Cory Booker is having some difficulties with his SNAP challenge but seems more determined to fix his problems and carry on.
The Newark, N.J. mayor is keeping his supporters and followers updated with his LinkedIn blog post. On Dec. 7, Booker posted about his third day of the food stamp challenge, which started on Dec. 4. He said the third day was "by far the toughest."
"In addition to preparing and packaging my meals, I realized early this morning that I am eating too much food per meal. If I do not cut back the amount I am eating at each meal, I will run out of food before the #SNAPChallenge is over," Booker wrote.
Booker was honored at the 27th annual Kids In Distressed Situations gala, an event benefiting the children's nonprofit. According to the Wall Street Journal, he abstained from the steak, potatoes, and bread served at dinner.
"There was no temptation," Booker said when asked about having to skip the meal. "I'm still on the SNAP Challenge."
This morning Booker told his now 1.3 Twitter followers that his first meal was an apple. He said, "To conserve food + lessen cravings I'm eating small meals w/ more frequency." Meat 2 consisted of Chick peas with some seasoning and olive oil.
Booker accepted the SNAP challenge from Twitter follower @MWadeNC, a.k.a Twitwit, that he will try to live on the monetary equivalent of food stamps for at least a week. He also challenged her to do the same, which she accepted. His food budget is $30 a week / $4.32 per day.
In 2011, SNAP on average provided $134 per person to 44.7 million people per month in New Jersey, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That's just a little over $33 a week and $4 a day.
Booker tweeted a picture of his Pathmark receipt earlier Monday. Some of the items purchased were apples, corn, broccoli, and lots of pink beans. It amounted to under $30.
According to NJ.com, Booker is not only craving "expensive" food like chicken and rice, but he may also suffer from caffeine withdrawal symptoms soon. The 42-year-old mayor said coffee and soda have been a regular part of his diet since his teens.
Booker's SNAP challenge will end on Dec. 11. Are you following in his footsteps? Sound off below!
