As it turns out, I had quite a bit of food left over that could keep me going for a few more days. So yes, it is possible to eat healthy on $4 a day, but it can be hard and time-consuming. I also didn't get to eat as many fresh vegetables and fruits as I wanted. OK, so it was my fault for forgetting about the broccoli, but even if I were consuming that, I don't think it would've been enough. And I much prefer fresh broccoli to frozen.
Personally, I think some tweaks are definitely needed for this cookbook. To be fair, Browne addressed that in the introduction when she said this book is more of a "spark" to get people to pick up cooking skills. And in reference to those who do not have access to kitchen and cooking equipment, she said, "I simply cannot hope to do those issues justice within the bounds of one cookbook."
I'm guessing it may be hard for someone on food stamps to follow this cookbook. It's a lot to think and stress about while you're shopping at the supermarket, and cooking from scratch takes up quite some time. And who needs more added stress when you have bills to pay? Someone struggling to feed a family who sees ingredients such as cumin seeds and fresh thyme in the cookbook could possibly think that it's out of touch with her reality. All the added spices and seasonings are great, but maybe impractical. Thinking back on the conversation about food deserts with my friends, I'm also wondering if the quality of what's available in low-income neighborhoods is even appealing to people. Why would you want wilted lettuce when the boxed mac and cheese looks a lot more appealing?
There obviously needs to be more conversation on what we can do to improve the access of quality food to low-income communities, and this book is a good start — perhaps not a perfect one, but at least it'll get the conversation going.
