Poor people can't afford healthy food

[Anonymous]

SNAP and WIC food benefits are being cut, so it's going to be even harder to feed families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow PP…

In what state/city were you allocated $750 per month in food stamps??! 😲

That is a very large amount for only two people.

Bragging about having enough left over to purchase steaks + shrimp though makes it look bad for those depending on food stamps because this is rarely the case for most families who receive assistance.

Most people get enough food stamps to purchase food for their families for about 1/2 the month…..then the rest of the month they may have to scrimp or visit food banks, churches, etc. in order to eat.

This was in a blue state that’s pretty good about public services.

Not sure how this makes anyone look bad. I really hate the idea that people on public assistance should be living off of dried beans and rice. It’s not like we were eating steak every night - once a month is not that unreasonable. And, I wasn’t bragging, you’re projecting your own beliefs about people in poverty onto me.

I left an abusive marriage, got a minimum wage job after years out of the workforce, needed some help, and now years later support myself with my own business that employs others. The system worked.

Overall it’s better for everyone if families get the help they need, so they don’t have to spend hours trying to find food when that time can be put towards work. WIC was frustrating because I had to go multiple times and wait around for hours just to get a gallon of milk and some cans of beans. That’s time I could have spent job hunting or working. Making people jump through hoops for a few bucks keeps them in poverty.

What do you mean you “waited around for hours” for a gallon of milk? You go to the store and take it off the shelf.

Poor people depending on the work of others should have access to government life-enabling necessities only. If people want to start a charity to provide steak and soda to poor people, they should knock themselves out. Buying steak with welfare that lots of working taxpayers can’t afford is too much.

There are many poor people who make it a job of sorts to shop charitable assistance. They go from place to place, a little help here and there. They piece it together. It's a job, almost like panhandling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow PP…

In what state/city were you allocated $750 per month in food stamps??! 😲

That is a very large amount for only two people.

Bragging about having enough left over to purchase steaks + shrimp though makes it look bad for those depending on food stamps because this is rarely the case for most families who receive assistance.

Most people get enough food stamps to purchase food for their families for about 1/2 the month…..then the rest of the month they may have to scrimp or visit food banks, churches, etc. in order to eat.

This was in a blue state that’s pretty good about public services.

Not sure how this makes anyone look bad. I really hate the idea that people on public assistance should be living off of dried beans and rice. It’s not like we were eating steak every night - once a month is not that unreasonable. And, I wasn’t bragging, you’re projecting your own beliefs about people in poverty onto me.

I left an abusive marriage, got a minimum wage job after years out of the workforce, needed some help, and now years later support myself with my own business that employs others. The system worked.

Overall it’s better for everyone if families get the help they need, so they don’t have to spend hours trying to find food when that time can be put towards work. WIC was frustrating because I had to go multiple times and wait around for hours just to get a gallon of milk and some cans of beans. That’s time I could have spent job hunting or working. Making people jump through hoops for a few bucks keeps them in poverty.

What do you mean you “waited around for hours” for a gallon of milk? You go to the store and take it off the shelf.

Poor people depending on the work of others should have access to government life-enabling necessities only. If people want to start a charity to provide steak and soda to poor people, they should knock themselves out. Buying steak with welfare that lots of working taxpayers can’t afford is too much.

PP was referring to the time it takes to enroll in WIC.

Way to channel Reagan with the steak thing, too. 🙄

Not just enroll. Every time I picked up a WIC voucher, twice a month, I needed 1/2 a day off work to wait, and get the kid weighed and measured, and listen to the nutritionist question the choices that my kid's doctors made for him, and sometimes attend a nutrition class, and then wait some more for the vouchers to be ready.

-- former foster parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC worked as a cashier at a grocery store for the summer and it was the best experience. He learned how expensive food is in general, but he also saw what people would buy. He came away with some prejudices, but mostly against poor Americans and in favor of immigrants. It was striking to see people buying small bags of expensive processed food and then someone who didn't speak English coming through with a cart full of beans, tortillas and fresh vegetables for the same amount of money.

Let us know what your DC buys when he cooks for himself. Does he have the time and skills to make fresh food from scratch? I’m curious in part because his prejudices might be leaving out a few things. One possibility that comes to mind is that more immigrants may live in households that have a grandmother or other adult to do the cooking and other unpaid tasks. Most “poor Americans “ may not have households like that, and are exhausted from low paying jobs and relying on time saving conveniences. Not saying that his observations are wrong — just that he might be missing a few variables in the mix, which might be easy to do, especially if he’s not the one spending the time or with the expertise to transform the beans and fresh vegetables into an actual meal. This is also overlooking the reality that processed food is often cheaper per serving— especially when it comes to fruit, at least in my experience. Also, it’s cheaper to buy one expensive frozen dinner than it it to buy the spices and even utensils that it might take to make it from scratch — especially if you don’t have a fully stocked pantry. The cost per serving of the processed food will usually be more, but the immediate cost might often be a lot less.

I’m curious: Do schools offer what used to be called Home Ec now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC worked as a cashier at a grocery store for the summer and it was the best experience. He learned how expensive food is in general, but he also saw what people would buy. He came away with some prejudices, but mostly against poor Americans and in favor of immigrants. It was striking to see people buying small bags of expensive processed food and then someone who didn't speak English coming through with a cart full of beans, tortillas and fresh vegetables for the same amount of money.

Let us know what your DC buys when he cooks for himself. Does he have the time and skills to make fresh food from scratch? I’m curious in part because his prejudices might be leaving out a few things. One possibility that comes to mind is that more immigrants may live in households that have a grandmother or other adult to do the cooking and other unpaid tasks. Most “poor Americans “ may not have households like that, and are exhausted from low paying jobs and relying on time saving conveniences. Not saying that his observations are wrong — just that he might be missing a few variables in the mix, which might be easy to do, especially if he’s not the one spending the time or with the expertise to transform the beans and fresh vegetables into an actual meal. This is also overlooking the reality that processed food is often cheaper per serving— especially when it comes to fruit, at least in my experience. Also, it’s cheaper to buy one expensive frozen dinner than it it to buy the spices and even utensils that it might take to make it from scratch — especially if you don’t have a fully stocked pantry. The cost per serving of the processed food will usually be more, but the immediate cost might often be a lot less.

I’m curious: Do schools offer what used to be called Home Ec now?

Excuses. Poor US born Americans were raised on processed crap food and it’s all they know how to eat and “cook”

[Anonymous]

It is possible to eat very cheaply if you know some basics of cooking and are willing to eat the same stuff over and over again. Rice, beans, cheap cuts of meat. Bananas. Potato’s. Certain vegetables like carrots or collard greens.

But it’s really hard to live like this consistently when people you know are eating chips and McDonald’s and cookies. I think that’s why it can be easier for immigrants — if they are in a culture where everyone is eating simple hearty food, it feels less stigmatizing and less depressing. But if you’ve worked two shifts in a job you hate and are going home to take care of your kids, it’s hard not to grab some chips. If you know you can’t give your kids much. At least there’s store brand oreos. I mean. I have a pretty easy job and plenty of money and I still can’t always make myself eat what I know I should. It takes a lot of discipline to go through the store finding the healthy cheap food and then go home and make it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You seem to have little or no empathy OP. Why judge people so harshly? It sounds like your mom did what she could, but that food does not seem healthy. Have you been to a store lately? Fruits and vegetables are very expensive. The only thing that isn't is Trader Joes pasta and pasta sauce. It wouldn't be healthy to eat that for long. Also, since you're so judgey, why was your mom a single mom? Why no man in the picture? She could have afforded more for you with a man in the pic.

If you had ever experienced true financial hardship then you wouldn't have used Trader Joe's as an example of what is affordable. Try food lion or Aldi.

Food Lion snd Aldis aren't in the city. If you don't have a car, you walk or bus to TJs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And now the MAGAS are cutting people’s food benefits too! AND KENNEDY IS HELPING THEM

https://www.wvva.com/2025/08/04/federal-waiver-officially-removes-soda-snap-benefits-wva/

This thread got resurrected a year later because of this poster. If you read the link the person posted, you can see that it says sodas will no longer be an item that can be purchased with food stamps in West Virginia.


Which I personally do not see that as a bad thing. But I like Kool-aid, which is cheap and easy to make. Kool-aid and sugar will still be items you can purchase with food stamps.

[Anonymous]

OP, please share some of your mom's recipes!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And now the MAGAS are cutting people’s food benefits too! AND KENNEDY IS HELPING THEM

https://www.wvva.com/2025/08/04/federal-waiver-officially-removes-soda-snap-benefits-wva/

This thread got resurrected a year later because of this poster. If you read the link the person posted, you can see that it says sodas will no longer be an item that can be purchased with food stamps in West Virginia.


Which I personally do not see that as a bad thing. But I like Kool-aid, which is cheap and easy to make. Kool-aid and sugar will still be items you can purchase with food stamps.

How is this not a bad thing ?!?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC worked as a cashier at a grocery store for the summer and it was the best experience. He learned how expensive food is in general, but he also saw what people would buy. He came away with some prejudices, but mostly against poor Americans and in favor of immigrants. It was striking to see people buying small bags of expensive processed food and then someone who didn't speak English coming through with a cart full of beans, tortillas and fresh vegetables for the same amount of money.

Let us know what your DC buys when he cooks for himself. Does he have the time and skills to make fresh food from scratch? I’m curious in part because his prejudices might be leaving out a few things. One possibility that comes to mind is that more immigrants may live in households that have a grandmother or other adult to do the cooking and other unpaid tasks. Most “poor Americans “ may not have households like that, and are exhausted from low paying jobs and relying on time saving conveniences. Not saying that his observations are wrong — just that he might be missing a few variables in the mix, which might be easy to do, especially if he’s not the one spending the time or with the expertise to transform the beans and fresh vegetables into an actual meal. This is also overlooking the reality that processed food is often cheaper per serving— especially when it comes to fruit, at least in my experience. Also, it’s cheaper to buy one expensive frozen dinner than it it to buy the spices and even utensils that it might take to make it from scratch — especially if you don’t have a fully stocked pantry. The cost per serving of the processed food will usually be more, but the immediate cost might often be a lot less.

I’m curious: Do schools offer what used to be called Home Ec now?

I grew up in a time of Home Ec and learned absolutely nothing of real use. I’ve never once made stone soup or monkey bread since that class , nor have I ever sewn another pair of pocketless shorts.

[Anonymous]

Agree that you can definitely eat healthy when poor. It just takes planning but so many people are lazy..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And now the MAGAS are cutting people’s food benefits too! AND KENNEDY IS HELPING THEM

https://www.wvva.com/2025/08/04/federal-waiver-officially-removes-soda-snap-benefits-wva/

This thread got resurrected a year later because of this poster. If you read the link the person posted, you can see that it says sodas will no longer be an item that can be purchased with food stamps in West Virginia.


Which I personally do not see that as a bad thing. But I like Kool-aid, which is cheap and easy to make. Kool-aid and sugar will still be items you can purchase with food stamps.

Sodas have no nutritional value and therefore shouldn't be covered by nutrition benefits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC worked as a cashier at a grocery store for the summer and it was the best experience. He learned how expensive food is in general, but he also saw what people would buy. He came away with some prejudices, but mostly against poor Americans and in favor of immigrants. It was striking to see people buying small bags of expensive processed food and then someone who didn't speak English coming through with a cart full of beans, tortillas and fresh vegetables for the same amount of money.

Let us know what your DC buys when he cooks for himself. Does he have the time and skills to make fresh food from scratch? I’m curious in part because his prejudices might be leaving out a few things. One possibility that comes to mind is that more immigrants may live in households that have a grandmother or other adult to do the cooking and other unpaid tasks. Most “poor Americans “ may not have households like that, and are exhausted from low paying jobs and relying on time saving conveniences. Not saying that his observations are wrong — just that he might be missing a few variables in the mix, which might be easy to do, especially if he’s not the one spending the time or with the expertise to transform the beans and fresh vegetables into an actual meal. This is also overlooking the reality that processed food is often cheaper per serving— especially when it comes to fruit, at least in my experience. Also, it’s cheaper to buy one expensive frozen dinner than it it to buy the spices and even utensils that it might take to make it from scratch — especially if you don’t have a fully stocked pantry. The cost per serving of the processed food will usually be more, but the immediate cost might often be a lot less.

I’m curious: Do schools offer what used to be called Home Ec now?

I grew up in a time of Home Ec and learned absolutely nothing of real use. I’ve never once made stone soup or monkey bread since that class , nor have I ever sewn another pair of pocketless shorts.

Monkey bread is delicious. You should make it this weekend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And now the MAGAS are cutting people’s food benefits too! AND KENNEDY IS HELPING THEM

https://www.wvva.com/2025/08/04/federal-waiver-officially-removes-soda-snap-benefits-wva/

This thread got resurrected a year later because of this poster. If you read the link the person posted, you can see that it says sodas will no longer be an item that can be purchased with food stamps in West Virginia.


Which I personally do not see that as a bad thing. But I like Kool-aid, which is cheap and easy to make. Kool-aid and sugar will still be items you can purchase with food stamps.

Sodas have no nutritional value and therefore shouldn't be covered by nutrition benefits.

Quick energy. Hydration. Science!