One of my goals with this space is to create menus and recipes from the food that I source for/find locally and this would especially include corner stores and markets that are in neighborhoods that do not have access to stores like Berkeley Bowl or Whole Foods or even farmer's markets.  In my shopping expeditions I will take into consideration price, nutritional impact and taste.  My $11.00 a day project is based around finding foods that can be used as a way to support health and have a low impact on a family's stretched food budget while having taste appeal.  The $11.00 price is based on a friend's allotment of food stamps for her and her son for the month. $11.00 is the per day breakdown she receives to feed 3 meals a day to 2 people.  That is less than $2 per person per meal. 

My experience has been that often times nutrition is compromised due to lack of knowledge and funding so folks buy what is cheap and convenient and often not very healthy.  We all have bought a bag of chips or a soda as a treat but what if those items are part of the components that make up a meal in your household on a regular basis?  What impact will that have long term on your family's health and the way they view food as nutrition? What impact will that have on your child's/children's ability to develop and learn? What impact will it have pschologically to you as a parent having to feed your child/children food that is not good for them because that is all you can afford?  And only because you were not taught how to shop and prepare healthy foods?

I have found my first store and got the green light from the owner's to go in and take pictures and shop.  I will do that this weekend and have photos and a recipe for you all next week.  If there is a store in your neighborhood that you would like me to visit please suggest that to me here.  I currently live in Berkeley Ca but would also invite folks to take up this challenge with me and source in your neighborhoods.