The SNAP challenge involves living on $6 a day, which is roughly the average food benefit that SNAP recipients get.

Most recipients aren't able to live on that little, and many turn to food pantries for help.

Due to the government shutdown, benefits failed to arrive at the start of November, making matters even more dire.

In October, I got a very small taste of what it’s like to rely on SNAP benefits .

For five days, I participated in the "SNAP challenge," which involves living on $6 a day . That’s roughly the average benefit provided by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which replaced food stamps.

I had plenty of advantages that people living in poverty routinely lack, like a car to take me grocery shopping and a kitchen stocked with nice cooking equipment. Still,

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