Gwyneth Paltrow Admits She Couldn’t Finish Food Stamp Challenge

Gwyneth Paltrow didn't last long on her $29 food budget. Photo: Getty

Last week, Gwyneth Paltrow announced that she would live on $29 worth of groceries for one week.

Why $29? Because that’s what low-income families who rely on food stamps are forced to survive on. Mario Batali had challenged Paltrow to participate in the #FoodBankNYCChallenge to raise awareness (and funds) for the NYC Food Bank.

On Thursday morning, the actress took to her site GOOP to write about her experience on the low-income diet—which she enlisted the whole office to do with her.

“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 writes, noting how difficult it was to eat “wholesome, nutritious food” on such a small budget, as 47 million Americans do every day.

On her original grocery list: a dozen eggs, black beans, green peas, onion, avocado, brown rice, soft tortillas, lettuce, garlic, scallions, cilantro, a sweet potato, a tomato, an ear of corn and seven limes.

On Tuesday, the star was spotted eating much more than those humble groceries; she stepped out for a date with Brad Falchuck at Animal, a barbecue-themed restaurant.

“After trying to complete this challenge (I would give myself a C-), I am even more outraged that there is still not equal pay in the workplace,” Paltrow writes. “Many hardworking mothers are being asked to do the impossible: Feed their families on a budget which can only support food businesses.”

While Paltrow slams the overall system that allows so many millions of Americans to go hungry, she also offers up three recipes that are relatively inexpensive to make, however fancy-sounding, for people who want to eat well for less: black bean taquitos, black bean cakes with grilled corn salsa, and brown rice, mile and roasted potato sauté with poached eggs.

“I’m not suggesting everyone eat organic food from some high horse in the sky,” Paltrow concludes. “I’m saying everyone should be able to afford fresh, real food.”

PHOTOS: Gwyneth Paltrow's Most Irritating Quotes

PHOTOS: Gwyneth Paltrow's Most Irritating Quotes