Cory Booker’s Food Stamp Challenge Starts with a Grocery Bill - East Idaho News
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Cory Booker’s Food Stamp Challenge Starts with a Grocery Bill

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GETTY P 12412 CoryBooker?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1354620653474Cindy Ord/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Cory Booker posted a photo of a crumpled receipt Monday morning to Facebook and Twitter.  The Newark, N.J., mayor wasn’t filing expenses; he was showing supporters what he’ll be eating for the next week as he takes on the food stamp challenge.  

Starting on Tuesday and going until Dec. 12, Booker will eat only what he can buy with $29.78, which is slightly more than the $28 individuals receiving food stamps tend to spend on average.

Beans, whole corn and a red delicious apple were a few of the items visible on the receipt.  The list doesn’t include any meat products, as Booker is a vegetarian.  He also doesn’t drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes, but those products aren’t covered under food stamps anyway.

Booker, known for his tendency to respond to residents over Twitter, agreed to the challenge after sparring with other tweeters over the necessity of social programs such as the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, more commonly called food stamps.

A study released on Tuesday said almost a third of American adults went hungry or worried about someone close to them going hungry this year.

Booker pledged to document his experience living on the food budget of the average individual receiving SNAP benefits on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the video-hosting site he co-founded, WayWire.

Throughout the day Monday, Booker retweeted tips from followers on how to survive the week, living without the luxuries Booker is accustomed to.

“Dont let yourself get dehydrated! Drink lots of water, you have no fluids on here,” tweeted @LilMama82310.

“I read your receipt, and I think you are going to be hungry,” @AmyLofton warned.

“U may be right,” Booker tweeted back.  “We will see.”

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

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