Gwyneth Paltrow Takes ‘Food Stamp Challenge'; Fails Miserably [PHOTO]

Perhaps "fail" is too strong a word; let's just say Gwyneth Paltrow is a little out of touch with reality.

I should know. Being a single mom for fourteen years, there were a few times in my late teens and early twenties that I needed to temporarily rely on public assistance; it's not easy. Forget the fact that you don't want to simply because you don't want the stigma that comes with it; it's not easy because sometimes it's just not enough, and I only had one child. Imagine how hard it is to feed a family of four on an average of $29 a week.

Depending on how you look at it, you might be asking, "what's the problem here?" I'll give Paltrow this much, she made a solid effort to stretch that $29 as far as she could; people are missing that she made a very valid point with this photo: this is not enough for a family in need to live on for a week.

Where the criticism and backlash comes in is the products that she bought. Seven limes, cilantro, a jalapeno, avocado, onions and tortilla shells? Yeah, maybe if you're trying to make quacamole or serve veggie tacos on Taco Tuesday. Maybe she has tequila and margarita mix already?

An average family of four doesn't eat like movie stars. They have hard working jobs, kids, a home to manage and they need to eat food with substance. When I was on food stamps, I managed to buy the following on $29 a week: eggs, milk, bread, peanut butter, a bag of rice, a bag of Delicious apples, cheese and a bag of frozen chicken breasts. Heck, there were even times when I wasn't getting assistance and had to live on $29 a week and still stuck to the same grocery list.

Nice try, though, Gwyneth. You might not be able to relate to the poor but I can't completely discount your efforts. Oh and I'll be coming over for tacos tonight...veggie tacos.

What do you think about Gwyneth taking this challenge and her grocery choices?