Food hamper big enough — but please, hold the salt

When it comes to surviving off a food hamper from the food bank, the issue is one of quality, not quantity.

At least that’s what I discovered last week when I took up the Put Food in the Budget Challenge. For five days, I ate only what would be available to me if I were a single person living off a three-day food hamper allowance.

The challenge, launched by a group of local non-profit agencies, asked participants to live three to seven days on a food hamper allowance. The point of the challenge was to demonstrate that people on social assistance need more money for food. Organizers are asking the province to add a $100 “healthy food supplement” per month for every adult living on social assistance.

Armed with a sample food hamper list, I went to the store and purchased the items I’d be living off of for about a week. Aside from the list, participants were also allowed five pantry items, like coffee, tea, vegetable oil and ketchup – all things someone would likely have in their cupboard or refrigerator.