Dinner today consisted of cheese quesadillas, salsa, and broccoli spears. I used the entire pack of tortilla wraps because I knew we would all be hungry. That turned out to be a wise move. Our kids ate a lot of quesadillas and salsa. I found myself wanting more, but needed to make sure everyone else got their fill first. I quietly held back so that my husband and children would have enough to eat. I am certain that I am not the first (nor will I be the last) wife/mother to do this.
One thing I am learning through this SNAP Challenge is the impact of portion sizes. I worked on my grocery tracking form where I have to list each food item I purchased, the price, number of servings per package, and the price per serving. It’s surprising to me how large the recommended serving sizes really are. To make the food stretch, though, we have to reduce the amount we dole out on our plates. For example, 3 slices make one serving size of the turkey deli meat. In our house, we each only get one slice. The pita bread makers say that 1 round is a serving. We typically eat ¼ to ½ round per person. I divide the pudding so that each of our kids eats only half of a pudding cup. Maybe it’s because we have young children that these tactics work. I shared this challenge with my older brother. He and his wife have 11-year old triplets. He said they wouldn’t last a day…and I believe it. Considering the way adolescents eat, I can only imagine how quickly food would be consumed in a family with tweens or teens. That must wreak havoc on a SNAP budget!
As much as I am learning from this experience, I will be glad when it’s over.