study shows how 42M recipients spend their food stamps

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pasta, rice and beans are super cheap. You can get a box of whole wheat pasta for less than. $1.50 and it will last for multiple meals.

If you worked 2 jobs, and had to take the bus for both jobs, just how much time do you think you'd have to cook dinner from scratch?

My mother worked a low level job and cooked from scratched. She was up at 5am, worked, came home and finished prepping meals, then cleaned up. She finally finished at 9pm and then just went to bed. Rinse and repeat. She at least had a ride to work. She never helped us with hw or anything else. Too tired (and I don't blame her).

I'd like to see you be a low income person, work a low income job, take public transit to work, and cook from scratch.

I am now fortunate to wfh and earn a good income. So, we can cook from scratch and do most nights.

Are you serious? So throwing pasta in a pot of boiling water for 6-7 mins is cooking from scratch? Dumping a can of beans in a pot for five mins is too much work? Okay.

Are you serious? They may throw some mac and cheese in the microwave or whatever, but cooking pasta from "scratch" is more than just throwing in pasta in boiling water. And beans? Sure, they eat beans. But, are you suggesting that they eat beans as snacks ?

We're having pasta tonight. Saute some fresh vegetables with garlic and olive oil, topped with grilled salmon. I don't expect low income people to be able to whip that together as easily when they're working two jobs and taking public transport.

Should they eat plain pasta and rice and beans all the time, including for snacks? You want them to eat fresh fruits for snacks as if they have the time to buy fresh fruits that are perishable.

I'm not saying what they are doing is fine, but seriously , some of you have zero clue about what it's like to be poor, uneducated and live in an urban area.

We could just put this here on repeat. One thing conservatives are consistent about is not understanding a problem until it is a problem for them personally.

So did Michelle Obama not know what it’s like to be poor, uneducated, and live in an urban area?

Michelle Obama would know more about that than an UMC R white dude.

MO knew that this was an issue. It's also why she started the vegetable garden at the WH. She was trying to promote healthy eating.

Yet, when she tried to at least tackle unhealthy school lunches I recall Rs claiming it won't work because kids don't like that kind of crap food.

Yet, now we have Rs claiming that these same kids should not be eating unhealthy with money from tax dollars.

Childhood obesity is a problem. But, it's not just an easy "drink less soda" problem. Children in low income urban areas also cannot go out to play like, ride a bike, be in little league, etc.. like other children can.

Then there is education: uneducated parents like this don't realize just how unhealthy it is to drink so much soda. There are people who live in suburbia who drink a shlt ton of soda. Some people just don't like the fact that the poors are using tax money to buy soda rather than water.

They were right about that part. Sugar, fat, and salt covers up low quality ingredients and lack of cooking skill. UDSA pays less than $3 a meal. The quality is going to be crap and with nothing to hide it, kids noticed

Right, yet some people expect poor people to be able to cook delicious healthy meals at home? please. Even a lot of middle class people can't cook healthy, delicious meals at home.

I don’t expect people to cook a delicious, healthy meal at home. I don’t expect people to down a bag of Doritos and wash it all down with a 2 liter bottle of pop either. There is a reasonable, middle ground in there somewhere. There must be some common sense regulations and better education about food choices.

But Rs hate regulations and consider choices to be a bedrock of democracy, including picking unhealthy choices. Oh, I guess it's because they are picking unhealthy choices with taxpayer dollar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t even believe people are defending this.

No one is defending it. Just saying it’s tough to eat better when you don’t have easy access to healthy food.

Democrats are trying to address food deserts.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1230

“Food Deserts Act

This bill establishes a grant program within the Department of Agriculture to reduce food deserts. Under the program, grants are provided to states for revolving funds that support the establishment and operation of grocery stores in underserved communities. Underserved communities are communities that have (1) limited access to affordable, healthy foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, in grocery retail stores or farmer-to-consumer direct markets; and (2) a high rate of hunger, a high rate of food insecurity, or a high poverty rate.

The bill requires states to use such funds for loans that support grocery stores in underserved communities, including for opening a store (excluding new construction), or supporting an existing store.

In order to qualify for loans, grocery stores must meet criteria enumerated in the bill. For example, grocery stores must (1) emphasize unprocessed, healthful foods; (2) provide staple foods and a variety of raw fruits and vegetables; and (3) charge affordable prices at or below market values.

Further, states must prioritize loan applications from entities that meet criteria related to

hiring workers from the underserved community,
providing classes or educational information about a healthful diet,
sourcing food from local urban farms and gardens, or
demonstrating existing supply chain relationships or expertise in the grocery industry.“

Sounds nice but nobody wants to put a grocery store in a high crime area. Tackle the crime and the stores will return.

I think you may not be aware of who SNAP recipients are.

The greatest percentage of SNAP recipients are in rural areas and small towns.

And yes, almost 50% are non-Hispanic whites. Then about a quarter are Hispanic and a quarter black.

Not a lot of grocery stores being built in rural and small town America and it’s not because of crime.

And the half of the recipients are working age adults.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pasta, rice and beans are super cheap. You can get a box of whole wheat pasta for less than. $1.50 and it will last for multiple meals.

If you worked 2 jobs, and had to take the bus for both jobs, just how much time do you think you'd have to cook dinner from scratch?

My mother worked a low level job and cooked from scratched. She was up at 5am, worked, came home and finished prepping meals, then cleaned up. She finally finished at 9pm and then just went to bed. Rinse and repeat. She at least had a ride to work. She never helped us with hw or anything else. Too tired (and I don't blame her).

I'd like to see you be a low income person, work a low income job, take public transit to work, and cook from scratch.

I am now fortunate to wfh and earn a good income. So, we can cook from scratch and do most nights.

Are you serious? So throwing pasta in a pot of boiling water for 6-7 mins is cooking from scratch? Dumping a can of beans in a pot for five mins is too much work? Okay.

Are you serious? They may throw some mac and cheese in the microwave or whatever, but cooking pasta from "scratch" is more than just throwing in pasta in boiling water. And beans? Sure, they eat beans. But, are you suggesting that they eat beans as snacks ?

We're having pasta tonight. Saute some fresh vegetables with garlic and olive oil, topped with grilled salmon. I don't expect low income people to be able to whip that together as easily when they're working two jobs and taking public transport.

Should they eat plain pasta and rice and beans all the time, including for snacks? You want them to eat fresh fruits for snacks as if they have the time to buy fresh fruits that are perishable.

I'm not saying what they are doing is fine, but seriously , some of you have zero clue about what it's like to be poor, uneducated and live in an urban area.

We could just put this here on repeat. One thing conservatives are consistent about is not understanding a problem until it is a problem for them personally.

So did Michelle Obama not know what it’s like to be poor, uneducated, and live in an urban area?

Michelle Obama would know more about that than an UMC R white dude.

MO knew that this was an issue. It's also why she started the vegetable garden at the WH. She was trying to promote healthy eating.

Yet, when she tried to at least tackle unhealthy school lunches I recall Rs claiming it won't work because kids don't like that kind of crap food.

Yet, now we have Rs claiming that these same kids should not be eating unhealthy with money from tax dollars.

Childhood obesity is a problem. But, it's not just an easy "drink less soda" problem. Children in low income urban areas also cannot go out to play like, ride a bike, be in little league, etc.. like other children can.

Then there is education: uneducated parents like this don't realize just how unhealthy it is to drink so much soda. There are people who live in suburbia who drink a shlt ton of soda. Some people just don't like the fact that the poors are using tax money to buy soda rather than water.

They were right about that part. Sugar, fat, and salt covers up low quality ingredients and lack of cooking skill. UDSA pays less than $3 a meal. The quality is going to be crap and with nothing to hide it, kids noticed

Right, yet some people expect poor people to be able to cook delicious healthy meals at home? please. Even a lot of middle class people can't cook healthy, delicious meals at home.

I don’t expect people to cook a delicious, healthy meal at home. I don’t expect people to down a bag of Doritos and wash it all down with a 2 liter bottle of pop either. There is a reasonable, middle ground in there somewhere. There must be some common sense regulations and better education about food choices.

Why do you feel the need to control the poor?

People here are hateful and live in a bubble. It is disgusting.

Food banks are mostly boxed or canned foods because that is what keeps. Many poor people rely on processed foods because it's cheaper, plain and simple. You can get a package of yellow rice and that has a ton more flavor because the seasonings come with it.

People here can cook tasty food because they have a pantry of seasonings and oils the poor don't have. They also have access to a full working kitchen which the poor often lack.

When I delivered food to the poor from food banks I would stop by a store to grab milk because there was none included from the food banks.

The client I help with his shopping gets $35 a week. Because of the resource level he eats the same meals for breakfast each day. Yogurt, toast and milk. Lunches are a soda, sandwich, chips, a piece of fruit. Dinners are frozen meals, including a pizza some nights.

Which of these things would you take from him??? He can't drive, use a bus alone or go anywhere without help.

What else should he give up in his life to MAKE YOU SATISFIED he's not living it up on your dime??

You people are despicable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t even believe people are defending this.

No one is defending it. Just saying it’s tough to eat better when you don’t have easy access to healthy food.

Democrats are trying to address food deserts.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1230

“Food Deserts Act

This bill establishes a grant program within the Department of Agriculture to reduce food deserts. Under the program, grants are provided to states for revolving funds that support the establishment and operation of grocery stores in underserved communities. Underserved communities are communities that have (1) limited access to affordable, healthy foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, in grocery retail stores or farmer-to-consumer direct markets; and (2) a high rate of hunger, a high rate of food insecurity, or a high poverty rate.

The bill requires states to use such funds for loans that support grocery stores in underserved communities, including for opening a store (excluding new construction), or supporting an existing store.

In order to qualify for loans, grocery stores must meet criteria enumerated in the bill. For example, grocery stores must (1) emphasize unprocessed, healthful foods; (2) provide staple foods and a variety of raw fruits and vegetables; and (3) charge affordable prices at or below market values.

Further, states must prioritize loan applications from entities that meet criteria related to

hiring workers from the underserved community,
providing classes or educational information about a healthful diet,
sourcing food from local urban farms and gardens, or
demonstrating existing supply chain relationships or expertise in the grocery industry.“

Sounds nice but nobody wants to put a grocery store in a high crime area. Tackle the crime and the stores will return.

Maybe the healthy food needs to come first. Healthy foods, healthy minds.

Now you’re being a clown.

I'm a clown for suggesting that humans have access to affordable food that is easily available and affordable and promotes overall well being? Okay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t even believe people are defending this.

No one is defending it. Just saying it’s tough to eat better when you don’t have easy access to healthy food.

Democrats are trying to address food deserts.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1230

“Food Deserts Act

This bill establishes a grant program within the Department of Agriculture to reduce food deserts. Under the program, grants are provided to states for revolving funds that support the establishment and operation of grocery stores in underserved communities. Underserved communities are communities that have (1) limited access to affordable, healthy foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, in grocery retail stores or farmer-to-consumer direct markets; and (2) a high rate of hunger, a high rate of food insecurity, or a high poverty rate.

The bill requires states to use such funds for loans that support grocery stores in underserved communities, including for opening a store (excluding new construction), or supporting an existing store.

In order to qualify for loans, grocery stores must meet criteria enumerated in the bill. For example, grocery stores must (1) emphasize unprocessed, healthful foods; (2) provide staple foods and a variety of raw fruits and vegetables; and (3) charge affordable prices at or below market values.

Further, states must prioritize loan applications from entities that meet criteria related to

hiring workers from the underserved community,
providing classes or educational information about a healthful diet,
sourcing food from local urban farms and gardens, or
demonstrating existing supply chain relationships or expertise in the grocery industry.“

Sounds nice but nobody wants to put a grocery store in a high crime area. Tackle the crime and the stores will return.

Maybe the healthy food needs to come first. Healthy foods, healthy minds.

They literally don’t.
That’s ridiculous.

Just admit you hate poor people.

People commit crime because something is lacking. You fix it by ensuring people have what they need. You've got this whole thing backwards.

Please join us in the real world, where a for profit business can’t be robbed blind for a generation waiting for “good nutrients” to work their magic.

Why can't people think outside of the box? You know, it may be economically advantageous for the US to subsidize green veggies, local gardens/cooperatives, and teach cooking classes to alleviate poverty and associated health costs. This black and white thinking is killing us. Put people to work growing and cooking community vegetables, which I admit is a hard concept for Dems, who prefer handouts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why can’t the snap benefits be limited to vegetables, pasta or meat?

What would be super helpful is for the working parent with SNAP to be able to go into the grocery store and buy a hot, roast chicken out of the case - but that's not allowed. So healthy-ish prepared foods are a no-go, but the soda is a go (because the sugar industry, who DONATES TONS OF MONEY TO POLITICIANS, wants it).

That’s why stores have whole roasted chicken in their deli cases that can be bought with SNAP benefits and heated up at home.

So SNAP recipients are unable to heat up some chicken? That’s your point?

And instead of buying a chicken and heating it up for their kids, they buy a 12 pack of sugar soda and drink Coke for dinner? That’s your theory.

*in their cold deli cases, they roast chicken and then cool it and put it in beside the deli salads and deli sandwiches and offer people a cold roast chicken that can be bought on SNAP benefits.

Why? Why can’t they just buy the hot roast chicken?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And it’s not pretty. Or healthy.

EPIC Report: Food Stamps: A Culture of Dependency
Matthew Dickerson
May 8, 2024
The story of the food stamp program is one of expanding enrollment, higher spending, benefit payments growing faster than inflation, little work by recipients, and ultimately, a greater dependence on taxpayers.

Food stamp enrollment has increased significantly, surging from 17.3 million individuals in 2001 to 42.1 million in 2023.

https://epicforamerica.org/blog/epic-report-food-stamps-a-culture-of-dependency/


— Coca-Cola, Sprite and other soft drinks are the most commonly-bought items via the $135 billion-a-year Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a new study says.

— Candy, potato chips, frozen pizza, ice cream, cookies, and other ultra-processed food dominates the top 20 items, says a report from the Economic Policy Innovation Center (EPIC).

— Recipients spend much of their benefits on junk food, such as soft drinks, chips and other bag snacks, breakfast cereals, frozen handheld snacks, candy, frozen pizza, ice cream coffee creamer, and cookies.



SNAP costs have exploded from $31 billion to $135 billion, his report says, using inflation-adjusted numbers.

Should the government adjust the benefits so that some foods or drinks are not covered? I would think at least making soda unable to be purchased on SNAP would be a good thing.

It's not a "new study." Those statistics on what people buy with food stamps are from 2016. https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/ops/SNAPFoodsTypicallyPurchased.pdf

And that report shows that

There were no major differences in the expenditure patterns of SNAP and non-SNAP
households, no matter how the data were categorized. Similar to most American
households:
 About 40 cents of every dollar of food expenditures by SNAP households was
spent on basic items such as meat, fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs, and bread.
 Another 20 cents out of every dollar was spent on sweetened beverages,
desserts, salty snacks, candy and sugar.
 The remaining 40 cents were spent on a variety of items such as cereal, prepared
foods, dairy products, rice, and beans.
 The top 10 summary categories and the top 7 commodities by expenditure were the
same for SNAP and non-SNAP households, although ranked in slightly different orders.

ALL Americans eat crap. Feel better now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why can’t the snap benefits be limited to vegetables, pasta or meat?

What would be super helpful is for the working parent with SNAP to be able to go into the grocery store and buy a hot, roast chicken out of the case - but that's not allowed. So healthy-ish prepared foods are a no-go, but the soda is a go (because the sugar industry, who DONATES TONS OF MONEY TO POLITICIANS, wants it).

That’s why stores have whole roasted chicken in their deli cases that can be bought with SNAP benefits and heated up at home.

So SNAP recipients are unable to heat up some chicken? That’s your point?

And instead of buying a chicken and heating it up for their kids, they buy a 12 pack of sugar soda and drink Coke for dinner? That’s your theory.

LOL, no, but you do you.

The sodas are allowed because the sugar industry has paid off politicians to do so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pasta, rice and beans are super cheap. You can get a box of whole wheat pasta for less than. $1.50 and it will last for multiple meals.

If you worked 2 jobs, and had to take the bus for both jobs, just how much time do you think you'd have to cook dinner from scratch?

My mother worked a low level job and cooked from scratched. She was up at 5am, worked, came home and finished prepping meals, then cleaned up. She finally finished at 9pm and then just went to bed. Rinse and repeat. She at least had a ride to work. She never helped us with hw or anything else. Too tired (and I don't blame her).

I'd like to see you be a low income person, work a low income job, take public transit to work, and cook from scratch.

I am now fortunate to wfh and earn a good income. So, we can cook from scratch and do most nights.

Are you serious? So throwing pasta in a pot of boiling water for 6-7 mins is cooking from scratch? Dumping a can of beans in a pot for five mins is too much work? Okay.

Are you serious? They may throw some mac and cheese in the microwave or whatever, but cooking pasta from "scratch" is more than just throwing in pasta in boiling water. And beans? Sure, they eat beans. But, are you suggesting that they eat beans as snacks ?

We're having pasta tonight. Saute some fresh vegetables with garlic and olive oil, topped with grilled salmon. I don't expect low income people to be able to whip that together as easily when they're working two jobs and taking public transport.

Should they eat plain pasta and rice and beans all the time, including for snacks? You want them to eat fresh fruits for snacks as if they have the time to buy fresh fruits that are perishable.

I'm not saying what they are doing is fine, but seriously , some of you have zero clue about what it's like to be poor, uneducated and live in an urban area.

We could just put this here on repeat. One thing conservatives are consistent about is not understanding a problem until it is a problem for them personally.

So did Michelle Obama not know what it’s like to be poor, uneducated, and live in an urban area?

Michelle Obama would know more about that than an UMC R white dude.

MO knew that this was an issue. It's also why she started the vegetable garden at the WH. She was trying to promote healthy eating.

Yet, when she tried to at least tackle unhealthy school lunches I recall Rs claiming it won't work because kids don't like that kind of crap food.

Yet, now we have Rs claiming that these same kids should not be eating unhealthy with money from tax dollars.

Childhood obesity is a problem. But, it's not just an easy "drink less soda" problem. Children in low income urban areas also cannot go out to play like, ride a bike, be in little league, etc.. like other children can.

Then there is education: uneducated parents like this don't realize just how unhealthy it is to drink so much soda. There are people who live in suburbia who drink a shlt ton of soda. Some people just don't like the fact that the poors are using tax money to buy soda rather than water.

They were right about that part. Sugar, fat, and salt covers up low quality ingredients and lack of cooking skill. UDSA pays less than $3 a meal. The quality is going to be crap and with nothing to hide it, kids noticed

Right, yet some people expect poor people to be able to cook delicious healthy meals at home? please. Even a lot of middle class people can't cook healthy, delicious meals at home.

I don’t expect people to cook a delicious, healthy meal at home. I don’t expect people to down a bag of Doritos and wash it all down with a 2 liter bottle of pop either. There is a reasonable, middle ground in there somewhere. There must be some common sense regulations and better education about food choices.

Why do you feel the need to control the poor?

People here are hateful and live in a bubble. It is disgusting.

Food banks are mostly boxed or canned foods because that is what keeps. Many poor people rely on processed foods because it's cheaper, plain and simple. You can get a package of yellow rice and that has a ton more flavor because the seasonings come with it.

People here can cook tasty food because they have a pantry of seasonings and oils the poor don't have. They also have access to a full working kitchen which the poor often lack.

When I delivered food to the poor from food banks I would stop by a store to grab milk because there was none included from the food banks.

The client I help with his shopping gets $35 a week. Because of the resource level he eats the same meals for breakfast each day. Yogurt, toast and milk. Lunches are a soda, sandwich, chips, a piece of fruit. Dinners are frozen meals, including a pizza some nights.

Which of these things would you take from him??? He can't drive, use a bus alone or go anywhere without help.

What else should he give up in his life to MAKE YOU SATISFIED he's not living it up on your dime??

You people are despicable.

You sound unhinged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t trust the motivations of the study authors, but I’m not at all surprised the findings. When’s the last time you saw fresh healthy affordable food in a convenience store or a Dollar General? That’s where a lot of SNAP recipients are buying their food because it’s the only thing in town. It’s called food deserts and poor people are much more likely to live in them. Look it up.

People who work multiple jobs don’t have an extra 2 hours every few days to take three busses to the grocery stores in the nicer suburbs to stock up on healthy ingredients. I get salty when I have to drive more than 10 minutes in my comfy car to fill the trunk.

As for SNAP recipients working less, that’s the point. But I suppose the right wingers prefer the poor work 80 hours a week to not starve. That’s what it’s all about to that crowd- maximizing how much you can extract from people with nothing.

Produce at the dollar store: Fruits and veggies now at 5,000 Dollar General locations, company says

30 Jan 2024
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2024/01/30/dollar-general-stores-produce/72397538007/

Dollar General is now offering fresh produce options in more than 5,000 stores across the country, the company revealed to USA TODAY exclusively. According to a news release from the company, this move would mean the retailer "has more individual points of produce distribution than any other U.S. mass retailer or grocer."


Produce has marked an area of expansion for Dollar General. In 2022, then-CEO Jeff Owen said on a company earnings call that fresh produce was sold in about 3,000 of its 18,800 stores, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Dollar General's produce offerings include tomatoes, onions, apples, strawberries, potatoes, lemons, salad mixes and more. The company told USA TODAY its stores now carry the top 20 items that would typically be sold in grocery stores.

The company announced it's "Food First" initiative in July 2023, which included the expansion of its private label brand, Clover Valley. The expansion saw over 100 new items introduced to Dollar General shelves, including entrees, sauces, condiments and more.

Why are you so invested in making people sick?

That’s a quarter of the Dollar Stores in the US. So that means 75% of Dollar Stores may have no more produce than a few limes at the counter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pasta, rice and beans are super cheap. You can get a box of whole wheat pasta for less than. $1.50 and it will last for multiple meals.

Really? Because my family consumes 3/4 to 1 box/meal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Obesity = Depopulation
The is the globalist agenda.

*This

Democrat elites promote illness and disease because it makes them wealthy.

LOL. I’m from farm country. Big Ag, which drives a lot of what is permitted under SNAP, is not comprised of Dem elites.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And it’s not pretty. Or healthy.

EPIC Report: Food Stamps: A Culture of Dependency
Matthew Dickerson
May 8, 2024
The story of the food stamp program is one of expanding enrollment, higher spending, benefit payments growing faster than inflation, little work by recipients, and ultimately, a greater dependence on taxpayers.

Food stamp enrollment has increased significantly, surging from 17.3 million individuals in 2001 to 42.1 million in 2023.

https://epicforamerica.org/blog/epic-report-food-stamps-a-culture-of-dependency/


— Coca-Cola, Sprite and other soft drinks are the most commonly-bought items via the $135 billion-a-year Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a new study says.

— Candy, potato chips, frozen pizza, ice cream, cookies, and other ultra-processed food dominates the top 20 items, says a report from the Economic Policy Innovation Center (EPIC).

— Recipients spend much of their benefits on junk food, such as soft drinks, chips and other bag snacks, breakfast cereals, frozen handheld snacks, candy, frozen pizza, ice cream coffee creamer, and cookies.



SNAP costs have exploded from $31 billion to $135 billion, his report says, using inflation-adjusted numbers.

Should the government adjust the benefits so that some foods or drinks are not covered? I would think at least making soda unable to be purchased on SNAP would be a good thing.

It's not a "new study." Those statistics on what people buy with food stamps are from 2016. https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/ops/SNAPFoodsTypicallyPurchased.pdf

And that report shows that

There were no major differences in the expenditure patterns of SNAP and non-SNAP
households, no matter how the data were categorized. Similar to most American
households:
 About 40 cents of every dollar of food expenditures by SNAP households was
spent on basic items such as meat, fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs, and bread.
 Another 20 cents out of every dollar was spent on sweetened beverages,
desserts, salty snacks, candy and sugar.
 The remaining 40 cents were spent on a variety of items such as cereal, prepared
foods, dairy products, rice, and beans.
 The top 10 summary categories and the top 7 commodities by expenditure were the
same for SNAP and non-SNAP households, although ranked in slightly different orders.

ALL Americans eat crap. Feel better now?

But only the poor ones need to be punished, controlled and demeaned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why can’t the snap benefits be limited to vegetables, pasta or meat?

What would be super helpful is for the working parent with SNAP to be able to go into the grocery store and buy a hot, roast chicken out of the case - but that's not allowed. So healthy-ish prepared foods are a no-go, but the soda is a go (because the sugar industry, who DONATES TONS OF MONEY TO POLITICIANS, wants it).

That’s why stores have whole roasted chicken in their deli cases that can be bought with SNAP benefits and heated up at home.

So SNAP recipients are unable to heat up some chicken? That’s your point?

And instead of buying a chicken and heating it up for their kids, they buy a 12 pack of sugar soda and drink Coke for dinner? That’s your theory.

*in their cold deli cases, they roast chicken and then cool it and put it in beside the deli salads and deli sandwiches and offer people a cold roast chicken that can be bought on SNAP benefits.

Why? Why can’t they just buy the hot roast chicken?

Why don’t you ask the government officials who make the rules of the program? You think I have something to do with it? It’s gov rules.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pasta, rice and beans are super cheap. You can get a box of whole wheat pasta for less than. $1.50 and it will last for multiple meals.

If you worked 2 jobs, and had to take the bus for both jobs, just how much time do you think you'd have to cook dinner from scratch?

My mother worked a low level job and cooked from scratched. She was up at 5am, worked, came home and finished prepping meals, then cleaned up. She finally finished at 9pm and then just went to bed. Rinse and repeat. She at least had a ride to work. She never helped us with hw or anything else. Too tired (and I don't blame her).

I'd like to see you be a low income person, work a low income job, take public transit to work, and cook from scratch.

I am now fortunate to wfh and earn a good income. So, we can cook from scratch and do most nights.

Are you serious? So throwing pasta in a pot of boiling water for 6-7 mins is cooking from scratch? Dumping a can of beans in a pot for five mins is too much work? Okay.

Are you serious? They may throw some mac and cheese in the microwave or whatever, but cooking pasta from "scratch" is more than just throwing in pasta in boiling water. And beans? Sure, they eat beans. But, are you suggesting that they eat beans as snacks ?

We're having pasta tonight. Saute some fresh vegetables with garlic and olive oil, topped with grilled salmon. I don't expect low income people to be able to whip that together as easily when they're working two jobs and taking public transport.

Should they eat plain pasta and rice and beans all the time, including for snacks? You want them to eat fresh fruits for snacks as if they have the time to buy fresh fruits that are perishable.

I'm not saying what they are doing is fine, but seriously , some of you have zero clue about what it's like to be poor, uneducated and live in an urban area.

We could just put this here on repeat. One thing conservatives are consistent about is not understanding a problem until it is a problem for them personally.

So did Michelle Obama not know what it’s like to be poor, uneducated, and live in an urban area?

Michelle Obama would know more about that than an UMC R white dude.

MO knew that this was an issue. It's also why she started the vegetable garden at the WH. She was trying to promote healthy eating.

Yet, when she tried to at least tackle unhealthy school lunches I recall Rs claiming it won't work because kids don't like that kind of crap food.

Yet, now we have Rs claiming that these same kids should not be eating unhealthy with money from tax dollars.

Childhood obesity is a problem. But, it's not just an easy "drink less soda" problem. Children in low income urban areas also cannot go out to play like, ride a bike, be in little league, etc.. like other children can.

Then there is education: uneducated parents like this don't realize just how unhealthy it is to drink so much soda. There are people who live in suburbia who drink a shlt ton of soda. Some people just don't like the fact that the poors are using tax money to buy soda rather than water.

They were right about that part. Sugar, fat, and salt covers up low quality ingredients and lack of cooking skill. UDSA pays less than $3 a meal. The quality is going to be crap and with nothing to hide it, kids noticed

Right, yet some people expect poor people to be able to cook delicious healthy meals at home? please. Even a lot of middle class people can't cook healthy, delicious meals at home.

I don’t expect people to cook a delicious, healthy meal at home. I don’t expect people to down a bag of Doritos and wash it all down with a 2 liter bottle of pop either. There is a reasonable, middle ground in there somewhere. There must be some common sense regulations and better education about food choices.

+1 exactly.