Poor people can't afford healthy food

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you made a great point how growing up, your Mother didn’t have much yet prioritized good nutrition for you growing up.

I think your Mother sounds very resourceful & I am glad that your family was able to enjoy a healthy diet in spite of not having much $$.

However your post comes across as a little tone deaf 🧏‍♂️ in my opinion.
Perhaps that is just my interpretation of what you wrote - but I feel as if subliminally you are calling out poor families who make excuses for not eating healthy meals.

Each + EVERY family situation is so different in so many unique ways that it is simply unfair to judge the actions of others.

Op here. Thank you for this post. I should have been more careful in my wording. Of course there are reasonable causes for people not eating healthy. My point was only that in can be done, even under not ideal circumstances.

Saying that something can be done does not mean that if people don't do it they are defective. It is possible for me to train harder to swim 3k in open water. The fact that I can't do it does not mean I am defective.

So are you the arbiter of what constitutes “reasonable causes” for people not eating healthy? Your inability to see your myopic and judgmental views is astounding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the OP. I am sorry I wasn't clear. My point was that I keep hearing that poor people can't afford to eat healthy, but it can be done. It just involves planning, and cooking, and accepting that you may eat the same meals several days in a row.

Not always. Thanks for your singular data point.

Name some typical circumstances why it couldn’t e done, then. I can’t think of any reason why the same poor person could easily obtain for themselves Takis and Mountain Dew but not a can of pinto beans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the OP. I am sorry I wasn't clear. My point was that I keep hearing that poor people can't afford to eat healthy, but it can be done. It just involves planning, and cooking, and accepting that you may eat the same meals several days in a row.

Not always. Thanks for your singular data point.

Name some typical circumstances why it couldn’t e done, then. I can’t think of any reason why the same poor person could easily obtain for themselves Takis and Mountain Dew but not a can of pinto beans.

No one wants to eat a plain can of pinto beans. Gross.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the OP. I am sorry I wasn't clear. My point was that I keep hearing that poor people can't afford to eat healthy, but it can be done. It just involves planning, and cooking, and accepting that you may eat the same meals several days in a row.

Not always. Thanks for your singular data point.

Name some typical circumstances why it couldn’t e done, then. I can’t think of any reason why the same poor person could easily obtain for themselves Takis and Mountain Dew but not a can of pinto beans.

Beans aren’t that healthy. Of course takis is pure toxin. Can we just settle for peanut butter on toast?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the OP. I am sorry I wasn't clear. My point was that I keep hearing that poor people can't afford to eat healthy, but it can be done. It just involves planning, and cooking, and accepting that you may eat the same meals several days in a row.

Not always. Thanks for your singular data point.

Name some typical circumstances why it couldn’t e done, then. I can’t think of any reason why the same poor person could easily obtain for themselves Takis and Mountain Dew but not a can of pinto beans.

No one wants to eat a plain can of pinto beans. Gross.

No one is suggesting just eating a can of beans. You cook something with it. This is why people are obese.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, you made a great point how growing up, your Mother didn’t have much yet prioritized good nutrition for you growing up.

I think your Mother sounds very resourceful & I am glad that your family was able to enjoy a healthy diet in spite of not having much $$.

However your post comes across as a little tone deaf 🧏‍♂️ in my opinion.
Perhaps that is just my interpretation of what you wrote - but I feel as if subliminally you are calling out poor families who make excuses for not eating healthy meals.

Each + EVERY family situation is so different in so many unique ways that it is simply unfair to judge the actions of others.

It’s Ok to “call out” poor families to make changes that are within their control and to educate people who have never been poor. So many people romanticize the dysfunction of poverty because they have never experienced it. This had led to a bunch of policies that “destigmatize” but also do nothing to incentivize change. - Grew up on food stamps, free school lunch and food banks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you made a great point how growing up, your Mother didn’t have much yet prioritized good nutrition for you growing up.

I think your Mother sounds very resourceful & I am glad that your family was able to enjoy a healthy diet in spite of not having much $$.

However your post comes across as a little tone deaf 🧏‍♂️ in my opinion.
Perhaps that is just my interpretation of what you wrote - but I feel as if subliminally you are calling out poor families who make excuses for not eating healthy meals.

Each + EVERY family situation is so different in so many unique ways that it is simply unfair to judge the actions of others.

Op here. Thank you for this post. I should have been more careful in my wording. Of course there are reasonable causes for people not eating healthy. My point was only that in can be done, even under not ideal circumstances.

Saying that something can be done does not mean that if people don't do it they are defective. It is possible for me to train harder to swim 3k in open water. The fact that I can't do it does not mean I am defective.

So are you the arbiter of what constitutes “reasonable causes” for people not eating healthy? Your inability to see your myopic and judgmental views is astounding.

You are basically saying that no one can comment on aspects of poverty that need to be addressed. Even people who are poor due to “no fault of their own” should be encouraged to improve their lives. And we need to discuss these things in order to improve our society. Being poor is a lot more than “just lacking money”. Anyone who has looked at expenditures under SNAP or UBI can realize that. - NP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the OP. I am sorry I wasn't clear. My point was that I keep hearing that poor people can't afford to eat healthy, but it can be done. It just involves planning, and cooking, and accepting that you may eat the same meals several days in a row.

Not always. Thanks for your singular data point.

Name some typical circumstances why it couldn’t e done, then. I can’t think of any reason why the same poor person could easily obtain for themselves Takis and Mountain Dew but not a can of pinto beans.

Because most convenience stores don’t have pinto beans?

Because more people than you think don’t have the means to cook a can of pinto beans.

Because they are hungry, it is 9 at night and they just want something in the stomach.

Because Takis and a MD taste better than a can of plain pinto beans.

[Anonymous]

Same. High quality food and healthcare were always a priority to my immigrant mother. Everything else was scrimped and scavenged. All my clothes were hand me downs/second hand, only two pairs of shoes at any given time (one for church another for everything else) house filled with garage sale furniture. I will say that two things helped in the food department, 1) my parents had a large vegetable garden that saved on produce for a large part of the year when you factor in moms canning 2) we had a car which allowed her to drive to a cheaper grocery store/produce market.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the OP. I am sorry I wasn't clear. My point was that I keep hearing that poor people can't afford to eat healthy, but it can be done. It just involves planning, and cooking, and accepting that you may eat the same meals several days in a row.

Not always. Thanks for your singular data point.

Name some typical circumstances why it couldn’t e done, then. I can’t think of any reason why the same poor person could easily obtain for themselves Takis and Mountain Dew but not a can of pinto beans.

Because most convenience stores don’t have pinto beans?

Because more people than you think don’t have the means to cook a can of pinto beans.

Because they are hungry, it is 9 at night and they just want something in the stomach.

Because Takis and a MD taste better than a can of plain pinto beans.

Convenience stores sell lots of foods. It’s clear you’re just making things up and don’t actually know how, when, where or why people shop. You’re just a contrarian.

[Anonymous]

OP, your mom sounds incredible. Some of the healthiest meals I make, cost the least because I cook a lot with beans/lentils/split peas and I grow some of my own vegetables. The problem is the time commitment and I cannot imagine doing this if I worked 2 jobs and had all the stressors some poor families face (and believe me I have adversity, but I am fortunate we can afford to have me work part time). It would be even cheaper if I went back to soaking dry bean instead of using canned, but I would forget. It would be cheaper if I bought those huge bags of brown rice, but somehow the dogs or someone would get rip is and it just caused problems.

I grew up with privilege, though I had no idea we had privilege since we lived modestly. My mom did all the time savers though so lots of frozen dinners, processed foods, frankenfood, etc. She worked part time or not at all outside the home many years, but needed her time to chat on the phone with friends, get her hair done, gossip with neighbors and go shopping. She wouldn't let us experiment with cooking which is a shame. Luckily I learned once I was an adult and hopefully I am reversing some of the damage from a 80% or more processed food diet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the OP. I am sorry I wasn't clear. My point was that I keep hearing that poor people can't afford to eat healthy, but it can be done. It just involves planning, and cooking, and accepting that you may eat the same meals several days in a row.

Not always. Thanks for your singular data point.

Name some typical circumstances why it couldn’t e done, then. I can’t think of any reason why the same poor person could easily obtain for themselves Takis and Mountain Dew but not a can of pinto beans.

Because most convenience stores don’t have pinto beans?

Because more people than you think don’t have the means to cook a can of pinto beans.

Because they are hungry, it is 9 at night and they just want something in the stomach.

Because Takis and a MD taste better than a can of plain pinto beans.

Convenience stores sell lots of foods. It’s clear you’re just making things up and don’t actually know how, when, where or why people shop. You’re just a contrarian.

Sure they sell all kinds of things. It’s a convenience store after all. But who is actually eating just a can of pinto beans? Plus, that can of beans is probably inflated in price for the convenience of it. You’re the one who is out of touch if you think I’m making things up.

So, if you think I’m making things up - give yourself $275 this month to shop at only your local convenience store (which is probably better than any inner city one already). You must only use the ingredients you buy during this time (including spices, oil, margarine, etc.) - no using what you have in house already as most people don’t have extra money to build up a pantry. You can only shop and cook 630-9pm and must not use your car. You’re limited to only use 1 burner to replicate a typical allowed hot plate element in many small apartments or rental units, plus a toaster oven, kettle, and small microwave (a lot of people don’t have those either). You can only use 1 pot. Any leftovers and purchased fresh food can only go in the crispers of your fridge, to replicate the size of a bar fridge, which again, is all many people have. Anything above and beyond that you need to cook that is a normal consumable- foil, containers to store, etc. have to come from your budget.

I suspect you’ll survive and feed yourself, but maybe you’ll learn something. If it feels pretty easy, keep going and see how you feel about your single can of pinto beans for dinner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the OP. I am sorry I wasn't clear. My point was that I keep hearing that poor people can't afford to eat healthy, but it can be done. It just involves planning, and cooking, and accepting that you may eat the same meals several days in a row.

Not always. Thanks for your singular data point.

Name some typical circumstances why it couldn’t e done, then. I can’t think of any reason why the same poor person could easily obtain for themselves Takis and Mountain Dew but not a can of pinto beans.

Because most convenience stores don’t have pinto beans?

Because more people than you think don’t have the means to cook a can of pinto beans.

Because they are hungry, it is 9 at night and they just want something in the stomach.

Because Takis and a MD taste better than a can of plain pinto beans.

Convenience stores sell lots of foods. It’s clear you’re just making things up and don’t actually know how, when, where or why people shop. You’re just a contrarian.

Sure they sell all kinds of things. It’s a convenience store after all. But who is actually eating just a can of pinto beans? Plus, that can of beans is probably inflated in price for the convenience of it. You’re the one who is out of touch if you think I’m making things up.

So, if you think I’m making things up - give yourself $275 this month to shop at only your local convenience store (which is probably better than any inner city one already). You must only use the ingredients you buy during this time (including spices, oil, margarine, etc.) - no using what you have in house already as most people don’t have extra money to build up a pantry. You can only shop and cook 630-9pm and must not use your car. You’re limited to only use 1 burner to replicate a typical allowed hot plate element in many small apartments or rental units, plus a toaster oven, kettle, and small microwave (a lot of people don’t have those either). You can only use 1 pot. Any leftovers and purchased fresh food can only go in the crispers of your fridge, to replicate the size of a bar fridge, which again, is all many people have. Anything above and beyond that you need to cook that is a normal consumable- foil, containers to store, etc. have to come from your budget.

I suspect you’ll survive and feed yourself, but maybe you’ll learn something. If it feels pretty easy, keep going and see how you feel about your single can of pinto beans for dinner.

I think it depends where you live how common it is that people only have a hot plate to cook on.

As to the $275 - again, food stamps are not intended to cover a family’s entire grocery budget. They never were.

[Anonymous]

OP, it's part of liberal ideology to make excuses for everything that minorities and poor people do. According to their definitions, I live in a food desert and I'm also starving!

It's never about personal responsibility or working hard to get out of a bad situation. Poor people in other countries do a lot more with a lot less. I do have to give them credit for coming up with some creative excuses!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the OP. I am sorry I wasn't clear. My point was that I keep hearing that poor people can't afford to eat healthy, but it can be done. It just involves planning, and cooking, and accepting that you may eat the same meals several days in a row.

Not always. Thanks for your singular data point.

Name some typical circumstances why it couldn’t e done, then. I can’t think of any reason why the same poor person could easily obtain for themselves Takis and Mountain Dew but not a can of pinto beans.

Because most convenience stores don’t have pinto beans?

Because more people than you think don’t have the means to cook a can of pinto beans.

Because they are hungry, it is 9 at night and they just want something in the stomach.

Because Takis and a MD taste better than a can of plain pinto beans.

Convenience stores sell lots of foods. It’s clear you’re just making things up and don’t actually know how, when, where or why people shop. You’re just a contrarian.

Sure they sell all kinds of things. It’s a convenience store after all. But who is actually eating just a can of pinto beans? Plus, that can of beans is probably inflated in price for the convenience of it. You’re the one who is out of touch if you think I’m making things up.

So, if you think I’m making things up - give yourself $275 this month to shop at only your local convenience store (which is probably better than any inner city one already). You must only use the ingredients you buy during this time (including spices, oil, margarine, etc.) - no using what you have in house already as most people don’t have extra money to build up a pantry. You can only shop and cook 630-9pm and must not use your car. You’re limited to only use 1 burner to replicate a typical allowed hot plate element in many small apartments or rental units, plus a toaster oven, kettle, and small microwave (a lot of people don’t have those either). You can only use 1 pot. Any leftovers and purchased fresh food can only go in the crispers of your fridge, to replicate the size of a bar fridge, which again, is all many people have. Anything above and beyond that you need to cook that is a normal consumable- foil, containers to store, etc. have to come from your budget.

I suspect you’ll survive and feed yourself, but maybe you’ll learn something. If it feels pretty easy, keep going and see how you feel about your single can of pinto beans for dinner.

Who said someone eats the beans from a can? You’re trying to sound like some kind of expert on this topic but you’re not. You’re just an excuse maker.