Eat Well on $4 a Day -- the free SNAP cookbook project

[KurtNYC]

Leanne Brown is a Canadian who came to NYC to earn a Masters in food studies. She was struck by the American attitude toward those using SNAP benefits and she took a novel approach to making a difference.

"It really bothered me," she says. "The 47 million people on food stamps — and that's a big chunk of the population — don't have the same choices everyone else does."
...
SNAP has no equivalent in Brown's home country of Canada; its public assistance programs are more flexible, she says. And she wasn't impressed with what she found when she went looking for resources for people in the U.S. program on how to cook well with the benefits.

"Tons of organizations are doing amazing, useful work, but usually their recipes can sound sort of preachy, or else they're very governmental," she says. Brown thinks the cookbooks that exist try to tell people the right way to live their lives — explaining what exactly they should eat and how exactly they should prepare it — and that often turns them off to the recipes.
...
Good and Cheap is also filled with beautiful photos — a visual feast, especially compared with the other recipe books tailored to people in SNAP. Take the U.S. Department of Agriculture's . Orange lines and black bullet points fill up entire pages, with equally uninspiring sketches on the side. And compare their Turkey Cabbage Casserole to Brown's Savory Summer Cobbler, which both Sanders and Mahoney cite as their favorite dish. Even the name draws a reader to the recipe, which features seasonal vegetables under a peppery biscuit crust. The lush photo that accompanies it on the page doesn't hurt.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/08/01/337141837/cheap-eats-cookbook-shows-how-to-eat-well-on-a-food-stamp-budget

Now she is printing books for those without computer/internet access and her KickStarter campaign has had enormous success.

A PDF copy of this beautiful, love-infused book is available here, free:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/490865454/good-and-cheap

[FSogol]

1. Good idea. k&r. n/t

[yeoman6987]

26. Nice but don't let the Republicans hear of this book

They will cut the food stamps down to 120 a month.

[msanthrope]

2. kick. nt

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

3. Should be required reading for college students (nt)

[LiberalAndProud]

4. I'm not on SNAP, but $4 a day is realy attractive.

Even quick pickups at the grocery store leave me $50 poorer. Every time.

[KurtNYC]

6. I stumbled onto this project while looking for recipes for green beans

I am a farmer with a special emphasis in fillet bean, edamame, snow peas and other legumes. She has corn meal crusted green beans in there which I must try.

Lots of her recipes are clever in their flexibility and all are attractively presented.

[aikoaiko]

7. Im going to try to be more intentional with meals too.

I've been grabbing store made sushi and premade meals a lot.

[MissB]

23. I like the link - and the recipes - and I would also recommend BudgetBytes.

budgetbytes.com

Seriously, everything I've tried there is amazing. Chicken Taco Bowl (my teenage boys love it), quick curried chickpeas and tandoori chicken (quick cooking on a panini maker if you have one - literally like 3 minutes per piece), Greek marinated chicken, dragon noodles, lemon blueberry corn bread, pumpkin oatmeal, hearty black bean quesadillas (which can be put together and then wrapped and frozen for quick cooking on the aforementioned panini maker by even a teenage boy). Her recipes list the prices per ingredient so you can get a general idea of the cost to you based on how much you know your local prices. I also like that she has info on basic stuff, like cooking beans from dry instead of grabbing a can, and freezing them. Which some people know how to do but some do not.

I haven't tried some of her soups and breads yet, but I hope to soon. I did buy her cookbook, which has other recipes than what is on the website. I haven't tried that extensively yet other than a salad dressing (that uses plain yogurt, balsamic, olive oil, garlic etc and is amazing). I'll be trying her coconut chicken curry - all of her stuff is fast and amazingly good and uses pantry staples that I usually have on hand.

[LiberalAndProud]

24. Thanks. What a great resource.

I have to admit though, that the 10 for $10 sales always derail my food budget. It's a conspiracy!

[dilby]

5. Cool book, looked through and most of the recipes look legit for a budget.

My only concern is that people on a budget generally will not have the spices called for which are expensive. I would have much preferred her to kind of use a base spice list, she seems to go over with the amount of spices she uses in her cooking. One recipe calls for paprika and the next calls for sweet paprika, make it easier on someone on a budget and just use one of those throughout the book. Same with a lot of her other recipes, some spices she only uses once in the book. That is my only critique.

[Shandris]

12. Yeah, that's the first thing that jumped out at me.

With a $28/week budget, she goes through it by the second page if you don't have everything on hand already. The stew alone would set you back more than an entire week's food (according to the $4 budget) at frickin' Wal-Mart, let alone anywhere expensive. Downthread someone mentions the 'thrifty' lifestyle would benefit more from this on average. I'd be inclined to agree; in my area, I know of maybe 2 families with the time to actually make this stuff 2-3 times/day between work and they're both low-income but with a stay-at-home mother.

I'm glad someone pointed this out though; even if someone can't make these all the time, once you have the initial 'ingredient shock' covered you can eat well, cheaply, even just making 1/day plus I've passed it along to others I know.

[dilby]

21. Yeah the spices will be killer on a budget but once you have them they last.

Unfortunately I think a lot of people who are on a budget will look at the recipes see the cost of spices and then decide the book is not for them. She would have been better off with listing alternative spices that can be used for each recipe, like using Allspice for recipes that call for Clove, Ginger and Cinnamon or which spices are not necessarily required but just make the dish taste better. She should have started the book with a suggestion of 6 basic staple spices for all recipes and then people can use additional spices as they add them to their pantry over time.

At the end of the book she does explain spices are expensive and gives suggestions on combo's to try but I think most people wont get to that part of the book, it's something that should be at the very beginning. I have an Indian cook book that is fantastic and the guy starts the beginning of the book saying, spices are expensive, here are staples to have in your pantry and here are suggestions for alternatives for spices you don't have or can't find in your supermarket.

[blueamy66]

31. I've bought many spices at the 99 cent store,

Just a thought.

[Warpy]

8. While it's a good idea, it's geared toward college kids

and a little naive about what it means to be truly poor, long term.

That means few condiments and seasonings unless one has access to a health food store that sells them in bulk. It means very little animal protein and more filler like day old breads and pastries. It means eating cheaper junk rather than nutritious food so the pain in your middle doesn't cut you in half because you can't eat enough nutritious food on SNAP to keep you from being hungry all the time.

If you know anything about nutrition, it means beans, grains, cheap root veggies, and homemade breads and sprouts. It means a boring diet that doesn't photograph well but will keep your guts from trying to kill you while keeping you well nourished, even in a food desert that never sees fresh veggies unless they can be kept a long time.

It also means not having time to cook elaborate meals because two part time jobs with long travel times barely leave you enough time to sleep some days, if you're lucky. If you're not lucky, your TANF and SNAP money leave you with a week every month with no money at all.

I wish Brown a great deal of success with her cookbook. I hope she follows it up with listening to enough poor people to produce a more realistic book for poor families.

[moriah]

11. I don't know a lot of college kids who make Chana Marsala.

Most of the ones I know eat lots of Ramen to survive

And if you don't have time to cook a meal, a cookbook isn't going to help you much, as cooking from scratch does take time. That's why it's cheaper than boxed food that's practically pre-prepared. The reason the banana pancakes she writes have a 15-minute setting period is they *are* made from scratch, and certainly the ingredients to make it are cheaper than buying boxed pancake mix.

None of the recipes seem to be 2-3 hour gourmet meals (and believe me, I'm not much of a cook). While it'd be nice to see more that are 20 minutes or less, 45 minutes to an hour is about normal for a meal not from a box.

Really, it seems more geared toward the "thrifty" lifestyle more than the poor lifestyle -- this would be a great gift for a stay-at-home mom raising babies while her husband works. Yes, under FS rules, such a family would qualify for SNAP because the non-working person is taking care of children under 5.

As for veggie access, I'm thrilled to see more farmer's markets getting eligibility to accept SNAP. The local one here does, but Arkansas is a state with an abundance of produce this time of year. It would be far more difficult to cook the way this woman has suggested out-of-season unless you went for frozen vegetables.

[closeupready]

14. Chana Masala is so easy - open a can of chickpeas.

Fry up some onion and garlic in a pan with oil, add tomato paste, seasonings, and chickpeas, then taste for salt/pepper, and serve. Ready in 10-15 minutes. Probably $0.40/serving. You get fiber, vitamins and minerals, fats, protein, complex carbs.

Noodles are simple carbs, salt and little else. Live on it, and you'll likely get ill.

I know that you weren't really disputing the value of the cookbook or anything, just wanted to point out that once you've learned to cook the basics, more complex-sounding dishes aren't so intimidating or time-consuming.

Cheers.

[Warpy]

15. Shrimp? Broccoli rabe? She has a distinct fondness for the latter.

Last edited Thu Aug 7, 2014, 07:57 PM - Edit history (1)

People in rural towns in the heartland are often among the poorest of the poor. The most exotic vegetable they ever see is probably parsnips. Stores there carry onions, potatoes, cabbage, winter squash, carrots and head lettuce, with other stuff in season, only.

I've never seen broccoli rabe here, and this is a big city with lots of yuppies.

Frozen veggies are actually a good deal in the off season because they were flash frozen at their prime, not picked unripe and blasted with ethylene gas to make them look ripe three months down the line and sold at a premium, off season price.

ETA: I should mention that I saw one recipe that was incredibly praise worthy, especially for mothers with hungry children, the leftover polenta fries. That one was really inspired and doesn't take a huge amount of resources to buy or prepare, cornmeal being one of the cheaper grain foods you can get. I've used fried leftover polenta mostly as a breakfast food. I'm going to have to try her idea one of these days.

[KurtNYC]

20. 1) she is still open to suggestions and recipes for the final final book and PDF

2) she didn't like the strictness of USDA books nor find it practical so...

So what are Brown's secrets to eating well on $4 a day? It's about stocking the pantry with cheap basics to build meals from: things like garlic, canned vegetables, dried beans and butter.

She also emphasizes flexibility, and avoids prescribing strict meals and methods. That means lots of options for substitutions, especially when it comes to the produce aisle, where prices can fluctuate based on season and availability.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/08/01/337141837/cheap-eats-cookbook-shows-how-to-eat-well-on-a-food-stamp-budget

She will give you credit in the book if you send a recipe she includes.

[Niceguy1]

27. you guys are missing the point (group reply)

Its tasty food that is cheap and easy to make... you can still have delicious food when you are poor...even the spices are cheap at the store or get a whole spice rack full of them at Wal-Mart for $15... i

[blueamy66]

32. Can only get broccoli rabe at Whole Foods in Phoenix

Last edited Sat Aug 9, 2014, 07:20 AM - Edit history (1)

And it's expensive.

And now I want some.

[CBGLuthier]

9. For us, the secret to eating cheap and well is Indian food.

Lentil and bean based recipes. We use fresh vegetables, spinach, carrots, bell peppers, chili peppers and the like and cook dried beans. Canned vegetables are an abomination.

You do have to stock up on some unusual spices but they are cheap. Makes sense considering how poor most of India is.

[laundry_queen]

13. Dahl with naan bread

homemade naan bread/spinach dahl, is one of the cheapest meals ever, and it's so tasty and filling. Because it's lentil/split pea based it cooks quickly and it improves with age which makes it great for left overs. A bit carb-y though. Where I live, you can get heaps of indian spices at rock bottom prices. If I didn't have kids who only like Indian cuisine on an infrequent basis I'd eat it much more.

[CBGLuthier]

18. We had a new one yesterday

Yellow dahl with spinach. Tempered with a paste made from whole coriander seeds, dried red chilies, fresh coconut and a bit of tamarind, with fried onions on top. It was very good.

We usually use pitas fort he bread because we have a place that makes them fresh and they are a little lighter than naan.

[laundry_queen]

25. That's my favorite kind

I usually use yellow split peas. It's how my uncle (of Indian heritage) taught me how to make it. He taught me how to make the naan too, except he called it Roti because he grew up in the Caribbean. I never thought of substituting pitas. I don't really care for the store bought naan around here...maybe I should try pita instead for the days I'm too lazy to make it myself.

[GobBluth]

10. I would love this in print and would be willing to pay for it.

My family is fortunate, we do very well. But still, with a family of 5 my grocery trips can be shocking. We try to eat well, but my husband and I aren't cooks. We CAN cook, but I need to follow a recipe, and my husband thinks he can just make stuff willy nilly and usually ends up wasting the food!

Wish I could order this with the proceeds helping to fund the books she gives out for free!

[KurtNYC]

17. "Get One, Give One" is one of the options in the right hand column here

and only $5 more than 'get one' (for yourself):

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/490865454/good-and-cheap

[leftstreet]

16. This reminds me of Depression Era Cookbooks

..ones I've seen in stores and online anyway

Interesting link, thanks for posting

[PoliticAverse]

19. Direct download link (google drive)...

https://8e81c55f4ebf03323905b57bf395473796067508.googledrive.com/host/0B2A2SnkA9YgxaHdzbEhGSmJOZDg/good-and-cheap.pdf

[Thor_MN]

22. As long as the word "Critters" doesn't show up....

[Orsino]

28. Beats dealing with income inequality, I guess. n/t

[Mariana]

29. How, exactly, is this Canadian woman

supposed to solve income inequality in the United States? And why do you think it's her responsibility to do so?

[Orsino]

30. I didn't believe anyone would read my post that way.

No, I don't think I'm blaming the author of a cookbook for the shambles of our economy.

It's much more likely that I'm decrying a nation that refuses to deal with the problem the book indirectly addresses.

[Corruption Inc]

33. Rec'd. There are 77 million Americans in debt collections too

http://www.urban.org/publications/413191.html

"Roughly 77 million Americans, or 35 percent of adults with a credit file, have a report of debt in collections. These adults owe an average of $5,178 (median $1,349). Debt in collections involves a nonmortgage bill—such as a credit card balance, medical or utility bill—that is more than 180 days past due and has been placed in collections. 5.3 percent of people with a credit file have a report of past due debt, indicating they are between 30 and 180 days late on a nonmortgage payment. Both debt in collections and debt past due are concentrated in the South."

[tomm2thumbs]

34. bump, as it is in the news again

https://www.yahoo.com/food/this-cookbook-shows-you-how-to-eat-well-on-just-4-126911201931.html