Food Stamps

I think it might have something to do with this:

1 head of lettuce is generally around $1.00 and contains about 80 calories. That's $0.013 per calorie.

1 1/2 gallon of cheap vanilla ice cream is about $1.00 and contains about 600 calories. That's $0.0017 per calorie.

That means it is 7.6 times more expensive per calorie to eat the lettuce than the ice cream. And that is why I think those of limited income/limited means eat much more ice cream and other junk food than lettuce and health food. These types of comparisons repeat often when comparing many junk-type foods to health-type foods. It's quite sad.

As an obese person with a bachelors degree in education who is currently disabled and on food stamps, I am somewhat offended.

I don't think you should be paying so much attention to what they have in their cart or how they are paying.

I'm not trying to start an argument really, I am not. Your generalizations are irritating to me. If I want to have a frozen pizza or have $10.00 to spend on a pack of cigs and choose to do that instead of buy 5 pounds of broccoli just ring it up.

AMEN!

I used to work in a grocery store. You'd be amazed to see what people buy with food stamps. For instance... $200 in food and spend $50 + on booze and cigs.

I've also worked in a grocery store. You can't buy booze and cigs with food stamps

Ditto.




I always knew who the food stamp customers were by the mountain of crap in the cart, sad to say. WIC at least had restrictions on items.

P.S. Not saying this to be mean, but it was universally true when I worked in a grocery store in college.

I don't understand how YOUR UNIQUE and INDIVIDUAL observation could be universal. Did you work in every part of the country in all different types of neighborhoods?

Calm down and breathe.

I never said food stamps were bad, just that the vast majority of folks who came through our store bought piles of junk food.

Food stamps are a great thing for people who need it. My grandfather is on it, and it's been a godsend, but nearly every person I saw come through the line with food stamps when I was working at a grocery store bought nothing but absolute junk food and many of them also bought $50+ in cigarettes and a couple of 40's on top of it. It wasn't said to be mean. It's the truth. Sorry if it doesn't sit well with your views.

It was astonishing to me how much money is given out on those cards too. I helped my grandfather apply for food stamps last year, and they initially gave him $250 per month as a single 80 year old man. He told them it was too much, but the amount given out is non-negotiable. He used maybe $100 of it and sometimes no more than $50 per month. He eats good healthy food, but doesn't eat much.

I think it might have something to do with this:

1 head of lettuce is generally around $1.00 and contains about 80 calories. That's $0.013 per calorie.

1 1/2 gallon of cheap vanilla ice cream is about $1.00 and contains about 600 calories. That's $0.0017 per calorie.

That means it is 7.6 times more expensive per calorie to eat the lettuce than the ice cream. And that is why I think those of limited income/limited means eat much more ice cream and other junk food than lettuce and health food. These types of comparisons repeat when comparing many junk-type foods to health-type foods. It's quite sad.

I get you, but I think this examples oversimplifies extremely complicated social conditions. Imagine trying to feed a growing family with lettuce and other cheap (but not so filling) foods.

That's pretty much exactly what I was getting at. :P

I know! but dang I misread, got so excited...lol

This country is ridiculous, there are so many processed foods that are made to seem 'healthy' that even educated people seem confused at times. I've never worked in a store so I haven't seen what people buy with food stamps, but I sometimes scratch my head when I see what is 'Foodstamp' or 'WIC' approved.

FYI: "WIC" has a very limited amount of approved foods including infant formula, canned baby foods, milk, cheese, peanut butter and dried beans. Technically, all food is "Food stamp approved" as long as it comes from a store that accepts that form of payment.

I think it might have something to do with this:

1 head of lettuce is generally around $1.00 and contains about 80 calories. That's $0.013 per calorie.

1 1/2 gallon of cheap vanilla ice cream is about $1.00 and contains about 600 calories. That's $0.0017 per calorie.

That means it is 7.6 times more expensive per calorie to eat the lettuce than the ice cream. And that is why I think those of limited income/limited means eat much more ice cream and other junk food than lettuce and health food. These types of comparisons repeat when comparing many junk-type foods to health-type foods. It's quite sad.

I get you, but I think this examples oversimplifies extremely complicated social conditions. Imagine trying to feed a growing family with lettuce and other cheap (but not so filling) foods.

That's pretty much exactly what I was getting at. :P

I know! but dang I misread, got so excited...lol

It's all good love. :flowerforyou:

You are projecting though and you CANNOT speak for them! You don't REALLY know the reasons they are buying what they are buying, and their lifestyles. It is impossible to be objective because we are ALL speaking from SOME perspective.
P.S. I never accused you of being against foodstamps, either. I'm just asking you to look at differently, not just from your perspective.

Ohhhhh myyyyy godddddd, I don't care about the reason about why they buy what they buyyyyyy. I get it, they have reasons to be unhealthy. Read my initial post that says that I KNOW that not all people on food stamps are unhealthy. This is ONE observation, (though this wasn't the only time I've seen this) and I know I don't know everyone's situations. I GET IT. My point is that people are using cash that they earned to buy stuff that they don't need and use other people's money for their food!

Other people's money are used for WAY worse things, and BIGGER portions of it, at that. Seriously. Look at how much of tax revenue actually goes into it versus other things, like say I don't know the $12 trillion bail out to bankers that wrecked our economy. Why are people so hung up on this supposed "drain" on our system?

As an obese person with a bachelors degree in education who is currently disabled and on food stamps, I am somewhat offended.

I don't think you should be paying so much attention to what they have in their cart or how they are paying.

I'm not trying to start an argument really, I am not. Your generalizations are irritating to me. If I want to have a frozen pizza or have $10.00 to spend on a pack of cigs and choose to do that instead of buy 5 pounds of broccoli just ring it up.

Luv it

This country is ridiculous, there are so many processed foods that are made to seem 'healthy' that even educated people seem confused at times. I've never worked in a store so I haven't seen what people buy with food stamps, but I sometimes scratch my head when I see what is 'Foodstamp' or 'WIC' approved.

FYI: "WIC" has a very limited amount of approved foods including infant formula, canned baby foods, milk, cheese, peanut butter and dried beans. Technically, all food is "Food stamp approved" as long as it comes from a store that accepts that form of payment.

Dude. I'm not trying to start a fight.

"Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well- warmed, and well-fed."


That being said, being that I am working class and have been on food stamps in the past ( corporate cut store hours due to local LE agencies suffering cutbacks, it trickled down ) I find your post completely offensive. You have absolutely no idea what the f uck you're talking about nor do you have any right to judge everyone by that one person you saw with all that junk.

Sure, I've seen my neighbors at my local grocery store loading up with that cheap punch in the gallon bottles, Cheez Whiz, candy, cookies, and those nasty premade carrot cakes but I have also seen Soccer Mom at the "nice" grocery store loading up on Hot Pockets, pie from the bakery, TV dinners, "nicer" brands of chips, and "nicer" brands of cookies.
People are people, and people tend to eat nasty food products.