BY MARTHA MARTINEZ

Readers stopped short of calling me dumb as a box of rocks for not being able to figure out how to eat healthy on a $1 per meal budget for five days.

Their letters came in response to a column I wrote earlier this month about food stamps and my efforts to exist five days on a $1-a-meal menu.

I was told to visit 99-cent and dollar stores for lunch meats, milk, fruits and vegetables. I tried that. Expiration dates on food were questionable. Pardon me for wanting fresh food.

As for coupons, yes, they do save money. But plenty of times, not always, I have gone to the store with my coupons and have chosen to buy a similar off-brand product for much cheaper — even with coupon savings.

“Education and intelligence, along with a little common sense and frugality, enables one to eat very well on very little,” Will Winn of Bakersfield wrote.

Believe me, I’m frugal.

Robin Gray assumed two things: that I didn’t cook much and that I wasn’t on a grocery budget.

Cooking is the only way I can keep my grocery budget low. With thousands of dollars in student loans to pay off and saving up for a car — my current one is about to croak — I have to be on a budget.

I admit that my grocery budget has gone up since I was a starving college student — not long ago.

Penny Silver claimed I did not try to eat on $1 per meal, that I did not map out my meals and named a store I should have shopped — she listed the very store where I bought  my food and did my meal mapping.

Many of the letter writers said they used to be on a budget. They wrote they used to have to plan out their meals, look at ads and clip coupons. They may have been on a budget way back when, but eating healthy on a small budget is very difficult to do now.

That was the point of my earlier column. People used to be able to eat healthy on what little food stamps they received, but it is very difficult now. If it could be done, there would be no need for welfare reform or food programs to help the poor.

A couple of letter writers sent menus with prices. Some of these menus seemed to lack nutrition. I was certain someone could come up with a better menu.

I turned to experts.

Angie Kurtz and Ana Sanders, WIC program administrators at Clinica Sierra Vista in Bakersfield — both licensed dieticians — worked on a menu.

They came up with a diet for seven days for $21.

I wrote about enduring a five-day menu for $15. They came up with a great list of foods — chicken, ground beef, tuna, tons of cheese, beans, fruits, veggies, tortillas, eggs, oatmeal, milk, potatoes, rice, whole wheat pasta, sauce and bread.

With all the variety, it seemed impossible. They also sent in a list of prices and recommended grocery stores. The list was compiled by seeking the advice of bargain shoppers in their work place, looking at store ads and visiting Web sites.

The list would be nearly impossible to keep within budget if shopping at only one store. To make the menu work, it would be necessary to shop sales, use coupons, buy off-brands and visit several stores, including outlet stores.

While shopping around saves money, it also burns up time and gas. It may not be an option for poor people with limited transportation.

To respond to Martha Martinez’s column, e-mail opinion@bakersfield.com.