- cross-posted to:
- usa@lemmy.ml
- cross-posted to:
- usa@lemmy.ml
You must log in or register to comment.
Interesting, why not start branding and labeling better that more products that have high content of X
Problem is a lot of shitty food is cheaper than good food.
Also, if you grew up around shitty food you don’t know how to prep good food from whole, cheaper fresh or bulk foods.
Technically cooking rice with vegetables (cabbage, onions, potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, a bit of everything) and a few pieces of turkey or chicken meat is good food and is easy to prepare.
But from the interwebs it seems that there in Kennedy land everything is fried and heavily seasoned with a lot of cancer-causing fats of all kinds.
There was time in my life when most of my food came from a public pantry. I know it’s not the same as stamps, bit same principle.
Anyway, birthday rolls around; didn’t think anything of it cuz I was in the “it’s just another day…” phase of life, and even if I wanted to do something for it, I wouldn’t have been able to afford it. Roll up to the pantry for that week’s pickup, and they break out a fucking cake and a hand-written birthday card! Nothing crazy - maybe 6-inch diameter, enough for the wife and I to split. But that shit pulled my ass right out of a depression spell like nothing else came close to before or since.
When I finally got a reliable income coming in and paid off the critical stuff and got a little bit of savings, my first ‘splurge’ was a $1k donation to that pantry with a note saying that their assistance pretty much single-handedly saved me from homelessness and probably from suicide; and enabled me to take the steps I needed to get the job I have now and ultimately become self sufficient.
Food is more than just nutrients; and junk food is more than just food that’s junk.
And pantries are bad ass. If anyone reading this is struggling and not yet using one, GO SEE IF YOU’RE ELIGIBLE! Many people are resistant to ask for help prior to hitting absolute rock bottom, but a little help now (even if you only-kind-of need it) could save you from needing a LOT of help later. They’re also an awesome source of info on local resources - whatever your unique situation is, they can probably point you in the right direction to start getting shit under control.
…I should make another donation - shit’s extra fucked nowadays.
Thanks for sharing, I feel like people forget we’re all just people at the end of the day.
I bet it would feel very different if you just used food stamps to buy your own cake
Probably, but then that would have enabled me to give my wife that or vice versa. We don’t have kids, but a lot of food stamp recipients do - same spiel.
And even outside of special events, maybe that can of soda with dinner is the carrot-on-a-stick that gets a person through an otherwise miserable day cuz, shocker: poverty fucking sucks.
That’s the cool thing about not having arbitrary restrictions on shit like this: people are free to handle their own unique situation at their own discretion, including whether or not junk food is worth including in that week’s budget.
deleted by creator
Oh good, we’ll have slightly less sugar-related inflammation while we all fucking die of bird flu
Truly the land of the free, lads.
Someone has to police that though guess RFK jr won’t be picking up that cost.
deleted by creator
I thought it was already blocked? 🤔
Huh, guess not.
https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligible-food-items
Households CANNOT use SNAP benefits to buy:
Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes, or tobacco
Vitamins, medicines, and supplements. If an item has a Supplement Facts label, it is considered a supplement and is not eligible for SNAP purchase.
Live animals (except shellfish, fish removed from water, and animals slaughtered prior to pick-up from the store).
Foods that are hot at the point of sale
Any nonfood items such as:
Pet foods
Cleaning supplies, paper products, and other household supplies.
Hygiene items, cosmetics
Let them buy what they want you damn Nazi.
It’s not what every snap user wants. It’s just that garbage products are calorie dense and need little to no preparation, and those things absolutely matter when working several jobs or being homeless and convincing someone to let you use their address because a permanent address is necessary.
More calories per dollar for things like rice beans pasta. It’s a bit more complicated than that.
Convenience is king when you are constantly burned out and sleep deprived and “just need something good enough and easy”
Fucking hell, have you ever tried to live on rice and beans? You need half a dozen spices and salt just to make it taste like not sadness, plus prep time, prep space, prep bowls and pots, and then you need to wash everything. Compared with a frozen meal that cooks in the microwave and a disposable tray for serving, there’s really no contest. A “rice and beans” lifestyle requires a stay-at-home partner who soaks beans and washes dishes.
It’s a great frugal tip to stretch your grocery dollars, but if you’re poor, it’s not a moral failing to go with a cheap frozen meal.
1 can beans. 1 can tomatos. pour in bowl. microwave. add garlic powder, chili powder, pepper, cayenne. Eat.
I have eaten this for months before. It is cheap, convenient, healthy, and tasty.
I lived on easy hamburger helper. Everything is in the package, just cook some ground beef in a pan and mix the rest of the stuff in.
It’s not that hard, guys. You don’t need to eat candy to survive
you really shouldnt be giving advice when your comments include, not paying for peoples food because you think they are only buying sugary foods. yet your here eating junk food.
I’m saying don’t pay for the sugary food, pay for the slightly more healthy food
That shit is full of sodium and really bad for you. Once they target sugar, what do you suppose is next?
sodium isn’t bad for you unless you are eating ungodly amounts. Typically if you get too much of an electrolyte, you just piss it out.
Sodium is at least required for you to live. You can have 0 grams of sugar and be perfectly healthy
Sure, but if you eat a balanced diet of fresh food, you’ll get all the sodium you need. Nobody needs the sodium in an instant meal.
I wish more people understood this. Beans are so good, but only if you can devote hours to them.
It’s just one of the myriad of recommendations people make because they don’t understand the problem. People think that the simple trick that worked for them would solve similar problems for everyone. Worse, they get angry when their advice is met with resistance. It’s like Napoleon feeding the alpacas.
deleted by creator
deleted by creator
I know this outside of the scope of the discussion, but you can cook dried beans in a instant pot in about an hour.
Obviously that’s still going to be a struggle for anyone where time/space/equipment are a huge factor. But it’s a big difference from letting them soak overnight.
Insta pot can help, but I don’t feel it add much value in the overall cook. Sautéing, caramelizing, deglazing, etc. takes time that no home-use kitchen gadget is going to help with. Soaking beans overnight is not the problem, as much as actual time it takes to make a meal. Planning, purchasing ingredients, prepping, cooking, cleaning…insta-pot is not worth the hype iykyk
You can make a relatively tasty rice with beans with canned beans and bit of salt in 10 minutes - if you are feeling fancy adding parsley will even move it to tasting good. I’m starting to suspect all the corn syrup is damaging american’s taste buds beyond repair.
Two things, canned beans and instant rice cost more than dry bulk rice and beans. And your recipe for “salt and parsley instant rice and canned beans” sounds like it’s going to taste like sadness.
This guy frugals.
but if you’re poor, it’s not a moral failing to go with a cheap frozen meal.
Agreed. HOWEVER, we should be educating people and coming up with new ways to eat cheap, quick, and healthy.
Use your ovens, folks. Food like bacon and bratwurst turn out great in the oven and you don’t have to babysit them, either.
I mean, the solution is to cook in a group. It’s just that nobody does it.
Man, that would make things so much easier and save a lot of time.
Yeah. Go do it!
deleted by creator
I’m sure all dollar stores sell those.
Yeah, I’d say the bigger issue is low income people not having time to cook, and/or not having the ability to get to a decent grocery store.
I’d also like to see how he addresses food deserts. I already saw an article suggesting 18-65 are going to lose benefits.
deleted by creator
You might also be living on the street or in a car and not have the means to actually cook.
You’re assuming that people have the time and space to prep rice, beans and pasta. Not everyone does.
I think if we remove the cooked food restriction it would make sense
deleted by creator
Eh, can you get a bag of equivalent volume of apples for the same as a bottle of coca cola?
Same amount of sugar, one is considerably healthier.
IDC about soda, although it’s probably less harmful than water in certain areas.
Apples. Food deserts. I’ve never seen an apple at any of the dollar stores.
Soda is made from municipal water. If the tap water has an issue, so will the soda
Afaik you can’t buy tap soda on benefits, only sealed containers.
The sealed containers are made from tap water too
Not necessarily from the same regions.
And consuming how expensive cars are I don’t want to hear people say “food deserts doesn’t exist because you can drive 10 Miles”
Next it will no sugary cereal, just oats and gruel for the peasantry.
“Ingredients only, no finished products. You want to eat? Work for it!”
deleted by creator
I haven’t had sugar cereal in a decade. I don’t know how you could ever prefer them over oat flakes
I had steel cut oats for lunch. It was great, and I didn’t carb crash!
That’s another win for the oat flakes, they don’t drive your blood sugar too high, but will keep it up for very long (no carb crash), plus they contain a load of micronutrients. Even their protein percentage is quite high - higher than chickpeas for example.
Long story short, I don’t understand why people here are mad that the US government will no longer subsidize unhealthy and overpriced garbage. I know this probably isn’t where it’s going to stop, but at least this particular instance makes sense I guess.
I’m not against did stamps being able to buy sweets. The issue I have is with a lot of breakfast cereals is that they too are in fact sweets, but people see them as a proper meal. They’re not. Occasional sweets are fine. Regularly eating a full meal consisting only of sweets is not.
deleted by creator
Where’s those fucking DOGE cunts when there’s real waste?
Look, I don’t want to subsidize people’s beetus diets, but, fuck me, do we not have better shit to do with our time and money?
Every single republican can fuck off and die.
Uhhhhhh… It already does. Snap changed from actual stamps to a digital card that declines any purchase that does not fit in the categories that justify a snap purchase. I worked a couple of years ago with a non-profit org that helped the needy, and I distinctly remember being at walmart with someone was buying groceries, when they used their snap card the payment covered everything but junk food and the person I was with had to pay with their own money for the rest of their things.
In short RFK is working on stopping something that never has ever existed.
Which sort of sums this whole regime’s work up, doesn’t it?
Because that’s not the goal, i can almost guarantee it. Every time they try to “fix” something they are trying to break it and privatize if possible.
Let’s have a writing contest, you guys. Now that a Trump appointee is against it, let’s all think up reasons for why subsidized high-fructose corn syrup sold as food is not only a good thing but actually a basic human right.
deleted by creator
I’m not saying we should ban these things, I’m just saying we shouldn’t be subsidizing them and purchasing them with public funds. If poor people want to buy this stuff with their own money that’s their right.
I’m just saying we shouldn’t be subsidizing them and purchasing them with public funds.
Then start with the ag subsidies, not the tiny joy that poor people can wring from life.
Ditching subsidies is a start.
I would tax them into oblivion like cigarettes. Hits the poor first still, but it would shift consumption habits rather than ban them outright.
It’s a nanny state. Sure, candy and soda is bad for you, and america has an obesity problem, but I’m against this.
Just give people money and let them buy what they want / need.
I’m tired of pedophiles and gay homophobes shaming poor people for having a soda and a candy bar. (Edit: not my intention to associate lgbtq with pedophiles, but it seems a lot of homophobes are into it. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being gay, but republifuckers need to mind their own business in general and stop judging others for the behaviors they are ashamed to participate in themselves.)
At a minimum they should talk about how they will move to providing healthy foods as they cut the bad stuff. Moving to unhealthy food to none, seems like a bad move. Like wtf
Alright, how about alcohol and cigarettes?
Just give them money, I don’t care if they want hookers and blow
It’s none of your business what poor people spend their money on.
Then they spend their money on hookers and blow, and then come back saying they have no money to buy food. Do you let them starve then?
No. When the corporations ruin the entire economy and say they don’t have any money we also bail them out.
When the corporations ruin the entire economy and say they don’t have any money we also bail them out.
Okay… so let’s stop doing that…
But if we aren’t letting hookers and blow guy starve, how are we doing that?
(a) give him more money, so he can spend it all on hookers and blow again and come back, still hungry, asking for more money.
(b) ask him what food he wants, and give him that. He says he only wants to eat lollipops. We give him endless lollipops - he is no longer technically starving to death, but is now slowly dying of nutrient deficiencies.
(c) some how, some way, choose what he should eat for him, and give him that, so that he will be somewhat healthy.I think you’re beating up a straw man here….
Welfare is a couple hundred dollars at most, usually much less than that.
Stop worrying about what everyone else is eating and worry about yourself.
If you want to make products healthier on a larger scale, then pass regulations concerning toxic chemicals and labeling for food products.
Limiting people in literal poverty from having a lollipop or a candy bar with their money is not the answer.
Alright, fair enough
Weird way to come around to UBI, but I’m with it
lol… I’m just tired of people trying to gate keep basic needs as though they somehow know better than poor people what they need.
If we checked what government subsidized millionaires and billionaires spent their money 10% as much as how we do poor people we could actually save money……
Food stamps and wic and other programs are generally less than a couple hundred dollars. It’s not your business what they spend it on.
It’s a nanny state.
I mean yea, but so is giving you money for food. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect that the food you get with it to be nutritious.
Eat your own nutritious food. Stop sniffing poor people ass, mind your own business
When the money for it stops coming out of my check, I’ll stop having an opinion on it.
Are you worried about corporate welfare recipients as well, or do you just like the smell of poor people farts?
I am opposed to corporate welfare and paying for someone else’s Little Debbie habit.
I hate corporate welfare far more than paying for junk food but I don’t like either one.
I used to live in a kinda poor area. Lots of people on some sort of program. And that program had really restrictive rules about what you can and cannot buy. For example, you could buy Skippy peanut butter but not Skippy light peanut butter (whatever that is). It caused great confusion for the people who needed food, huge amounts of labor for the poor grocery person, and a long wait for the other shoppers in line - just so the government can save a few cents. Unbelievable.
Yep. I used to work in a store where people would ask if some specific food or drink could be paid for by food stamps/EBT all the time. I was like, idk, lets run it and see. 50/50 chance you can buy anything, and no explanation for what’s covered and what isn’t. It sucks to tell someone they can’t buy their favorite food for their birthday.
WIC most likely
Yeah WIC is very restricted. Food stamps is more like most things that are groceries but not hot ready to serve items.
What goon-affiliated product will they be able to purchase with food stamps instead? Lee Greenwood Bibles? My Pillows?
