Is eating healthy on food stamps possible?

It also sounds like a lot of the families that the article focuses on are in areas where healthy eating isn't the norm and it's really difficult to find produce. I think that's an underlying paradox of some areas in this country: food desert, where there's a **** ton of calories without nutritional value.

Well if they do live in a food desert then there may be some legitimacy to it.

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.

Yep. TOTALLY do not understand this. My former client who was a man with autism in his 40's working at a special facility earning way under min. wage, got $34 per month in food stamps. I know a family of four, dad works making decent money at a factory, mom stays at home, and last I heard, they received $500+change monthly for food stamps in addition to the children getting free breakfast & lunch at school. What in the world...!?

Ah, I guess it's the same thing as tax time when people with kids get thousands back. Pisses me off to be quite honest.

Yep it's not very fair someone with a true disability is punished for not procreating. I'm taking advantage of it though. I'd be stupid not to if the government thinks popping out a kid is worth a few thousand then I'm taking it.

Yeah I can't say I blame ya.

I just think it should be less of a drastic difference. Like single person gets $100, 4 person household $400, that would work in my mind...or at tax time, I wouldn't even care if I got $0 refund (which has happened, mine's never large in a DINKS household) but I feel like two low wage workers w/ matching annual salaries, one with kids and one with no kids, the difference in their tax refund should not be *THOUSANDS*. Hundreds, sure. But like $5,000 difference...no....

Too bad I usually see people buying ice cream, take and bake pizzas, and expensive steaks with it. Not the cheapest foods.

^this

I once overheard a woman loud-talking on her cell phone complaining about various issues like her child support check from her second ex and something about timing of food stamps or credit to her EBT card and some other opportunity to change some reporting to get more support from her first ex...with a cart *full* of name brand convenience food. It was extra noticeable to me because I was teaching one of my children how we look for which items are on sale, *then* check if we have a coupon, and *then* compare that to the generic/store brand before we decide which to buy.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

There are plenty of small towns and suburbs with either no or very inefficient bus service. If it's a 2 hour ride each way to get to the grocery, that's pretty limiting both on how often you can go and on whether you can do stuff like stock up on frozen vegetables.

At my grad school, there was a bus route, but it was literally an hour at least (assuming the buses were on schedule) to get to the grocery and the same home again. Most of the students who didn't have cars either ate the crappy food in the cafeteria or bought junk at the convenience stores that WERE within walking distance.

In the town my ex lives in, to get from his place to the decent grocery was a 1.5 hour bus ride involving a transfer, or the other option was a cab fare. Meanwhile, there was a tiny local grocery that sold overpriced stuff and not very good.

In the town I am now, there is absolutely no public transportation. From my apartment to the dollar general (which is NOT a good place to shop for healthy food) would be a half an hour's walk. From my apartment to the decent grocery would be an hour's walk, and then carrying food home again. And there are people who live much further than I do from a grocery.