise them, that is.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: doing it for real...

What's wrong with tofu?

[JustWondering]

No limes?

Wouldn't that make a G&T pretty much undrinkable?

[Anonymous Coward]

Here's a better idea!

Politicians/Actresses → Soylent Green

I'd eat that! ;) Or at least sprinkle it in the garden.

(would solve a lot of problems)

[Anonymous Coward]

Trying to fail

Look at the ingredients she picked.

Look at the response before, during, and her response after.

It's extremely obvious she planned to fail from the start, so she can extra emphasise how hard the "poor people" have it. What a bitch. :(

[Mark Chapman]

No wonder

This will be the same Gywneth Paltrow who published a family cookbook in 2013 featuring muffins costing $5 each to make and a salad that ran to $120?

[Neil Barnes]

Re: No wonder

Seems like a good time to remind you good folks of this: http://www.lulu.com/shop/neil-barnes/food-for-a-tenner-a-week/paperback/product-22072696.html

Currently in southern Spain paragliding, and impressed at how cheap the food is here - particularly for fresh vegetables. I'd have to rewrite the book if I lived here.

Meanwhile - how can I get a lime into next week's challenge?

[chivo243]

Mixed feelings

When I first read this story (elsewhere), I had to laugh and wonder if she could take the El Reg challenge? But upon reflection I have to think WTF, why is she even doing this? Did she actually do the shopping, or did her personal assistant get up earlier to do this errand? And she couldn't even finish the challenge.

On the other side of the coin, this stunt is getting the message out.

But in the end I can't help thinking there is some PR jerk in the background saying "See, it's a win - win situation, you appear to be feeling the plight of the poor, and we get your mug out there too." "Can I have more money now?" And as far as the donation, her accountant/taxman is probably saying,"You know, the Iron Man franchise is pushing you into a different tax bracket, if you make a donation, maybe we can deduct it twice!"

Meh is close...

[Spaceman Spiff]

What now?

So, will Ms. Paltrow raise the salaries of her maids, cooks, and gardeners? Do they make a "living" wage, or are they on food stamps also?

[DrXym]

How can you fail with that?

It's not a huge amount of money but I bet you could survive fairly well on it assuming you cooked in bulk and took advantage of discounted items (e.g. those close to sell-by).

[SolidSquid]

Re: How can you fail with that?

I don't know, having just short of £3/day for all your food and drink seems like it'd be tricky to achieve. Possible, but require a lot of planning

[x 7]

typical actress.

Can't survive a week without a piece of meat in her mouth.

[Rande Knight]

Not sure about healthy...

But I wouldn't go hungry on £20 a week. It's not that much less than the £25 a week that I currently spend.

It's easy if you really like rice, potatoes and/or pasta.

[Anonymous Coward]

New York, New York!

The Big Apple is a notoriously expensive place to live. I was warned back during the seventies to never accept a job assignment there for less than $100 / day per diem for living expenses. Even cooking your own meals there is expensive. So, don't think of New York as an example for the entire United States. It is and always has been a very sharp aberration--much like London is once you compare it with the rest of Blighty.