Living Below The Poverty Line
Can You Survive For A Week?
More people than we think are actually living below the poverty line. Many live on a fixed income and live pay check to pay check. We take so much for granted, such as have food on our plate. This lab was designed to show the struggles that people have to go through. We had to design a weeks worth of food on three dollars a day, or 21 dollars a week. Each day had to include three meals and two snacks, while caloric intake averages about 2200 calories. Would you be able to survive for a week?
Total Cost
$20.64
Living below the poverty line means taking the high price of food and limiting what you can buy. As a result, reorganizing my shopping list became frequent. Eating the same types of food for the same meal each day was on of the only ways to keep the cost under $21.
Shopping List
Rice
Rice - $2.39
Beans
Beans - $1.84
Granola Bars
Granola Bars - $2.99
Bread
Bread - 2.29
Peanut Butter
Peanut Butter - 3.89
Jelly
Jelly - 2.49
Calorie Intake per Day
Day 1: 1940
Day 2: 1940
Day 3: 1940
Day 4: 1940
Day 5: 1940
Day 6: 1930
Day 7: 1980
Even though all of these numbers were slightly under 2200, this amount is still livable. However, it was not always the healthiest meal choice. Proteins, dairy products and produce were sacrificed in order to keep the price as low as possible. The meals didn't vary day to day leading to a very bland diet.