Is eating healthy on food stamps possible?

WVprankster

Of course eating healthy on food stamps is possible- as possible as eating on actual currency. It's still used to buy the same products. It's a matter of priorities, and in some cases, poor life choices. Most of the issues this thread discusses have a common theme- a serious lack of the shopper to take accountability and responsibility for the food they bring home. The shopper makes a conscious choice to grab the slim jims instead of the ground beef.

cwolfman13

Nutritionally dense whole foods are not expensive. Dried beans, oats, and other grains aren't expensive...frozen veg is often cheaper than fresh produce and generally has more nutrients...various cuts of meat are always on sale. The problem is that people are too lazy and/or simply don't know how to prepare their own meals anymore. The other problem is people buy a lot of **** that is marketed as "healthy" when it's completely unnecessary.

I can easily feed a family of 4 on $2 - $2.50 each. One whole chicken, frozen package of broccoli and some potatoes...EZ-PZ

tiggerhammon

Okay, I asked my sister in law to clarify.
She is getting $740 a month as a total - combined food stamps and TANF. So, it is not just food money, there is some on the card that is cash benefit.

WendyTerry420

Food stamps makes it hard to overeat or binge eat because there isn't enough to buy so much crap.

bcattoes

This article expands on what many of us know - the cheapest foods are usually the unhealthiest ones, but what can we do to solve it?

I don't know that at all, nor do I think this article provides anything to back up such a statement.

From the article:

The 4-year-old grabbed a bag of cheddar-flavored potato chips and a granola bar. The 9-year-old filled a bowl with sugary cereal and then gulped down chocolate milk.

There is no way one can buy potato chips, granola bars, cereal and milk cheaper than healthy breakfast foods like oats and eggs. These things are not cheaper, they are easier. They don't require preparation.

And I'm sure the chocolate milk was not cheaper than white milk. I would be surprised if lard is cheaper than dried beans, but perhaps it's cheaper than prepackaged refried beans which is probably what the mother bought.

These are simply poor choices. Made through ignorance or laziness.

WendyTerry420

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/2013/11/09/too-much-of-too-little/?hpid=z1

This article expands on what many of us know - the cheapest foods are usually the unhealthiest ones, but what can we do to solve it?

Anyways, I found it an interesting read without a simple solution, so figured I'd post it up for discussion!

To speak to the article specifically, it boils down to lack of education on healthy eating. Government has continued to make it worse instead of better through propaganda, subsidies, and outright B.S.

WendyTerry420

This article expands on what many of us know - the cheapest foods are usually the unhealthiest ones, but what can we do to solve it?

I don't know that at all, nor do I think this article provides anything to back up such a statement.

From the article:

The 4-year-old grabbed a bag of cheddar-flavored potato chips and a granola bar. The 9-year-old filled a bowl with sugary cereal and then gulped down chocolate milk.

There is no way one can buy potato chips, granola bars, cereal and milk cheaper than healthy breakfast foods like oats and eggs. These things are not cheaper, they are easier. They don't require preparation.

And I'm sure the chocolate milk was not cheaper than white milk. I would be surprised if lard is cheaper than dried beans, but perhaps it's cheaper than prepackaged refried beans which is probably what the mother bought.

These are simply poor choices. Made through ignorance or laziness.

No kidding! You can get 10 pounds of potatoes for the cost of one bag of chips.

jwdieter

This article expands on what many of us know - the cheapest foods are usually the unhealthiest ones, but what can we do to solve it?

I don't know that at all, nor do I think this article provides anything to back up such a statement.

From the article:

The 4-year-old grabbed a bag of cheddar-flavored potato chips and a granola bar. The 9-year-old filled a bowl with sugary cereal and then gulped down chocolate milk.

There is no way one can buy potato chips, granola bars, cereal and milk cheaper than healthy breakfast foods like oats and eggs. These things are not cheaper, they are easier. They don't require preparation.

And I'm sure the chocolate milk was not cheaper than white milk. I would be surprised if lard is cheaper than dried beans, but perhaps it's cheaper than prepackaged refried beans which is probably what the mother bought.

These are simply poor choices. Made through ignorance or laziness.

No kidding! You can get 10 pounds of potatoes for the cost of one bag of chips.

Now to get the convenience stores in poor areas to stock 10 pound bags of potatoes. Or any produce. They would if food stamps weren't a subsidy to packaged food industries.

WendyTerry420

This article expands on what many of us know - the cheapest foods are usually the unhealthiest ones, but what can we do to solve it?

I don't know that at all, nor do I think this article provides anything to back up such a statement.

From the article:

The 4-year-old grabbed a bag of cheddar-flavored potato chips and a granola bar. The 9-year-old filled a bowl with sugary cereal and then gulped down chocolate milk.

There is no way one can buy potato chips, granola bars, cereal and milk cheaper than healthy breakfast foods like oats and eggs. These things are not cheaper, they are easier. They don't require preparation.

And I'm sure the chocolate milk was not cheaper than white milk. I would be surprised if lard is cheaper than dried beans, but perhaps it's cheaper than prepackaged refried beans which is probably what the mother bought.

These are simply poor choices. Made through ignorance or laziness.

No kidding! You can get 10 pounds of potatoes for the cost of one bag of chips.

Now to get the convenience stores in poor areas to stock 10 pound bags of potatoes. Or any produce. They would if food stamps weren't a subsidy to packaged food industries.

Convenience stores are not where you are supposed to be buying your groceries. Who does that, honestly? Even my folks in the rural areas will truck the long journey to Walmart for their grocery stores. Convenience stores are for convenience, and that's that.

awtume9

I think it is very difficult if not down right impossible. Food stamp benefits differ by the state you live in and most states do not give people the kind of benefits you are speaking of. I am disabled and I get disability and my food stamps are 50 dollars a month. I dare any one of you to try and eat on 50 dollars a month much less eat healthy. I am offended people speak without proper knowledge of what they are talking about. If someone is telling you they are getting 700-800 dollars a month even with a lot of kids they are lying to you.

I used to work at Papa Murphy's (they accept food stamps) and when the receipt printed out I could see the customer's EBT balance, and yes, some people are getting upwards of $1000/month. And stop being so easily offended. Especially when people ARE right.

WendyTerry420

I think it is very difficult if not down right impossible. Food stamp benefits differ by the state you live in and most states do not give people the kind of benefits you are speaking of. I am disabled and I get disability and my food stamps are 50 dollars a month. I dare any one of you to try and eat on 50 dollars a month much less eat healthy. I am offended people speak without proper knowledge of what they are talking about. If someone is telling you they are getting 700-800 dollars a month even with a lot of kids they are lying to you.

I used to work at Papa Murphy's (they accept food stamps) and when the receipt printed out I could see the customer's EBT balance, and yes, some people are getting upwards of $1000/month. And stop being so easily offended. Especially when people ARE right.

That's probably benefits they receive in addition to food stamps. Lots of benefits go on EBT, even child support can be deposited to an EBT card.

DamePiglet

I think education is one way to help.

My family of 4 & I lived on food stamps briefly (it was after a natural disaster, so it was short-term aid and not as much as regular, monthly food stamps). Before the storm, we didn't get food stamps, but we got WIC and I would collect commodities and food bank donations.

We live in a very hot place and we didn't run the air conditioner during the day. My son wore cloth diapers and I hung everything out on the line.

We had enough money to keep the electricity on because we didn't run anything but a fan and the 'fridge.

I had to get a ride with someone going into 'town' to get groceries as we lived in a very rural area.

I learned to cook everything from scratch. And I'm a hella good cook! Was our diet as full of fresh fruits and veges as it is now? Nope. But it wasn't Doritos and soft drinks, either. My mom was awesome at teaching me good eating habits and I learned nutrition in school. I applied THAT and made it work.

If we could do it on what we had, I'm certain others can also. I'd have felt like a queen with that much grocery money!
And I'm fortunate that I had a good foundation.

bcattoes

I think it is very difficult if not down right impossible. Food stamp benefits differ by the state you live in and most states do not give people the kind of benefits you are speaking of. I am disabled and I get disability and my food stamps are 50 dollars a month. I dare any one of you to try and eat on 50 dollars a month much less eat healthy. I am offended people speak without proper knowledge of what they are talking about. If someone is telling you they are getting 700-800 dollars a month even with a lot of kids they are lying to you.

I used to work at Papa Murphy's (they accept food stamps) and when the receipt printed out I could see the customer's EBT balance, and yes, some people are getting upwards of $1000/month. And stop being so easily offended. Especially when people ARE right.

The balance on the EBT cards in my state rolls over if you don't spend it all, which could account for the high balance you saw.

But the $430 mentioned in the article should be enough to feed 5 children if one were shopping wisely. Even if there is not a grocery store for miles, one monthly bus or cab ride to stock up on foods with a long shelf life like dried beans, rice, carrots, onions, dry milk, pasta, peanut butter, canned vegetables, fruit and tuna would make eating healthy on a budget must easier.

DamePiglet

I think it is very difficult if not down right impossible. Food stamp benefits differ by the state you live in and most states do not give people the kind of benefits you are speaking of. I am disabled and I get disability and my food stamps are 50 dollars a month. I dare any one of you to try and eat on 50 dollars a month much less eat healthy. I am offended people speak without proper knowledge of what they are talking about. If someone is telling you they are getting 700-800 dollars a month even with a lot of kids they are lying to you.

I used to work at Papa Murphy's (they accept food stamps) and when the receipt printed out I could see the customer's EBT balance, and yes, some people are getting upwards of $1000/month. And stop being so easily offended. Especially when people ARE right.

The balance on the EBT cards in my state rolls over if you don't spend it all, which could account for the high balance you saw.

But the $430 mentioned in the article should be enough to feed 5 children if one were shopping wisely. Even if there is not a grocery store for miles, one monthly bus or cab ride to stock up on foods with a long shelf life like dried beans, rice, carrots, onions, dry milk, pasta, peanut butter, canned vegetables, fruit and tuna would make eating healthy on a budget must easier.

yep. and actually, the beans, rice, peanut butter, dry milk, etc. is all available through the commodities supplemental food program, so that doesn't even have to come out of the food stamps.

seltzermint555

I think it is very difficult if not down right impossible. Food stamp benefits differ by the state you live in and most states do not give people the kind of benefits you are speaking of. I am disabled and I get disability and my food stamps are 50 dollars a month. I dare any one of you to try and eat on 50 dollars a month much less eat healthy. I am offended people speak without proper knowledge of what they are talking about. If someone is telling you they are getting 700-800 dollars a month even with a lot of kids they are lying to you.

I used to work at Papa Murphy's (they accept food stamps) and when the receipt printed out I could see the customer's EBT balance, and yes, some people are getting upwards of $1000/month. And stop being so easily offended. Especially when people ARE right.

yep. I had a friend around 2006 who showed me her bills, food stamp amount, everything going in/out monthly as a means for me to try and help her make some better financial decisions. I was floored to see that their family of five, with husband working full-time making as much as I made at that time ($32,000) was getting $600 per month in EBT food stamp benefits.

OTOH yes single individuals with disabilities get very little money in EBT. That is true, generally.

jwdieter

Convenience stores are not where you are supposed to be buying your groceries. Who does that, honestly? Even my folks in the rural areas will truck the long journey to Walmart for their grocery stores. Convenience stores are for convenience, and that's that.

Apparently millions of people are doing that. The convenience stores are convenient and offer "food" that can be purchased with food stamps. The issue is more complex than "people should behave at their educated rational optimum". There's a severe lack of education and life skills, and a system that intentionally supports waste.

jennegan1

I think it's possible. You have to learn moderation and portion control. Notice how a LOT of those people are obese. If they ate a normal healthy amount they could afford to eat healthier. It cost me about $50-$60 a week to eat healthy. If I spurge on seafood it can get up to $75.

Just remember not all obese people make poor food choices are on "FS" my step father whos over weight and isnt on FS has been making poor food choices for a very long time now. First off he doesnt like to eat any veggies that are healthy for every one to eat. Second hell either eat on the couch or in front of the computer not paying attention to how much hes putting into his mouth and he always goes back for 2nds no matter what or eat 4 slices of pizza .....Yes recently he has given up on his daily bowl of ice cream and cookies which he said he can eat 10 at a time . But hes still eating pasta or rice every night with dinner or lunch and still snacking on cheez it crackers or pop corn, those are healthier options but not always in the long run...... As for some one whos on FS I make 95% of my meals and every night I try to incorporate either a veggie or a healthier rice such as long grain or brown rice. My mother raised us to eat always add a veggie to our dinner plate so hopefully my kids will learn from me what she taught me.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

people on food stamps get ridiculous amounts of money. 3 times what i spend monthly on groceries. period.

Not everyone gets ridiculous amounts of money. When I was laid off we qualified for about $70.00 a month for my husband and myself.

With that being said................we were able to buy almost all of our food for the month with that $70.00. We only had to purchase a few things with cash.

Also, food stamps are NOT supposed to be the sole food source for the month. Food stamps are supposed to SUPPLEMENT which means you will most likely have to add $$$ to the amount to be able to eat for the month.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

My mother qualifies for food stamps due to disability. They give her something like $40 every 2 weeks. For her at least it's not really enough to be more than supplemental. People with kids get quite a bit more.

Well food stamps are supposed to be supplemental and not be the only source to buy food. That is the point. $80.00 a month for 1 person is plenty.

I can't imagine someone eating more than $20.00 a week in food by themselves.

WendyTerry420

Convenience stores are not where you are supposed to be buying your groceries. Who does that, honestly? Even my folks in the rural areas will truck the long journey to Walmart for their grocery stores. Convenience stores are for convenience, and that's that.

Apparently millions of people are doing that. The convenience stores are convenient and offer "food" that can be purchased with food stamps. The issue is more complex than "people should behave at their educated rational optimum". There's a severe lack of education and life skills, and a system that intentionally supports waste.

Millions? I doubt that. I have purchased milk from convenience stores on occasion, or bags of ice, but any other grocery item is way too expensive. Someone who is "buying groceries" at a convenience store may as well take a lighter to their paycheck.

ETA: OK, upon considering that there might be millions of idiots in this country, I retract my doubt. :laugh:

jwdieter

Convenience stores are not where you are supposed to be buying your groceries. Who does that, honestly? Even my folks in the rural areas will truck the long journey to Walmart for their grocery stores. Convenience stores are for convenience, and that's that.

Apparently millions of people are doing that. The convenience stores are convenient and offer "food" that can be purchased with food stamps. The issue is more complex than "people should behave at their educated rational optimum". There's a severe lack of education and life skills, and a system that intentionally supports waste.

Millions? I doubt that. I have purchased milk from convenience stores on occasion, or bags of ice, but any other grocery item is way too expensive. Someone who is "buying groceries" at a convenience store may as well take a lighter to their paycheck.

And then you thought about where convenience stores are located and why they aren't going out of business. And the point of the cited article and everything else going on in this thread. Edit: Good edit

ItsCasey

I can't imagine someone eating more than $20.00 a week in food by themselves.

I eat $10 to $15 a day in food by myself. Granted, I buy the good stuff (grass-fed beef, wild-caught seafood, etc.), but I imagine I'd be living on peanut butter sandwiches and canned soup if I could only spend $20 in a week.

fbmandy55

Our state is cutting food stamps and for a family of 3, that means a max of $498 a month. So YES, you can eat healthy on food stamps, considering a family of three gets more than what my family of three has to budget for by not qualifying for them.

We eat healthy and I spent about $300 a month on groceries, that is what we can afford.. We eat out once every 7-10 days and that is something like Chipolte or a Sub shop..

fbmandy55

Convenience stores are not where you are supposed to be buying your groceries. Who does that, honestly? Even my folks in the rural areas will truck the long journey to Walmart for their grocery stores. Convenience stores are for convenience, and that's that.

Apparently millions of people are doing that. The convenience stores are convenient and offer "food" that can be purchased with food stamps. The issue is more complex than "people should behave at their educated rational optimum". There's a severe lack of education and life skills, and a system that intentionally supports waste.

Millions? I doubt that. I have purchased milk from convenience stores on occasion, or bags of ice, but any other grocery item is way too expensive. Someone who is "buying groceries" at a convenience store may as well take a lighter to their paycheck.

ETA: OK, upon considering that there might be millions of idiots in this country, I retract my doubt. :laugh:

Agreed. Or lazy people. It's easier to spend someone else's money at the gas station than walk a couple block or take a bus to get groceries somewhere where you can get more for the money.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

I think it has less to do with having food stamps than it does to do with the availability of fresh and healthy food in their area. In some of the poorer neighborhoods there are no grocery stores; you are limited to buying foods at convenience stores that rarely carry produce or if they do it is outrageously priced.

There are very very few areas in the country without access to grocery stores. That is either a disingenuous statement or ignorance.

I guess this depends on what you consider to be "access". What if you don't own a car, because you can't afford one and the closest grocery store is 5 miles or 10 miles away? Then you will go to the closest store on foot or whatever is close to your work or near your bus route and that may not necessarily be a grocery store.

We can "what if" all day. People need to eat. Unless they live in a pretty rural area, most of their groceries will come from a grocery store. They may suppliment their shopping with convenience stores, but as you mentioned, those stores are more costly and restricted in terms of variety. And if you live in a place with a bus route, then it will be going past a grocery store.

You must not be familiar with inner cities???? There are literally NO groceries stores in the inner cities. They are food deserts.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

Convenience stores are not where you are supposed to be buying your groceries. Who does that, honestly? Even my folks in the rural areas will truck the long journey to Walmart for their grocery stores. Convenience stores are for convenience, and that's that.

Apparently millions of people are doing that. The convenience stores are convenient and offer "food" that can be purchased with food stamps. The issue is more complex than "people should behave at their educated rational optimum". There's a severe lack of education and life skills, and a system that intentionally supports waste.

Millions? I doubt that. I have purchased milk from convenience stores on occasion, or bags of ice, but any other grocery item is way too expensive. Someone who is "buying groceries" at a convenience store may as well take a lighter to their paycheck.

ETA: OK, upon considering that there might be millions of idiots in this country, I retract my doubt. :laugh:

Agreed. Or lazy people. It's easier to spend someone else's money at the gas station than walk a couple block or take a bus to get groceries somewhere where you can get more for the money.

You are talking about something you obviously know nothing about. I work with my farmers market and CSA to get fresh food to those in the inner cities of St Louis where there are absolutely NO grocery stores at all. Bus rides to a grocery store can be almost an hour away.

What choice does one have???? You should learn some compassion instead of calling people idiots. You are quick to judge without having walked anywhere in their shoes.

Food deserts are VERY REAL.

St Louis is a comparitively small city to other cities and there are at least 15 identified food deserts.

Food deserts are areas with little or no access to grocery stores that offer fresh and affordable food. St. Louis has 15 such areas, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

DamePiglet

I work with my farmers market and CSA to get fresh food to those in the inner cities of St Louis where there are absolutely NO grocery stores at all. Bus rides to a grocery store can be almost an hour away.

What choice does one have???? You should learn some compassion instead of calling people idiots. You are quick to judge without having walked anywhere in their shoes.

Food deserts are VERY REAL.

St Louis is a comparitively small city to other cities and there are at least 15 identified food deserts.

I think it's great that you are helping with the problem of healthy food unavailability in your area.

I believe that there is a mixture of problems at play here...
One is the desert problem.
Another is education.

But, yet another is abuse and bad choices on the part of some of the recipients. Not all, mind you. But some.

I've seen it first hand and the abusive people really 'burn my biscuits' because THEY make it difficult for those who just need a hand.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

I work with my farmers market and CSA to get fresh food to those in the inner cities of St Louis where there are absolutely NO grocery stores at all. Bus rides to a grocery store can be almost an hour away.

What choice does one have???? You should learn some compassion instead of calling people idiots. You are quick to judge without having walked anywhere in their shoes.

Food deserts are VERY REAL.

St Louis is a comparitively small city to other cities and there are at least 15 identified food deserts.

I think it's great that you are helping with the problem of healthy food unavailability in your area.

I believe that there is a mixture of problems at play here...
One is the desert problem.
Another is education.

But, yet another is abuse and bad choices on the part of some of the recipients. Not all, mind you. But some.

I've seen it first hand and the abusive people really 'burn my biscuits' because THEY make it difficult for those who just need a hand.

The amount of "abuse" that goes on is less than people are lead to believe.


We work with those that really are trying to do the best they can with the resources they currently have. Those that are looking to abuse the system usually don't show up to cooking classes and fresh produce, eggs and such.

fbmandy55

Convenience stores are not where you are supposed to be buying your groceries. Who does that, honestly? Even my folks in the rural areas will truck the long journey to Walmart for their grocery stores. Convenience stores are for convenience, and that's that.

Apparently millions of people are doing that. The convenience stores are convenient and offer "food" that can be purchased with food stamps. The issue is more complex than "people should behave at their educated rational optimum". There's a severe lack of education and life skills, and a system that intentionally supports waste.

Millions? I doubt that. I have purchased milk from convenience stores on occasion, or bags of ice, but any other grocery item is way too expensive. Someone who is "buying groceries" at a convenience store may as well take a lighter to their paycheck.

ETA: OK, upon considering that there might be millions of idiots in this country, I retract my doubt. :laugh:

Agreed. Or lazy people. It's easier to spend someone else's money at the gas station than walk a couple block or take a bus to get groceries somewhere where you can get more for the money.

You are talking about something you obviously know nothing about. I work with my farmers market and CSA to get fresh food to those in the inner cities of St Louis where there are absolutely NO grocery stores at all. Bus rides to a grocery store can be almost an hour away.

What choice does one have???? You should learn some compassion instead of calling people idiots. You are quick to judge without having walked anywhere in their shoes.

Food deserts are VERY REAL.

St Louis is a comparitively small city to other cities and there are at least 15 identified food deserts.

I live south of Chicago, it seems to me that this is more of an issue with leaving your neighborhood to get food, as many people stay within their radius of a few blocks most of their lives.. Their might not be a store on their block but within a couple miles? Yes. The inner cities have thousands upon thousands living per mile. The South side is particularly bad and that's the side closest to me. I understand, our best man's mom lives in a neighborhood that we would get shot in, just for being white. But how can you expect retailers to build businesses in low-income/high crime areas. Build a store just so they can have their employees killed or goods robbed? This is a whole other issue that has little to do with food...

And for the worst food deserts, the FDA map show most of those are in rural areas, mountains and wetlands. l'd assume that most of these people live off of the land as they have done for generations.

CorvusCorax77

Everyone I know on food stamps gets a large amount of money ($900 for a family of 4 and $700 for a family of 2 - two of the families I know)

I would say Heck Yes! It most certainly is possible to eat healthy with that kind of food "budget."

what state do you live in? In my state, a family of two (mother and child) gets less than $200 for an entire month.

Even so, yes it's possible to "eat healthy" on low income/foodstamps. When I was my poorest, I ate healthiest because I could load up my fridge with veggies for $30. Skipping the bread and butter and ice cream and soda, and just having veggies and spices and rice and some protein was the cheapest eats.