Gwyneth Paltrow is taking a break from her usual high-end health food (often featured on her Goop website) and spending the next week living on $29 worth of groceries—that’s only $1.38 per meal–which is the budget that the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) provides. Why? Celebrity chef Mario Batali, a member of the New York City Food Bank Board, challenged her to take the Food Bank NYC Challenge. The challenge raises awareness of the cuts Congress has made to slash program benefits further.
Batali says, “For one week, walk in someone else’s shoes. Knowledge is power, and by truly understanding what our friends and neighbors are going through, we will be better equipped to find solutions.”
Paltrow cannot take food from anyone else or use ingredients she already has, according to the challenge rules. And she tweeted her grocery haul for the week yesterday:
What meals will GP make? Can she get through the week while adhering to the rules of the challenge? We’ll have to stay tuned.
Want to participate in the challenge with Paltrow and Batali? Find out more and sign up at the Food Bank NYC Challenge website. You can also make a donation to #CanDoNYC and help the Food Bank provide meals to New Yorkers in need.
Written by Kallie Tenney
