This week, Newark, New Jersey mayor Cory Booker is living off the equivalent of what a single person in New Jersey receives in food stamps -- about $4 a day.

Booker announced his challenge after engaging in a Twitter back and forth last month. He kicked off his week of eating on the cheap Tuesday to a flurry of media activity. A photo from Booker's Flickr page shows the items he purchased include canned foods, apples, bagged lettuce and sweet potatoes.

While there are criticisms that the challenge is a publicity stunt, Booker argued there was a bigger purpose. He wants to "shine light on programs like this and dispel stereotypes that exist."

You can track his progress on Twitter by following #SNAPChallenge.

Congress is considering $16 billion in cuts to food stamps, also called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Read More:

• Cory Booker's Food Stamp Challenge Starts With A Grocery Bill (ABC News)
• Cory Booker's Food Stamp Challenge (The Washington Post)
• Battle of the Budget: Cory Booker begins weeklong food stamp challenge (The Star-Ledger)