We're guessing that how people view the experiment by Gov. Ted Kulongoski and his wife, Mary Oberst to switch this week to a low-income diet depends on whether they've ever been hungry themselves.

Oregon's First Couple is taking part in a trend known as the "food stamp challenge." They will attempt to spend no more than $42 for their weekly grocery allowance, or $3 a day each - roughly the same cash available to people who rely on government food stamps to put food on the table.

Most of us have had lean times. Often our "salad days" in college featured a constant menu of Top Ramen (10 for $1) on special and not that much healthy salad. Some of us might have been guilty of a little creative mooching, showing up at home right around meal time. Thankfully, most of us have forgotten the feeling of being hungry with nothing to eat. For most of us, hunger is what we experience now when we're trying to shed extra pounds from too much food.

Oregon has made progress against hunber. According to Oregon State University's Rural Studies program, we were among the top nations for "food insecurity" in the 1990s, with about 5.2 percent of our population going hungry at least once a month. As of last year, that percentage is closer to the national average of 3.8 percent.

As admirable as the First Couple's attempt to lead by example is, we wonder how many peole who make unflattering assumptions about povery and hunger (it would go away with some bootstraps-pulling) would try this challenge.

Imagine a budget that allows nothing for coffee, fresh milk, ice cream, juices or butter.

Protein comes from beans, peanut butter sandwiches and government cheese. Starches and packaged foods predominate. Becuse processed foods cost less than healthful fresh vegetables and fruits, the poor end up consuming a lot more empty calories and fewer healthful nutrients.

It's no wonder that the bland sameness of the diet sends some to the 99-cent menu at their local fast food restaurant.

We commend the governor for bringing this issue into discussion, but we aren't expecting many surprises. Once an orphan, the governor will be reminded of what he already knows: It's not easy trying to eat on such a meager grocery budget.

We hope that other members of the Legislature - especially those now considering budget levels foodbanks, aid agencies and the Oregon State University Extension Service - realize that shortfalls could mean cuts in programs such as the Oregon Family Nutrition Program, which teaches people how to healthfully stretch their food dollars.

We suggest that the Joint Ways and Means Committee take up this challenge as it deliberates on such budgets. For a week, it would help the rest of us experience how the hungry live almost every day. And nobody likes peanut butter or beans that much.