USDA Web site helps budget-conscious families

A few members of Congress have recently taken a challenge to see if they can subsist on $21 a week, the average amount a food stamp recipient receives.

Reps. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., and Jo Ann Emerson, R-Mo., who are co-sponsors of legislation that would add $4 billion annually to the $33 billion food stamp program that feeds 26 million low-income Americans, challenged their colleagues to join them in trying to eat for just $1 a meal.

McGovern conceded it was a struggle. “No organic foods, no fresh vegetables, we were looking for the cheapest of everything,” he told The Washington Post as a food stamp recipient helped him shop. “We got spaghetti and hamburger meat that was high in fat — the fattiest meat on the shelf. I have high cholesterol and always try to get the leanest, but it’s expensive. It’s almost impossible to make healthy choices on a food stamp diet.”

Is it?

Just ask Tom Wolfe, a longtime owner of a natural foods store in Takoma Park, Md. In a recent op-ed article for the Post, Wolfe noted that most of the people he meets on his frequent travels in the developing world eat a simple diet of grains, beans and vegetables.

Inspired by their example, he began in April to spend just $25 a week for food. “I have been able, through careful planning, to feed myself well — with enough left over to prepare lunch four days a week for the five people on the staff of my store,” he wrote. “Virtually my entire diet since April has been grains and beans grown certified-organic and a mix of organic and cheaper nonorganic vegetables.”

OK, but cooking from scratch is tough if you’re pressed for time. These days, people of all income groups are cooking less and dining out more.

So Rick Hindle, executive chef for Skadden, Arps, a law firm in Washington, D.C., showed recently that you don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen to prepare healthful, good-tasting food for $1 or less per meal. As part of the launch of a new USDA Web site (foodstamp.nal.usda.gov) and interactive recipe database for food stamp recipients, Hindle cooked Colorful Quesadillas (60 cents a serving), spinach and meat cakes with brown rice (92 cents) and Orange Banana Frosty (52 cents). All 400 recipes in the database adhere to the latest U.S. Dietary Guidelines. They’re available in both English and Spanish.

“They were easy to make, with only three to four ingredients,” Hindle said. “They looked nice. They’re good for you and they tasted great.” So great, in fact, that Hindle, who trained at the Culinary Institute of America, plans to add the quesadillas and some of the other recipes to his regular repertoire. (Find photos, recipes and links to menus at www.leanplateclub.com.)

To see how far the food stamp benefits could be stretched, I headed to a local chain grocery store adjacent to public transportation. My budget: $120 — the maximum weekly benefit for a family of four on food stamps. (See how much that buys at www.leanplateclub.com.)

Here’s a brief roundup of what I found:

* Dried beans. With the discount card, they cost as little as 55 cents a pound. That makes 16 servings for less than 4 cents each for putting in tacos, bean dip, soups, chili, salads and other dishes. Downside: Cooking dried beans is labor intensive. But a batch can be made and then frozen.

* Canned salmon. Just 14 cents an ounce compared with $7.99 a pound for fresh. Great for salmon patties or salmon loaf.

* Fruit. A big challenge until I found a large, whole watermelon for $5.99. It could provide about 12 servings.

* Eggs and tofu. At $1.89 a dozen, eggs are a low-cost protein source. So is the tofu at $2.99 a container.

* Whole grains. It took some time, but I found a loaf of whole-grain bread with extra fiber for $2.39. I bought two for sandwiches, toast and french toast.

* Salad dressing. Bottled was too expensive. I stretched my dollars with the discount card to buy a store-brand olive oil for $7.59 — that could also be used for cooking — and apple cider vinegar for vinaigrette. Tip from Hindle: Turn it into mock “balsamic” by adding one tablespoon of sugar, honey or molasses to one cup of vinegar.

* Vegetables. Ten bags of frozen veggies for $10 beat both fresh and canned and are nutritionally the same.

In short, challenging, but not as difficult as some members of Congress might think.

Join Sally Squires online from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesdays at www.leanplateclub.com, where you also can subscribe to the free Lean Plate Club weekly e-mail newsletter.