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On a Dollar a Day: One Couple's Unlikely Adventures in Eating in America
What happens when two high school teachers get fed up with their soaring grocery bills and decide to try to feed themselves on one dollar each, per day? Authors Kerri Leonard and Christopher Greenslate describe how they did it--and also include sections about eating on a little more than $4 a day, as well as on the actual costs of eating a healthy diet. On a Dollar a Day also includes fascinating facts about the way our food gets to the table and the hidden costs--both personal and financial--along the How food companies "short size" packages so that you pay more for less food? Why one tablespoon of salad dressing costs as much as a whole orange? How grocery stores auction off foods past their "sell by" dates? Why processed foods have a higher markup than fresh foods? Why it takes so long for food prices to drop, even after fuel and shipping costs go down? How 36 million Americans have limited food options, even during a national obesity epidemic?
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
February 20, 2013
An interesting little book that tells the story of partners Christopher and Kerri and their journey of 3 challenges involving eating, finances and health.
The first challenge is to eat on $1 a day, to get an idea what it is like for many in third world countries. The second challenge was to eat using the budget and meal plans of the USDA Thrifty Food Plan, which is what is recommend to those who receive Food Stamp Benefits. The Third challenge was simply trying to find a healthful, thrifty meal plan that fit with their lifestyle.
I got this book from the library, mainly due to my own families desire to stick to a tight budget, which includes a food budget that leaves us approximately $1 per Person, per meal. For our family of three that means eating on $9 a day. Thanks to Aldi's, Publix's weekly BOGO deals, and a huge pantry and outside freezer. We get good deals, and can buy in bulk when the price is right. But often, I find what this couple found, it's one thing to try to stay in a certain $ range, but yet another to do it while eating a variety of healthy well-balanced meals.
This book made me think a lot about Food Insecurity, and what it must be like for those who don't have enough to eat or the money to buy it, and how receiving Food stamps might keep you from going hungry, it's won't necessarily keep you from obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
And to realize that even though it sometimes feels like we have it tough financially, that if we run out of grocery $ before the end of the month, it simply means that we maybe don't put any into savings or can't pay extra on our debt that month, or will have to wait even longer before we can afford to get a 2nd car.
The first challenge is to eat on $1 a day, to get an idea what it is like for many in third world countries. The second challenge was to eat using the budget and meal plans of the USDA Thrifty Food Plan, which is what is recommend to those who receive Food Stamp Benefits. The Third challenge was simply trying to find a healthful, thrifty meal plan that fit with their lifestyle.
I got this book from the library, mainly due to my own families desire to stick to a tight budget, which includes a food budget that leaves us approximately $1 per Person, per meal. For our family of three that means eating on $9 a day. Thanks to Aldi's, Publix's weekly BOGO deals, and a huge pantry and outside freezer. We get good deals, and can buy in bulk when the price is right. But often, I find what this couple found, it's one thing to try to stay in a certain $ range, but yet another to do it while eating a variety of healthy well-balanced meals.
This book made me think a lot about Food Insecurity, and what it must be like for those who don't have enough to eat or the money to buy it, and how receiving Food stamps might keep you from going hungry, it's won't necessarily keep you from obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
And to realize that even though it sometimes feels like we have it tough financially, that if we run out of grocery $ before the end of the month, it simply means that we maybe don't put any into savings or can't pay extra on our debt that month, or will have to wait even longer before we can afford to get a 2nd car.
April 17, 2010
This book was sometimes interesting but I found it hard to maintain interest in the authors' experiments in eating frugally. I could see the value of exploring the "Thrifty Food Plan" endorsed by the USDA but the $1/day plan made no sense to me. My understanding is that someone who only had a dollar a day for food would be eligible for food assistance, so it seemed more an endurance contest than anything really useful.
A thing that irked me: he authors have chosen a vegan lifestyle but I couldn't help but wonder if a long simmered chicken soup might not have been a better use of their artificially limited food dollars than more rice and beans or processed fake meats.
The authors did make good points about the scarcity of good, affordable food in low income areas but nothing was really new to me. It sounds like the experiments were eye opening to the authors themselves, their families, their students, co-workers, and friends who, we assume, haven't had to carefully watch their food dollars. If only for that, then it seems like the experiments were worthwhile.
A thing that irked me: he authors have chosen a vegan lifestyle but I couldn't help but wonder if a long simmered chicken soup might not have been a better use of their artificially limited food dollars than more rice and beans or processed fake meats.
The authors did make good points about the scarcity of good, affordable food in low income areas but nothing was really new to me. It sounds like the experiments were eye opening to the authors themselves, their families, their students, co-workers, and friends who, we assume, haven't had to carefully watch their food dollars. If only for that, then it seems like the experiments were worthwhile.
June 13, 2011
Kerri and Christopher conduct a series of "experiments" around their eating habits, first eating on a dollar a day per person for one month. This challenge came when Christopher remarked that there are million people around the world who subsit on this amount. They found that, while doable, they both lost weight and were pretty cranky, and the variety of food they could afford was very limited. Next they decided to go for a month eating on $4.13 each, the average supplemented allotment of people on food stamps in the US. They tried to stick with the meal plan that is suggested to food stamp recipients, adapated for their vegan diet. While there was more variety, because of the substitutions they had to make to the meal plan because of vegan as well as time and schedules, they didn't feel they always got nutritious meals. Finally, they decided to try to eat healthfully for the lowest cost, something they are trying to maintain to this day.
This was a quick read, and though-provoking. I'm awaiting my first delivery of fresh veggies from my CSA (Community-supported agriculture), and I try to be mindful of the food I purchase and prepare and not waste any, which makes for interesting meal combinations some nights.
This was a quick read, and though-provoking. I'm awaiting my first delivery of fresh veggies from my CSA (Community-supported agriculture), and I try to be mindful of the food I purchase and prepare and not waste any, which makes for interesting meal combinations some nights.
May 26, 2010
I thought of Dina when I was reading this. The book started as a blog experiment, eating on a dollar a day, which is what many people in the world do. After this experiment was over, the couple tried eating on the food stamp allowance for a month. Both this section and the first one are interesting, though I would hardly call them an "adventure." The final section, and the weakest, in my opinion, was their attempt to synthesize what they learned and eat healthfully and cheaply. The section lacked structure and urgency, and I ended up skimming most of it. Still the book is interesting enough, and the writers try to contextualize their food experiments by talking about social justice, poverty and hunger in America.
July 24, 2013
2.5-3 stars. This book illuminates important issues in American food politics, a topic I've become deeply interested in by coming from a "foodie" family and working in state government. Poverty issues are important and interesting to me, which lead me to reading this book. (While I'm at it, though, I will say that Barbara Ehrenreich's 'Nickel and Dimed' does a better job of really exploring these issues.)
Unfortunately, it often reads like a long op-ed article and/or a vegan manifesto. Suffice it to say that most SNAP families are not vegan, so I'm not sure this couple was the best example to illustrate their point.
Worth checking out, but the authors' blog may be a better format for reading about this experiment.
Unfortunately, it often reads like a long op-ed article and/or a vegan manifesto. Suffice it to say that most SNAP families are not vegan, so I'm not sure this couple was the best example to illustrate their point.
Worth checking out, but the authors' blog may be a better format for reading about this experiment.
May 11, 2010
I saw this book in the Journalism Educator's Association book store at the JEA Convention in Portland, Ore. I blew it off as lame. Then I saw them speak in a fantastic session, felt like an idiot, busted out of the Q&A portion, ran to the bookstore, and picked up a copy before they told the room where to find it. Starting it tonight, and I can't wait.
Ok. Afterthoughts...made me hate myself and my local grocery store. $35 bought 5 cans of cat food, two loaves of bread, one jar of peanut butter, some Clorox Wipes, a Lean Cuisine, a jug of milk, a camel of water, and a bag of chips yesterday. I may be forgetting one or two things, but Jesus. Something has to change!
Ok. Afterthoughts...made me hate myself and my local grocery store. $35 bought 5 cans of cat food, two loaves of bread, one jar of peanut butter, some Clorox Wipes, a Lean Cuisine, a jug of milk, a camel of water, and a bag of chips yesterday. I may be forgetting one or two things, but Jesus. Something has to change!
July 13, 2010
I really enjoyed reading about Christopher and Kerri's eating adventures. They attempted to each on just one dollar a day for a month. There next challenge was to use the equivalent of what the average food stamp recipent gets for food a day (about $4.) Finally, the just focused on eating as healthfully and economically as they could while concidering environmentalism and social justice. I fun fast read that makes you think.
September 2, 2010
"Stunt" blogging aside, I appreciated that their book offered some research about the issues and encouraged ways to make a difference. (I do worry that two teachers -- shapers of young minds! -- couldn't figure out a smarter way of accomplishing their first experiment.)
April 6, 2016
Divided into $1 a day, Thrifty Food Stamp meal planning and health vegan meal planning. Well written and great perspective of gender roles within cooking, a quick breezy read of how food production and costs affect our health
February 24, 2010
Loved it - made me think before I went to the supermarket.
October 6, 2020
Good examples of the personal stress that comes with food insecurity, and a firm reminder that it can be done. While I love red beans and rice, seasonings can only vary so much, and 30 days of it would make me resent every bit of perfectly good food I see thrown away in my office- exactly what happens in the book.
December 22, 2025
I really enjoyed reading this book and wouldn't mind reading it again.
June 28, 2013
I picked up this book at the library on a whim because the premise sounded interesting: Two English teachers exploring food insecurity and what it means to really eat on a budget in America. The book is divided into three sections: The One Dollar A Day Project; The Thrifty Food Plan; and Striving to Eat Healthfully. The chapters rotate between Christopher Greenslate and Kerri Leonard, giving both sides of the story, and this actually helped a great deal in understanding what the authors want to accomplish. Greenslate is the idealistic one, who ponders the social and philosophical questions of food, and he sometimes gets lost in his topic. Leonard is the practical one who winds up doing most of the planning and strategy.
In the first section the authors take a month to tackle the challenge to eat on a dollar a day per person, or what much of the population of the world has to survive on. I appreciate that Greenslate and Leonard do not try to minimize just how miserable an experience this was, and the degree to which they became irritable and just plain mean to each other. They're honest about the challenges of trying to maintain their vegan lifestyle (I would imagine veganism actually helped them with the challenge because on a dollar a day nobody's getting much meat!) The authors discuss their weight loss, mood swings, and feelings of general ill-health that result from poor nutrition, and their honesty goes a long way in supporting the messages about food insecurity in this nation.
The second section of the book the couple tries to live on the monthly food stamp allotment for a month. There's a math formula here that the authors use to arrive at a budget of $4.13 per person per day. Compared to the dollar a day of the previous project this seems like a fortune, but the authors also plan to use the guidelines for thrifty eating issued from the USDA and discover that they now have a whole new set of ridiculous challenges. Although they are a lot more comfortable and food secure this time, every day is a new opportunity for an argument and for Greenslate to eat something without telling Leonard (seriously, I would have decked him a few times for simple thoughtlessness!)
The final section, Striving to Eat Healthy, is the "what we learned, and how we put it to use" section of the book. I found this portion to be the least useful because, at the time of the writing of the book, they hadn't quite figured out how to apply the insights they gained. Greenslate dedicates one whole chapter in this section to present an argument for veganism and, though I had felt most of the book was balanced, this chapter made me feel defensive and more than a little angry. I didn't think I picked up a book on veganism, I thought I had picked up a book that explores food culture in America and how to be more thoughtful about our consumption in general.
I feel like instead of "One Couple's Unlikely Adventures in Eating in America" this book should be subtitled, "You Really Should All Be Vegan if You Have Any Social Conscience." I feel like I have fallen victim to a literary bait and switch, and this is why I am giving this work three stars.
In the first section the authors take a month to tackle the challenge to eat on a dollar a day per person, or what much of the population of the world has to survive on. I appreciate that Greenslate and Leonard do not try to minimize just how miserable an experience this was, and the degree to which they became irritable and just plain mean to each other. They're honest about the challenges of trying to maintain their vegan lifestyle (I would imagine veganism actually helped them with the challenge because on a dollar a day nobody's getting much meat!) The authors discuss their weight loss, mood swings, and feelings of general ill-health that result from poor nutrition, and their honesty goes a long way in supporting the messages about food insecurity in this nation.
The second section of the book the couple tries to live on the monthly food stamp allotment for a month. There's a math formula here that the authors use to arrive at a budget of $4.13 per person per day. Compared to the dollar a day of the previous project this seems like a fortune, but the authors also plan to use the guidelines for thrifty eating issued from the USDA and discover that they now have a whole new set of ridiculous challenges. Although they are a lot more comfortable and food secure this time, every day is a new opportunity for an argument and for Greenslate to eat something without telling Leonard (seriously, I would have decked him a few times for simple thoughtlessness!)
The final section, Striving to Eat Healthy, is the "what we learned, and how we put it to use" section of the book. I found this portion to be the least useful because, at the time of the writing of the book, they hadn't quite figured out how to apply the insights they gained. Greenslate dedicates one whole chapter in this section to present an argument for veganism and, though I had felt most of the book was balanced, this chapter made me feel defensive and more than a little angry. I didn't think I picked up a book on veganism, I thought I had picked up a book that explores food culture in America and how to be more thoughtful about our consumption in general.
I feel like instead of "One Couple's Unlikely Adventures in Eating in America" this book should be subtitled, "You Really Should All Be Vegan if You Have Any Social Conscience." I feel like I have fallen victim to a literary bait and switch, and this is why I am giving this work three stars.
October 26, 2021
I read different versions of this book. I would like to read it again. I never did visit San Diego like I thought I would. I wonder if I ever read the original final draft that the authors emailed to their publisher.
July 4, 2023
I really enjoyed this book but the authors aren't a typical couple. One author was vegan during this book. The other author was vegetarian.
The first month they challenge themselves to eat only food that costs them no more than one dollar a day. This means they buy a lot of white flour and beans in bulk and make their own tortillas and so forth.
The second month they try to follow the USA SNAP guide and gave up on it before the month was over. They felt the first month's challenge was easier to complete even though they allowed themselves a greater budget for the second month.
One of the teachers talked about a student who foraged fruit from a tree that grew on a sidewalk or public piece of land. Food insecurity is hitting middle class Americans and is a topic of concern to both political liberals and conservatives. The liberal vegan author had some qualms to overcome before agreeing to be interviewed on the conservative Fox TV news network.
The book ends with a description of their organic garden.
I've never met a conservative vegan before and if they exist I imagine they're outnumbered by liberal vegans.
The first month they challenge themselves to eat only food that costs them no more than one dollar a day. This means they buy a lot of white flour and beans in bulk and make their own tortillas and so forth.
The second month they try to follow the USA SNAP guide and gave up on it before the month was over. They felt the first month's challenge was easier to complete even though they allowed themselves a greater budget for the second month.
One of the teachers talked about a student who foraged fruit from a tree that grew on a sidewalk or public piece of land. Food insecurity is hitting middle class Americans and is a topic of concern to both political liberals and conservatives. The liberal vegan author had some qualms to overcome before agreeing to be interviewed on the conservative Fox TV news network.
The book ends with a description of their organic garden.
I've never met a conservative vegan before and if they exist I imagine they're outnumbered by liberal vegans.
September 20, 2011
This is an account of two people from upper middle class backgrounds attempting to discover how the “other side” lives. The other side are those with limited food options, and many who depend upon government help. Much of the worlds population really does live on less than the equivalent of one dollar a day. It is the authors journey to try and understand this.
My Thoughts: While I appreciate that the authors tried to recreate what it would be like to eat on a dollar a day, it still does not bring them into the full light. They still had nice vehicles, a nice home, and pets that they could take care of without question. Not to mention they were not juggling their finances trying to get bills paid or factoring in necessities into their grocery bill such as toilet paper, cleaning supplies, or toothpaste.
I agree with the authors that yes, there is a problem, but I do not agree with their solution. Their solution is very liberal…leave it all to the government. Government legislation does not nor has it ever solved every problem. I do believe in personal responsibility. There are people who can choose to change their situations but choose not to, yet there are some people that really and truly need help that have tried everything imaginable. There is no reason not to take care of these people at a local level, but I am totally against helping anyone or anything on a federal level.
All in all I do not really care for this book. Like I said, I appreciate the problem, but I do not agree with the authors solution. Especially since they have not really and truly been there and have no way of knowing if they would be the type of person that would be motivated to get out of poverty or be happy to take handouts. There are far too many factors that are missing for me to say, “Here, read this.” I cannot in all honesty say that.
My Thoughts: While I appreciate that the authors tried to recreate what it would be like to eat on a dollar a day, it still does not bring them into the full light. They still had nice vehicles, a nice home, and pets that they could take care of without question. Not to mention they were not juggling their finances trying to get bills paid or factoring in necessities into their grocery bill such as toilet paper, cleaning supplies, or toothpaste.
I agree with the authors that yes, there is a problem, but I do not agree with their solution. Their solution is very liberal…leave it all to the government. Government legislation does not nor has it ever solved every problem. I do believe in personal responsibility. There are people who can choose to change their situations but choose not to, yet there are some people that really and truly need help that have tried everything imaginable. There is no reason not to take care of these people at a local level, but I am totally against helping anyone or anything on a federal level.
All in all I do not really care for this book. Like I said, I appreciate the problem, but I do not agree with the authors solution. Especially since they have not really and truly been there and have no way of knowing if they would be the type of person that would be motivated to get out of poverty or be happy to take handouts. There are far too many factors that are missing for me to say, “Here, read this.” I cannot in all honesty say that.
September 9, 2012
This couple tried a few different experiments in eating and it was interesting reading about it. I wouldn't have thought it possible to eat on a dollar per person per day, even for a month. Sure, they lost a lot of weight and their nutrition was crap, but they made it. They experimented eating on the equivalent of the average food stamp allowance as well. I learned a lot about the food stamp program from that.
A good book with thoughtful questions about our food systems and our relationship to food. The authors are vegans, and these temporary experiments in their diets seem like a further expression of their willingness to examine how eating habits and morality intersect.
They started these experiments for themselves, and I felt like that might be part of why they didn't go further in some respects. One of their rules on the dollar a day diet was to not accept free food unless it was available to everyone in their community. But other than seeking out a couple of fruit trees, they never really tried to find any opportunities for freebies. Never tried dumpster diving or otherwise diverting some of the massive amount of food that's wasted in this society. I guess that seems like a missed opportunity in some ways. They both work full time though, so maybe part of the point is that someone working to try to make a living might not have enough free time to do stuff like that. All around, a pretty good book.
A good book with thoughtful questions about our food systems and our relationship to food. The authors are vegans, and these temporary experiments in their diets seem like a further expression of their willingness to examine how eating habits and morality intersect.
They started these experiments for themselves, and I felt like that might be part of why they didn't go further in some respects. One of their rules on the dollar a day diet was to not accept free food unless it was available to everyone in their community. But other than seeking out a couple of fruit trees, they never really tried to find any opportunities for freebies. Never tried dumpster diving or otherwise diverting some of the massive amount of food that's wasted in this society. I guess that seems like a missed opportunity in some ways. They both work full time though, so maybe part of the point is that someone working to try to make a living might not have enough free time to do stuff like that. All around, a pretty good book.
August 17, 2010
One of many books published in the past few years about food security and food politics, this book focuses on experiments involving a couple eating on a dollar per day (per person), a diet based on food stamp allocations, and trying to eat healthier while saving money. The accounts of the first two experiments are somewhat interesting, although one can guess the conclusion (that neither of diets are ideal). Most people who have followed food issues even a bit will not learn much new here, although at least the experiments were closer to being realistic of the average person's situation; the authors are both busy high school teachers and have to juggle grocery shopping and cooking along with work and other responsibilities. The third section of the book is confusing and does not really tie the book together. The authors start on a journey of trying to eat healthier, and their process does involve ideas that would save money at the grocery store. But this section mostly focuses on the authors' personal experiences and eating issues, and doesn't address much in the way of the author's thoughts either about food policy or about how people can eat healthier on a low income. Overall the book seems rushed, and could have used a lot more time and thought before being published.
November 24, 2010
I always enjoy reading about people who care enough to look closely at their values and how well they are incorporating those values into their everyday lives. This likable couple takes a close and compassionate look at one of the most powerful aspects of how we live: our food choices. These two are vegans, so they're already eating in a way that will require the least resources, but they want to go further, in order to better understand what poor people face.
First they spend a month limiting their food budget to $1.00 a day per person, a project many would not be able to complete because of actually being hungry, not getting enough calories on so little food. Later they spend another month living according to the guidelines of the food stamp program. In each case, they take this on while in the midst of putting in long days as high school teachers. They attend a food justice conference, and throughout the book, comment on what they are learning as they ultimately determine what their ongoing permanent food shopping guidelines will be.
If you care about the hunger issue, about how food is distributed, and about eating responsibly while still leading a normal American life, you will likely find something to interest you here.
First they spend a month limiting their food budget to $1.00 a day per person, a project many would not be able to complete because of actually being hungry, not getting enough calories on so little food. Later they spend another month living according to the guidelines of the food stamp program. In each case, they take this on while in the midst of putting in long days as high school teachers. They attend a food justice conference, and throughout the book, comment on what they are learning as they ultimately determine what their ongoing permanent food shopping guidelines will be.
If you care about the hunger issue, about how food is distributed, and about eating responsibly while still leading a normal American life, you will likely find something to interest you here.
January 12, 2011
Somehow I kept hoping for just a little more from this book. I wanted to really like it, but it just fell short of my expectations. I did appreciate that it moved beyond the typical writing of blog turned book that often really doesn't work well. I also didn't really understand following the USDA food pyramid food plan if with so many vegan substitutions. It seemed that they weren't really following the program that way. It was actually much more processed - seitan and soy crumbles/burgers, etc are much more processed than ground beef, for example). Overall, this was just ok for me. The part that kept me interested was not actually about their eating at all. It was about their personal interactions. In terms of the enneagram personality theory, they both seems to be 1s, the idealist or perfectionist. Two 1s in a couple can cause for some interesting opportunities for personal growth. I've been working with lots of 1s in my practice, so it was great to see more examples of what works and what doesn't.
July 10, 2010
I can imagine someone in the target audience for this book picking it up and making some life-changing decisions. But for me, having spent a couple of years hovering on either side of the poverty line, having worked with a strict food budget for several more years, having built a garden with maximum nutritional value in mind, having spent over half my life vegetarian with various jags toward veganism, having decided to buy local, seasonal, and organic for the health of the planet and its people whenever I can afford it, I had a hard time choking down the privilege-takes-a-holiday routine. Images of two professionals duking it out over cookies in the first third of the book are amusing, but little of substance is revealed. I recommend this book for people who are interested in vicariously flirting with experiences such as cutting fresh produce from their diet to meet a budget that still runs out before the 31st.
June 24, 2014
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"This surprising first-person account of two San Diego schoolteachers' adventures living on the grocery allowance for the majority of the world's population — and then on the allowance given to Americans on food stamps — will truly open your eyes to the serious issues of food insecurity and hunger (not to mention really make you think twice about wasting food ever again, and not in a 1980s "there are starving children in Africa" kind of way) while simultaneously teaching valuable lessons about scratch cooking for savings and meal planning. An absolute must-read that should be taught in every high school and college across America!"
"This surprising first-person account of two San Diego schoolteachers' adventures living on the grocery allowance for the majority of the world's population — and then on the allowance given to Americans on food stamps — will truly open your eyes to the serious issues of food insecurity and hunger (not to mention really make you think twice about wasting food ever again, and not in a 1980s "there are starving children in Africa" kind of way) while simultaneously teaching valuable lessons about scratch cooking for savings and meal planning. An absolute must-read that should be taught in every high school and college across America!"
November 9, 2010
Two teachers try three experiments in their eating: One, to eat on a dollar per person per day for one month. Two, to eat on the monthly equivalent food stamp amount and follow the government menu guidelines for a month. And three, to strive to eat more healthy and in a way that is more environmentally aware. The book is an account of their efforts.
The foody experiments were interesting and certainly made me think. But the book reads like a blog. I wish it had been a tad less personal and a lot more practical. Especially the last section on eating more healthy. That concept is great when you have the money and live in a location where there is access to all you might need. It's a little tougher anywhere else. A decent read.
The foody experiments were interesting and certainly made me think. But the book reads like a blog. I wish it had been a tad less personal and a lot more practical. Especially the last section on eating more healthy. That concept is great when you have the money and live in a location where there is access to all you might need. It's a little tougher anywhere else. A decent read.
February 17, 2010
Would have been better if it had stayed a blog. I was drawn in by the premise, thinking (mistakenly) that the experiment had lasted longer than the paltry month that it did. Anyone can do anything for just a month, they could have gone on a hunger strike for a month and still survived.
The book was just so short and felt incredibly rushed. I might place blame on their publisher rather than the authors for this. It would have been nice if their experiment had lasted longer, if they had pursued foraging options and worked on growing their own food. Instead, you get an incomplete portrait of what they are attempting to do.
The book was just so short and felt incredibly rushed. I might place blame on their publisher rather than the authors for this. It would have been nice if their experiment had lasted longer, if they had pursued foraging options and worked on growing their own food. Instead, you get an incomplete portrait of what they are attempting to do.
January 7, 2011
This, what I call a kind of gimmick book, is broken out in three sections and the couple alternates writing each chapter within those sections. The first portion is devoted to their $1.00 per day diet. The second portion is eating on a budget allowed under the food stamp allotment program. The third and final portion is the couple’s commitment to healthy and sustainable eating.
They’re both teachers and that’s the way it reads: a reporting of their experiences to three class assignments. There have been several other books written on similar subject matter. I enjoyed the authors’ honesty and found the book informative, but I felt toward the end that it got a little bit preachy.
They’re both teachers and that’s the way it reads: a reporting of their experiences to three class assignments. There have been several other books written on similar subject matter. I enjoyed the authors’ honesty and found the book informative, but I felt toward the end that it got a little bit preachy.
February 25, 2018
*Edited*
Apparently, I didn't care for this. I felt like they could have benefited from spending more time on the project before writing the book- recommending people to try the giant garden even though they hadn't done it themselves felt odd. Also, unfortunately, the idea that being poor sucks and is really hard work is not news to a large portion of us Americans who have been or are currently there. So... I felt like they were looking for head nodding and when I was just sort of like, "well... yeah, of course."
Apparently, I didn't care for this. I felt like they could have benefited from spending more time on the project before writing the book- recommending people to try the giant garden even though they hadn't done it themselves felt odd. Also, unfortunately, the idea that being poor sucks and is really hard work is not news to a large portion of us Americans who have been or are currently there. So... I felt like they were looking for head nodding and when I was just sort of like, "well... yeah, of course."
March 2, 2015
I have to confess that while I enjoyed this book, it's a gimmicky book. I learned a lot - about food assistance programs in the US, primarily - but as someone who has learned how to balance healthy eating WITHIN a budget, I found the third section ("Let's eat as healthy as possible without bothering to budget and just see what happens") somewhat ridiculous, and that colors my feelings on the rest of the book.
I actually did enjoy this book a lot, but if you're looking for ideas on eating healthy and cheaply simultaneously, there's better information on the Internet.
I actually did enjoy this book a lot, but if you're looking for ideas on eating healthy and cheaply simultaneously, there's better information on the Internet.
August 16, 2023
This was more interesting than I expected. It's another in the series of method journalism or stunt journalism books I've been reading, where the writer embarks on some kind of year-long stunt (in this case a month-long stunt) and then writes about their experiences. I was moved by Terri's account of her experience with the woman customer at the grocery store she worked at in college. The book made me more aware of just how many people in the world go hungry.
September 4, 2010
I read the first part of this book before starting my class and finished it up after the class. It complemented the class well. I found the chapters written by Kerri more enjoyable to read. Christopher's chapters sometimes came off a bit preachy.
The final chapter "Sowing the Seeds of Progress" gave the names of organizations they find deserving of attention. One is located in Portland so I may check it out.
The final chapter "Sowing the Seeds of Progress" gave the names of organizations they find deserving of attention. One is located in Portland so I may check it out.
October 8, 2010
I had read the blog about the dollar a day diet after the project was over, so I was interested to read this book. Their experiences held some interest for me, especially the section that was about the USDA Thrift Plan. I would like to see how "mainstream" eaters (not vegans) would approach the same diet.
The book tends to be preachy, and I am not certain I would want these people teaching my children how to think about the world, but they do bring up important points to consider.
The book tends to be preachy, and I am not certain I would want these people teaching my children how to think about the world, but they do bring up important points to consider.
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