(Photo : Reuters) Gwyneth Paltrow takes $29 food stamp challenge


When Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow, 42, took up celebrity chef Mario Batali's "Food Bank Challenge," she received a number of criticisms over at social media.



Paltrow, a healthy eating advocate was one of the personalities specifically challenged by the chef who must use only US$29 of food stamps that will feed a person for seven days.



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Mario Batali, a Can Do Honorary Chair and Food Bank Board member invited his friends Gwyneth Paltrow, Deborah Harry, and Sting to join him by creating the #FoodBankNYCChallenge in order to raise public awareness on the struggles of families who are living off of food stamps. The challenge is also in response to recent cuts by Congress to food stamps.



There are about 46 million American families living on food stamps. According to Batali, the objective of the challenge is in order to further understand what others are going through in the hope of finding better solutions. The #FoodBankNYCChallenge which was announced on April 3, is to try to live on a food stamp budget for one week, that would amount to US$1.38 per meal.



Then Paltrow posted her grocery bag online that includes coriander, limes, gluten-free tortillas, romaine lettuce, brown rice, black beans and an avocado suggesting on a diet of Mexican food that totaled US$29.



However, some people on Twitter didn't seem to be impressed with Paltrow's choices pointing out that her low carb, low fat shopping list is not fit for busy mothers who need to consume plenty of calories.



One article on The Telegraph even analyzed her selection of food items. The article titled "No Gwyneth, busy mothers can't live on lettuce, limes, and beans," pointed out that Paltrow's selection is only half of the recommended allowance for a healthy, balanced diet and that such types of food are not fit for physically active lives such as those doing service labor and taking care of the children.



According to some of her critics, calories from peanut butter, oatmeal, potatoes, and frozen chicken breasts are more appropriate for the active lifestyle.




Tags#FoodBankNYCChallenge, chef Mario Batali, food stamps, $29, Gwyneth Paltrow