NEW YORK — Gwyneth Paltrow, the actress turned lifestyle guru, is known for promoting detoxes and health cleanses on her site, Goop.com.
But she’s now bringing awareness to the difficulties of life on food stamps.
In a tweet Friday, Paltrow showcased an array of leafy greens, dried beans and rice, purchased for the amount a person living on food stamps is allotted each week, she explained.
The amount of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits a person can get is based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Thrifty Food Plan. The plan estimates how much it costs to buy food, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.
In this case, Paltrow will be spending just under $30 for groceries.
Her participation is part of the #FoodBankNYCChallenge. Celebrity chef Mario Batali, a close friend of the star’s, nominated Paltrow and musicians Sting and Deborah Harry for the challenge through a video.
The challenge urges participants to use only $29 for all the food a person eats for seven days.
“For one week, walk in someone else’s shoes,” Batali is quoted saying on the Food Bank for New York City’s website. “By truly understanding what our friends and neighbors are going through, we will be better equipped to find solutions.”
The #FoodBankNYCChallenge is an attempt to live on a food stamp budget for one week, which translates to $1.38 per meal, according to the site.
The effort is in response to recent cuts to food stamps. “Congress cut food stamps twice since 2013, and soup kitchens and food pantries saw an immediate increase in visitors,” the site explains.
Organizers hope the challenge will raise public awareness of the struggles for families to afford food while on food stamps.
