"I’ve heard it said that being poor is a full-time job. Last week I got a hint what this means when I participated in a Poverty Diet program sponsored by the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy.

In 2004 I introduced H.R. 260, which encouraged legislators to go on a two-week poverty diet—to live for a short period of time on what a Food Stamp recipient receives. When my colleagues on the House Rules Committee rejected my resolution, they said that I should provide them information about the program and they could do it on their own. The Interfaith Center took them at their word, created a curriculum and distributed it to congregations and legislators around the state. A few elected officials and several hundred Virginians participated in this experiment in empathy. The three-day diet culminated in six regional rice and beans dinners during which we shared our experiences.

A Food Stamp recipient in Virginia receives approximately $2.55 per day, so I had to give up many items that I take for granted. For example, a one-cup container of yogurt costs 69 cents. Granola bars, one of my favorite snacks, cost approximately 75 cents each. The apples I buy are almost 90 cents apiece. In fact, most fresh fruits and vegetables were too expensive for my new budget. I am on a heart-healthy diet and typically eat a lot of fish, which was also now out of my price range.

The first practical problem was the high price of breakfast. My usual dry cereal costs 50 cents a bowl. Fortunately, oatmeal, one of my favorite cold-weather meals, is cheaper. But it’s still 20 cents per serving. A half-gallon of milk is about $2, so there’s an additional 25 cents per bowl. Breakfast has already cost 45 cents and I haven’t added orange juice and coffee (at least 20 cents!)

The first day I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch—25 cents. Including breakfast, I had only spent 90 cents! But then came dinner. I made a simple canned salmon dish ($1.70 per can) that contained no vegetables. I also baked a potato. All together my dinner cost $2.27, which put me 62 cents over budget. I made myself feel better about the extravagance by committing to leftovers the next day.

On Day Two I had oatmeal for breakfast and, as promised, leftovers for lunch (and a 10 cent slice of bread.) Dinner was a big financial victory. I made a pot of bean soup, which cost $3.45, or 70 cents per serving. At the end of the day I had $1.25 to spare. But, I was in the hole from yesterday, and in order to keep costs down, I had four more servings of soup to eat.

Day Three’s meals were no different from the first two days. Clearly, on a restricted food budget you sacrifice variety.

So what lessons did I learn? First, three days was not long enough to gain significant understanding of such a restricted diet. The nutritional challenges alone are daunting. As I mentioned, I normally eat a heart-healthy diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables and fish. This would be difficult if not impossible if I had to rely on Food Stamps. It takes a lot of time, effort and creativity to plan cheap nutritious meals. I am reminded again that poverty is a full-time job.

I learned that leftovers and cooking in bulk are essential to surviving on Food Stamps. In fact I realized how much food I throw away without noticing.

I learned that I’m a lucky man. I’m healthy and content. I wonder how this would be different if I had to compromise nutrition and variety in order to make ends meet.

After H.R. 260 was killed in committee The Washington Post ran a story titled “Survivor: General Assembly.” The next day I received several e-mails on the subject. A few were congratulating me on my efforts, but a shocking number criticized me for it. One said, “I see very healthy, lazy ladies in the grocery store all the time...buying nice cuts of roast, steak, name brand foods…. Some of us work for a living and don’t live off the government, the way you Dems would like us to.” Another wrote, “It outrages me that working people’s taxes go to feed, clothe, and house idle people who won’t go out and work for their money.” And a third said, “[Food Stamp recipients] do quite well and are not in need of my sympathy.” It saddened me to think that there is so much hostility and suspicion directed toward the less fortunate.

Reading over those e-mails made me think about the morals debate in the 2004 presidential election. The Bible reminds us that the poor will always be with us. It gives several reasons for poverty, ranging from personal choice to corrupt social institutions. Unfortunately, the current discussion focuses on personal choice and ignores societal reasons for poverty. In other words, it assumes that the poor are undeserving because they brought it on themselves and we shouldn’t help them because they will take advantage of our good will. We ignore the reality that a majority of Food Stamp recipients are elderly, children and individuals working full-time, poorly paying jobs. This is often just an excuse to hide a lack of concern. I worry about that. When did we become such a cold-hearted nation?

In a time of rampant materialism, individualism and selfishness, it’s easy to forget that we are social beings. We would all benefit if we focused on the moral admonitions to love another, help the poor and to be humble instead of emphasizing the more divisive social issues.

It is no accident that this Poverty Diet experience was scheduled in the days prior to Thanksgiving. As we celebrate our blessings let’s remember those we would often prefer to forget. The fact is, they could be us." (Mitch Van Yahres, C-Ville Weekly, November 23, 2004)

Delegate Mitch Van Yahres has represented the 57th District in the Virginia General Assembly since 1981.

Note: See also "Letters to the Editor: Catherine Pemberton Comments on the Poverty Diet Experience"