Imagine you are a single mom with children from infant to school-age living at a homeless motel. You live in one room with your children, a crib, stroller, and baby toys, and all of your other belongings. Even the desk space is taken up by baby bottle drying racks. You only have a small microwave, mini-fridge, and bathroom sink to use to prepare meals for your family, and the only place to store baby and adult food is the small shelf in the closet. Grocery shopping is difficult, since you rely on the bus to transport you and your child the three miles to the nearest supermarket. Figuring out meals is only one part of all you are trying to navigate while finding a way to a more stable situation for your family.
Each month, our nutrition group reaches families living in exactly this situation. We share ways to eat healthy on a limited budget despite the living space constraints. Most recently, we prepared a delicious, healthy, no-cooking required Southwestern Corn and Black Bean Salad together. This meal costs only $1.80 per serving – cheaper than the average fast food or frozen meal – and is tasty for an entire family while meeting registered dietitian approved nutrition criteria.
This post has been contributed by a third party. The opinions, facts and any media content are presented solely by the author, and JewishBoston assumes no responsibility for them. Want to add your voice to the conversation? Publish your own post here. MORE