By Emily Koehne
OPINIONS EDITOR

Last week, Gwyneth Paltrow accepted the “Food Stamp Challenge,” but she only made it four days.

“As I suspected, we only made it through about four days, when I personally broke and had some chicken and fresh vegetables (and in full transparency, half a bag of black licorice),” Paltrow explained.

The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) provides support for those who are struggling financially, allowing those Americans to take advantage of “food stamps.”

Gwyneth Paltrow helps raise awareness by accepting the “Food Stamp Challenge” even though she only lasted for four days.
Photo Credit: The Wrap

But some are criticizing the way Paltrow went about completing the food stamp challenge. She made some unrealistic choices by buying lettuce, limes and beans as most of her food.

“Nutritionally speaking, this is a vitamin bonanza,” writer Rebecca Vipond Brink said on The Frisky. “But people who live on SNAP benefits don’t just have to get nutrients, they have to get actual calories, because they tend to have very physical lives, doing service labor and taking care of children and not necessarily being able to afford a car and so forth.”

People benefiting from SNAP are also supposed to contribute 30% of their own income in addition to what they receive from the government, which Gwyneth Paltrow did not do.

Even so, Paltrow’s actions promoted awareness of the struggles of families who live on SNAP.

“My perspective has been forever altered by how difficult it was to eat wholesome, nutritious food on that budget, even for just a few days—a challenge that 47 million Americans face every day, week, and year,” Paltrow said.