Gwyneth Paltrow headed out for an expensive dinner in Los Angeles with her rumored new love interest, Glee co-creator Brad Falchuck, after completing the $29 food stamp challenge.

Gwyneth Paltrow Ends Food Stamp Challenge

Paltrow announced earlier this month that she was participating in the New York Food Bank Challenge, which asked people to try to provide groceries for themselves for one week with just $29 – the amount someone on food stamps would collect. “This is what $29 gets you at the grocery store,” Paltrow captioned a picture with eggs, beans, lettuce and brown rice among other items.

Paltrow came under fire after posting the picture, with many feeling as though the actress was out of touch with those actually living on food stamps, pointing out the money she waisted on limes and the lack of calories in her choices. Overall, her grocery haul contained only about 7059 calories, according to a writer at The Frisky, leaving Paltrow with around 1000 calories per day – which is unrealistic for people actually on SNAP.

Paltrow caused more of a stir when she was spotted at the Austin Midnight Dinner promotional event at Animal just six days after posting about the 7-day challenge. “It was a prefixed menu, and the tickets were $80,” a source told E! Online. “Some of the items on the menu was various types of barbeque, potato salad and beans.”

At the event, Paltrow posed with Jon Favreau, who was there with Roy Choi – whom he worked with on the movie Chef – to help host their pop up Cuban restaurant El Jefe.

 

Paltrow’s reps have shut down the suggestion that the actress bailed on the SNAP challenge early to attend the food event with Falchuk and Favreau. “She finished the challenge last week when Mario [Batali] challenged her on April 3. She didn’t get to post the photos of the groceries until the April 9,” they told the Daily Mail.